John 1:45-51 Can Anything Good Come Out Of You?“Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.’ But Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come from Nazareth.”
While I was in middle school, a teacher once told me that if I wanted to pass a test, I had to shoot for an A+. Those were the days before we had A++ or GPA’s that were above 4.0! My problem was that I was always shooting for a 65 and ended up getting a 55. Someone finally helped me to understand my mistake!
I have never heard a child tell me that when they grow up they would like to be a drug dealer or drug addict, or an alcoholic or a lazy bum; or that they would like to be single with a child, or divorced at least twice, or living in some abandoned apartment or living on welfare.
No! Not at all!
I always hear the kids tell me that when they grow up they would like to be a policeman or fireman, or racecar driver or football player, or a doctor or a lawyer, or a millionaire or billionaire.
I always tell them, “You should think harder and aim higher! You can be much more than these things. You can be a Saint!”
A new children’s book about dieting has sparked media controversy. Maggie Goes on a Diet, goes on the market in October. It’s about an overweight 14-year-old girl with low self-esteem who changes her life after losing weight from diet and exercise. Her life changes in the following way: as she loses weight, she begins to win trophies and becomes a soccer superstar. In other words, foot and eye coordination increases as weight decreases. Hmmm….The author, Dr. Kramer, defended his book on FOX News Channel by saying, “I am not advocating, and never did, that children should go on a diet.” Interesting…, since the title of the book is Maggie Goes on a Diet!
Losing weight may generate a bit of self-esteem, but not as much as it generates self-gloating, selfishness and self-entitlement. The book is geared for children 4 to 8. The cover shows a seemingly heavy young girl in front of a mirror holding up a low cut dress. She also appears slimmer in the mirror. “Mirror mirror on the wall who is the most attractive one of all!!!” That’s a question that only witches and self-fulfilling step-sisters ask!
Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Jesus may have responded, “Can anything good come from you?” We know the answer. Nathanael is a Saint! He is a Saint because of Him!
Try harder! Prayer higher! Temptations surround us. Sin knocks us down. To feel good about yourself really means to be good with God. That’s the best and simplest way to treat yourself as you should: as a child of the MOST HIGH!
