What Grade Are You In Today?

The Pineapple Story 12-tape series has been such a blessing to me over the years. In the second tape entitled "God’s Grade School" Missionary Otto Koning talks about giving up our reputation, surrendering our worldly belongings, and yielding our rights as we progress through God’s grade school. Now that’s a whole lot of "nuggets" in just one tape.

I’m a bad one for worrying about what others think of me. I’ve certainly gotten better with age but I have wasted a whole lot of time in this department over the years. Mr. Koning talks about turning your reputation over to God ~ letting Him handle what others think of you. It is so true that when we try to control or monitor a situation, so folk will see us in the light that we want them to ~ well, we will most often mess it up. But if we hand it over to God and let Him take care of how others see us ~ the outcome is so much the better. And just think how much easier it is ~ think how much less stressful it is. I think, for me, I’ve been the most concerned when someone thought something of me that wasn’t true. It is so hard to just lay that down and let God handle it ~ but if God can’t handle it then no one can. Let God have your reputation in all things. Mr. Koning also talks about surrendering our worldly possessions to him. He says "Not everything we give to God will turn to gold but we must surrender it all and see what He will do with it." Nothing is ours ~ really. Every single thing in this world belongs to Him. Koning believes that if you don’t surrender all of your possessions you will never get out of first grade in this life. He says, "Don’t have a goal to be rich ~ just serve God. Nothing is important ~ only God." Missionary Koning compares our lives to that of being in grade school. Those situations and experiences that we find ourselves in each day ~ and the way in which we handle them ~ progresses or demotes us in the school of life. Doesn’t life seem like one situation or trial after another? It seems we hardly get through one situation and another is just over the horizon. It is these times that grow us ~ that make us the person God wants us to be. Sometimes we travel through these times and fall with a thud and at other times we soar like eagles. Mr. Koning says, "God wants us Christ like so he puts the pressure on until we surrender in that area." Oh that we would see it that way ~ I would much rather progress onto the next grade ~ fully surrendering ~ rather than holding on and holding back and going through fiery trial after trial.Life is a grade school. We will progress from Grade 1 to Grade 2 to Grade 3 and so on as we yield our rights to God ~ as we yield our will ~ as we yield our worldly possession ~ as we bend under His pressure to be like Him. Oh what love ~ that Christ cares that much for us. Oh what love. Always remember ~ God puts on the pressure because He does love us. It is when we are not under His pressure that we need seriously address what kind of relationship we have with Him. We want God to be working in our lives until we meet Him face to face. Lord bless you.