Good morning Lord Jesus, rule and reign over my day and domain today…
“But as God’s servants, we have commended ourselves in every way, with great endurance, in persecutions, in difficulties, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in troubles, in sleepless nights, in hunger, by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by benevolence, by the Holy Spirit, by genuine love, by truthful teaching, by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left, through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise; regarded as impostors, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet—see!—we continue to live; as those who are scourged and yet not executed; as sorrowful, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” (2 Corinthians 6:4-10)
I read Paul’s words above and say to myself, “Wow!” In this paragraph above Paul describes the characteristics, motives, and identity of a follower of Jesus in their daily walk with Christ. Read them again. If I were to write a paragraph to describe my characteristics, motives, and identity as a follower of Christ I could begin it with the same introduction as Paul, “As a servant of God, a person who attends church and claims to be a Christian, I have commended myself in every way…” But that is it. When I honestly read through the list of characteristics, motives, and actions that are required in a person’s life style to be identified as a Christian, a follower of Jesus, not many or any of them could I list in my paragraph following my introduction.
Monday evening I was taking a break in the break room at Lowes and reading 2 Corinthians chapter 4 on my phone. A co-worker, came in and said hey, walked around me to a seat and sat down. He must have glanced at my phone and he asked me what I was reading. I read chapter 4 to him. After I finished, he thought for a minute and shared how things have changed and are so different today than what I read. People’s beliefs in God are decreasing and even among ”those who attend church,” they have become complacent in their faith, are not active anymore, and have watered down their beliefs. They asked, “How did we get this far away to where we are today?” They went on to name some external causes. However, when we read Paul’s description of the Christian lifestyle of a person’s daily walk with Christ, and look at the Christian lifestyle of a person’s daily walk with Christ today, it is evident that the cause of change is not from external factors, but internal.
If we honestly read Paul’s words above and compare them to our personal faith walk, and find there are few similarities and many differences, then the question we need to reflect on is not an external one looking outward, “How did we get so far away”; but an internal question looking inward, “How did I get so far away.” If I have personally changed so that my life and lifestyle no longer resembles and looks like that of a Christian described by Paul, I have no right and it is complete hypocrisy to look outward and point fingers if the world and life around me does not resemble what it is supposed to look like. It is the familiar “plank in your own eye” as Jesus points out in Matthew 7:3. I can only change myself.
My family, the good news is that you do not have to continue living a life that does not resemble or contain characteristics described by Paul. You can repent, and turn, and change your life: character, motives, passions, endurance and re-commit in your daily walk of faith. I pray you ask the Holy Spirit to help you read Paul’s words again, then honestly discern what you would write after your opening introduction about your Christian life, and ask for the strength to change your life where needed, all through the strength of Jesus who makes all things possible, in Jesus’ name. PLEASE pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share with me and others your reflections and what God is speaking to you from todays reading in the comment box below.
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