The Christ Seeking Life
Notes
Transcript
Had the Pleasure of being Ruby Fay’s pastor for the past 5 years.
Have always appreciated her faithfulness and support.
She loved her Pastor and his family.
She was faithful even to the end.
She had many problems, but she had a FAT faith!
FOCUS our hearts on what is Eternal
FOCUS our hearts on what is Eternal
In her final few months and years, Ruby Fay understood what it was to need. Her family would have to remind her of her need to eat. They had to label things to remind her of things she needed to do.
Every time I visited, on the kitchen table around which she often sat with her sisters, Ruby Fay would have written the name of the care worker who was there with her.
She needed that reminder of who was there to help her because her mind had begun to slip.
But regardless of her awareness of her great need, she was also always keenly aware of the provision that her God and King had made for her.
Christ calls us, in the midst of our need, not to ignore need, and live a life of oblivious frivolity, but instead to focus on what is eternal.
Christ said, “Seek First His Kingdom”
Ruby Faye was a woman of deep faith who kept her eyes on Jesus. No matter how much she struggled with memory. No matter who weak her body got, Ruby Fay loved her church, she loved and supported her pastor, and she loved her King, Jesus.
Ruby knew the importance on being FUTURE focused. She loved her life, but she was hoping for a future.
ALIGN our hearts to His Righteousness
ALIGN our hearts to His Righteousness
Not only was Ruby Fay a woman of great hope in her King, she was also a woman who loved Christ and wanted to please him. She would often mourn the fact that she and her sister Virginia couldn’t do what they once did.
Ruby was a servant. She always loved to be in her Grow Group, the Studious Class. She loved to hear McCoy Hamilton teach and would often tell me how wonderful of a teacher he was.
She was faithful in her reading of God’s word, because she wanted to know and love and cherish the one who saved her soul all those years ago.
Ruby’s great desire was that her life be a reflection of the Jesus she loved. Ruby was the epitome of a “Every Time The Church Doors Are Open” Christian. Granted in her later years she wasn’t able to come as often as she wanted, and I would often have to remind her that Christ loved her and understood the time of life she was in.
I would say, “Ms. Ruby Fay, Jesus knows you can’t do what you once did, but you can pray!” And she would always say, “Oh, I do, for my church and my pastor” and I knew that was true.
She loved her church, her pastor, and his family.
Christ in this passage tells us a truth that Ruby understood, to follow Him, and to live a life free of worry, we must be FUTURE focused but also FAITH Focused.
TURN our worries upon Jesus
TURN our worries upon Jesus
Finally, Ruby had a FAT Faith because she cast her cares upon Jesus. Ruby could often worry. I don’t think I’m telling anyone something they don’t know, but never to the point of sin. Yes, she would often fret about not being able to attend church, or how her boys would be able to take care of her with their busy lives and families.
She would fret she was too big a drain on her sisters, or that she would have to leave her beloved home.
But I never saw her allow those worries to control her. She would come to me with a little touch of fret, and she would express her concerns, but she always turned those concerns back to Christ.
“Oh, well, I know God will take care of me...” was often how she would end those conversations.
She understood what Jesus was saying, worry is natural. We all do it, but it’s what we do with that worry that is the difference between those who live a FAT faith and a weak one.
Jesus’ command was that we not worry about tomorrow, because worrying about it would do nothing to change it. “each day has enough trouble on its own” is what the text says, and Ruby understood that.
Ruby, even at the end, despite her weakness, despite her loss of memories. Despite her trouble taking care of herself lived a full life right up to the end because she knew who was in control of all things, including the difficulties she faced.
So family, if you learn something from Ruby, learn how to live a FAT faith. FOCUS on your eternal future. ALIGHT your hearts with the righteousness of God, and TURN your worries over to Jesus and you to will come to the end of life not overcome by the difficulties of life, but joyously ushered into the arms of Christ.