"And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father." --Colossians 3:17
I remember back in 2006 when Rick Santorum was up for re-election to the Senate, a man had called up a television show to question Santorum about his policies. This man had already called Santorum's office and spoken with one of his office staff. The staff member gave the man a harsh answer which did not represent Santorum at all. As a result, this man believed that Santorum was against him and would not vote for him in the election. In addition, the man also told his friends not to vote for Santorum. I doubt that this was the reason for Santorum's loss in the election, but it did not help much. The senator had staff that was to represent him accurately, and one staff member failed to do his job. This can be devastating for any public official, especially if he has the people's best interests at heart.
As Christians, we are Christ's representatives. We may be all a person sees of Christ, but if we are acting in a way that is inappropriate of the spirit of Christ, then that person may get the wrong impression. Many people in the world see Christians as hypocritical. This may be the result of some hurt caused by a Christian or some particular church. Within the last ten years or so there have been many news stories circulating about the inappropriate actions of church leadership towards the most vulnerable in the church. We cannot represent Christ in this way! The world is watching us. People are interested to see if our actions are consistent with our beliefs. We are a forgiven people, and, no, we are not perfect. God can use our imperfections to His glory, but we must never forget that we reflect the beauty of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The one you represent is the One who wants to save the world. Are you accurately representing Him?
Monday, August 24, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Daily Devotional Thought for August 7, 2009
Matthew 9:9--As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
Before I came to believe in Jesus in 2001, I was a wretched human being. I am hardly proud of the person that I was. Fortunately, God had different plans for me. He finally got my attention and won my heart. Jesus offered the same request to me that he had offered 2000 years before to his disciples and followers. "Follow me." The Divine takes special interest in turning the wretched into the righteous. All we need to do is follow Jesus. It took me years to realize this, but I'm so glad I did. I never had to make myself perfect to be eligible to follow Jesus. I can't make myself perfect; only Jesus can do that. All I need to do is accept His gift of grace and start following in His footsteps.
Still, 8 years later, I sometimes don't feel like I'm any closer to Christ than when I started on my journey with Him. I think sometimes I focus too much on perfection and less on grace. God needs to remind me that His grace is sufficient for me. Then I just need to get back to the basics and follow Jesus. What did Jesus do? Then that is the life I need to imitate.
Have you already accepted God's gift of grace? Are you following Jesus? Human nature seeks to attain perfection, but we don't need to. God will meet you where you are. Just remember Jesus' call to "Follow me." He didn't set prerequisites on following Him. All He wants is a heart that desires to follow Him.
Before I came to believe in Jesus in 2001, I was a wretched human being. I am hardly proud of the person that I was. Fortunately, God had different plans for me. He finally got my attention and won my heart. Jesus offered the same request to me that he had offered 2000 years before to his disciples and followers. "Follow me." The Divine takes special interest in turning the wretched into the righteous. All we need to do is follow Jesus. It took me years to realize this, but I'm so glad I did. I never had to make myself perfect to be eligible to follow Jesus. I can't make myself perfect; only Jesus can do that. All I need to do is accept His gift of grace and start following in His footsteps.
Still, 8 years later, I sometimes don't feel like I'm any closer to Christ than when I started on my journey with Him. I think sometimes I focus too much on perfection and less on grace. God needs to remind me that His grace is sufficient for me. Then I just need to get back to the basics and follow Jesus. What did Jesus do? Then that is the life I need to imitate.
Have you already accepted God's gift of grace? Are you following Jesus? Human nature seeks to attain perfection, but we don't need to. God will meet you where you are. Just remember Jesus' call to "Follow me." He didn't set prerequisites on following Him. All He wants is a heart that desires to follow Him.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Devotional Thought for August 6, 2009
25 "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. 26 Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:25-26
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:29-31
God is all-powerful. He holds infinite stores of energy within His being. Being the mother of a high-functioning autistic little boy, I have limited amounts of energy. Many days I have no energy. I can rely on God to give me the strength I need to get through the day.
How do I know this is true? When I consider that God created everything from nothing, He must have poured His energy into His creation. Each atom that makes up our world is nothing more than particles of energy. There is so much energy on the earth and in the universe that came from God. That is why creation glorifies God! Humans are the only creatures who have the choice to worship the source of their being or not. Since God created me and gives me strength, then I really do belong to Him and am nothing on my own. God absolutely has the right to demand from me what He wants. As much as I think I can stand on my own, I can’t. I depend on God for everything: my physical needs, my emotional needs, and my spiritual needs. It all comes from him.
No matter what problem we face, we can count on God to give us just the amount of strength we need. All we need to do is ask for it.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Devotional Thought for August 4, 2009
2 Timothy 2:15--"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."
God intends for us to know the truth. In this verse, Paul write, "...a workman...who correctly handles the word of truth." He wants us to know the truth about Himself and the life He desires for us. Everything that we need for a relationship with God and godly living is found within the pages of the Bible. There are a couple of things we must do to attain that end:
1. Respect God's Word. In respecting God's Word (the Bible), I respect the One Who authored it. God is perfect and His Word is perfect. The truth we find in the pages of the Bible is absolute. There is nothing we can add to it or take out of it that will make it better. If anything, changing it to suit our needs will make it less than what it was intended to be.
2. Study God's Word. Studying the Bible is essential to the life of a Christian. In doing so, we allow God to speak to us. The Bible is understandable, but it is vital to spend time in reading and meditation. As a college student, I must spend many hours reading my college textbooks and studying in order to understand the material and get an A. How much more do we need to study the Bible!
The truth is out there, and it is readily available to all who believe in Christ. God is waiting for us to discover His truth. All we need to do is spend some time with Him in His word.
God intends for us to know the truth. In this verse, Paul write, "...a workman...who correctly handles the word of truth." He wants us to know the truth about Himself and the life He desires for us. Everything that we need for a relationship with God and godly living is found within the pages of the Bible. There are a couple of things we must do to attain that end:
1. Respect God's Word. In respecting God's Word (the Bible), I respect the One Who authored it. God is perfect and His Word is perfect. The truth we find in the pages of the Bible is absolute. There is nothing we can add to it or take out of it that will make it better. If anything, changing it to suit our needs will make it less than what it was intended to be.
2. Study God's Word. Studying the Bible is essential to the life of a Christian. In doing so, we allow God to speak to us. The Bible is understandable, but it is vital to spend time in reading and meditation. As a college student, I must spend many hours reading my college textbooks and studying in order to understand the material and get an A. How much more do we need to study the Bible!
The truth is out there, and it is readily available to all who believe in Christ. God is waiting for us to discover His truth. All we need to do is spend some time with Him in His word.
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