Worth It
Joe Slater
Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; But much increase comes by the strength of an ox (Proverbs 14:4).
	One of the joys of having cattle is cleaning old hay out of the manger and spoiled feed out of the trough. Neither job would appear on my short list of favorite chores. Evidently Solomon didn’t think cleaning out the trough was fun either. Of course, the surest way to avoid this task is to have no cattle! But in Solomon’s day, agriculture depended on oxen to pull the plow. I’d rather clean the trough than pull the plow! Eliminating your oxen to avoid cleaning the feed trough would be rather short-sighted, don’t you think?
	Anything worthwhile requires an investment of some kind. Parents invest in countless ways to raise their children. If we didn’t have children, we wouldn’t need to get up for those 2 A.M. feedings and diaper changes; we wouldn’t have to buy so much food and clothing; we could live comfortably in smaller houses; and we wouldn’t have to taxi the children here, there, and everywhere. We do we make these investments of time, effort, and resources? Because the results (love, joy, satisfaction, etc.) make the investments worthwhile!
	Even in the church, investment is necessary to accomplish our purpose. Take this bulletin (please)! If we didn’t have a bulletin, I wouldn’t need to write this article, and you wouldn’t have to read it. We invest the time, effort, and resources because we think it does some good. Ditto for Bible classes. If we didn’t have them, Gary wouldn’t need to schedule teachers; the teachers would not need to prepare; we wouldn’t have to buy material; all of us could arrive an hour later; and we would not need to build and maintain classrooms. But again, we make those investments because the dividends are more than worth it.
	God Himself made the supreme investment when he sent Jesus to this world to live the perfect example, teach the right way, and die a sacrificial death for you and me. If only God had been content to allow us all to remain eternally lost, Jesus wouldn’t have had to leave the splendor of Heaven to endure poverty and abuse on earth. He could have avoided the pain, heartache, and disappointment. Why was God willing to invest His very Self? Evidently, in His judgment, we’re worth it. He loves us and wants our fellowship. Now, do we love Him and want His fellowship? Are we willing to invest our time, effort, and resources?
	Or will we sell the ox so the trough will stay clean?
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Did You Think to Pray?
	Consider this truth: “Jesus went more readily to the cross of Calvary than we do to the throne of grace in prayer.” Why is that so? Is it a lack of faith? A spirit of independence? Carelessness? Yes, yes, and yes.
	When I meditate on that opening statement, I am put to shame. What about you? If you’re like me, you have a choice to make: Will you go your own way and act as though you were never confronted with this truth? Or will you decide to do better? If my Lord could willingly face the horrors of the cross, I certainly can, with more consistency, approach the gracious throne of God with my praise, petitions, and intercessions. What about you? (Read Colossians 4:1-2).
	--Steve Higginbotham (Knoxville, TN)
Tolerance and Love
	Tolerance says, “You must approve of what I do!”
	Love responds, “I must do something harder: I will love you even when your behavior offends me.”

	Tolerance says, “You must agree with me!”
	Love responds: “I must do something harder: I will tell you the truth, because I am convinced ‘the truth will set you free.’”

	Tolerance says, “You must allow me to have my way.”
	Love responds, “I must do something harder. I will plead with you to follow the right way, because I believe you are worth the risk.”

	Tolerance seeks to be inoffensive; love takes risks.
	Tolerance glorifies division; love seeks unity.
	Tolerance costs nothing; love costs everything.
	-- Josh McDowell (“Focus on the Family” magazine, August 1999).