"You have said, 'It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty? – Malachi 3:14

 Today's Scripture Reading (October 14, 2020): Malachi 3 & 4

Here is a truth that you don't want to hear. Ready. It's not about you. It might be one of the questions that I hear asked more than any other, "What about me? Don't I deserve …?" But the answer remains the same. It is just not about you. And you have a choice. You can fight against that truth and live a miserable life, or you can deal with it and figure out what it is that you need to do to make the most out of this life. It is up to you, but your reaction to the truth won't change the fact. And the truth is that it is not about you.

It is about each other. Life works best when we concentrate more on the other person than we do on ourselves. We look out for each other. In the midst of a pandemic, I don't wear a mask so that I won't get sick; the purpose of my mask is to make sure that you don't get sick. And I know that is a hard fact to get our heads around, but it is how our world was created work and how it has to be if we are to build community around us.

Malachi says that the people are complaining that "it is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements?" The focus is inward. It is all about me except that it isn't about me. It is always about the other person. And most of what God has to say is about our responsibility to each other.

Consider the last six of the Ten Commandments. I might be able to get ahead by taking advantage of my parents and grandparents, except that God says, "Honor your father and your mother" (Exodus 20:12). Taking the lives of those who oppose you makes sense. After all, an obstacle to your happiness has been removed, especially if you are a mob boss, except that God says, "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13). Cheating on your spouse might feel good at the moment, except that God says, "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). Just taking whatever you want will fulfill your desires except that God says, "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15). Lying might get you where you want to go except that God says, "You shall not give false testimony" (Exodus 20:16). Being jealous of what your friend has might make you feel justified in whatever course of action it is that you want to take, except that God says, "You shall not covet" (Exodus 20:17). At each step, God reminds us that our responsibility is not toward furthering our own desires and expectations, and it is all about taking care of each other.

And that is something that we should want to do. I shouldn't need a pat on the back for caring for my neighbor. We live in a global community, and one of our society's expectations, regardless of our religious beliefs or lack thereof, is that we covenant to care for each other. And caring for each other is never futile, no matter how we might feel about God.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Luke 1