“I have treasured Your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11 NASB)
You have occasionally heard factual stories that are focused on my trips to the grocery store over the last five years. Well, here is another one. Earlier this week, I went to the store with the shopping list that was composed by my spouse. I say “composed,” because it is not just a listing, but it is like an art where the list is strategically written so that requested items are grouped together, based on being located in the same areas. Some thinking has to go into her composing of the grocery list. Well, to be honest, I need it, because I can never remember each of the multiple requested without a list. And I don’t want to come back home and cover-up my forgetfulness with a falsehood, “Oh, they were out of that item.” Therefore, I use the list without shame as I roam through the store.
After I am finished shopping, I go through the checkout. Typically, if I buy any home décor items, I use one debit card. When paying for groceries, what I was really sent to pick up, I use another debit card, the one designated primarily for that purpose. I stand in a line 6-7 people deep. After patiently waiting my turn, I do my self-checkout of the home décor items first. Before running the grocery items over the scanner and bagging them, I look over in dismay and sometimes disgust, and I see 3-4 associates standing near the closed main counter, leaning, relaxing, and sometimes talking to one another. It appears that some have mastered the art of not looking at you, in fear that you may need help. Or perhaps some of the Associates have mastered the skill of sleeping, standing with their eyes wide open. As I am about to do the work, I wondered, “What happened to the days when you did not assume the role of the bagger and cashier?”
I go ahead and proceed with my checking out and the bagging of items as if I went through a how to bag orientation class. After bagging, I place multiple bags in my cart. Gone are the days when the bagger would roll your cart to your car, and you would give them a modest tip. So I roll my cart, always one with the wheel that won’t go the right direction. Physical effort is required to push the cart to the car over the un-smoothed parking lot. I start loading my purchases in the car. I notice two items under the large paper towels package, a box of cereal and a large bag of chips. They are not in a bag, so I check my receipt, and I notice that unintentionally I did not scan those two items, the cereal and the chips. I did not pay for either of them. What should I do?
The natural self says, “The alarm did not go out when you exited the building. Load the cereal and the chips in the car and go home. Your time is valuable.” That is when the Counselor, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, “Thou shall not steal.” Like I ignored Him at first, the counselor expanded His expression, “Thou shall not steal the cereal and chips.” He was doing His job, reminding me of the word of God that was hidden in my heart. It is true. If you put it in you heart, the Holy Spirit will bring it out just in the nick of time and keep you on the narrow path, in line with what is right. Yes, the Counselor will keep you from doing that wrong thing called “sin.”
I go back in to the store and inform one of the associates still standing, leaning, and talking, that I had not scan the cereal and the chips. The associate smiles. shakes her head, and escorts me to a checkout station. I pay for the items and walk back to my car to head home. As I am driving, I started to think about how many times the Counselor has helped me do the right thing in the sight of God, and not the wrong thing that human eyes never would see or be cognizant of, ever.
I took it a step further and decided to share my happening with you, in this drawn-out account, to encourage you to listen to the Counselor who will guide you to say the right thing, do the right things, and rightly show how God’s people should conduct themselves in every area of one’s life. God is always watching you. But don’t do it because you are watched, but do it because you willfully want to do right.
Keep this story in mind when you have to face making a decision to go left or go right; to do wrong or to do right. Go further than that too! When faced with situations where a choice is required, just say, “Help me Holy Spirit!” The Counselor will do just that, and if you follow His guidance, you can have a clear conscious that you have acted properly as a child of God. Have a great Thursday my friend. Be blessed!
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.” (John 15:26-27 King James Version)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King