pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: actions


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Shine the Light

Christians live in this world as a people set apart.  Although we are physically in this world, we long for our eternal home.  What guides our words, actions, and choices is foreign to the world in general.  The world does not understand the ways of God, so we live in this world trying to share God with those who do not yet know Him and His saving grace.

Being different sometimes brings negative attention.  Sometimes it is as simple as not fitting in because our faith prevents participation in something.  Sometimes it is not being invited because of how we are seen.  In other parts of the world it can be much worse.  The beatings and deaths that early Christians endured still happen in many places around the world.

Paul certainly experienced his share of trials, hardships, and tribulations.  In today’s reading is quite the list.  But he always kept sight of his hope.  He wrote, “Now is the day of salvation!”  No matter what life would bring his way, he knew that each day brought a new reconciliation with God.  Paul knew his calling in life: to share this Jesus Christ who was his all in all, his Lord and savior.

As a Christian we should stand out – in a good way.  Paul reminds us in this passage to not be a stumbling block to anyone.  In our words, actions, and choices may we shine the light and love of Jesus on all in our day today.

Scripture reference: 2 Corinthians 6: 1-13


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Mental Notes

Do you watch other people and make mental notes or observations?  Do you listen to the words they speak, watch the decisions they make, and pay attention to who they hang out with?  I do all the time.  I think most people do too.

In 1st Thessalonians Paul is commenting them for the example the people in the church are setting – joyful is suffering, open to Christ’s leading, ready to help others in need.  They are a model of what faith should look like in Paul’s eyes.  They are a model for us as well.

How many of the people that we will encounter today will not be Christians?  Statistically speaking, it will be a significant number.  For many non-believers we are the only ‘Bible’ they will read today, tomorrow, and so on.  As they look at our choices and decisions, as they hear our words, as they judge our actions… will they see Christ?  As they watch how we treat the server in line or the stranger at the subway station, will they see Christ?  May we live each moment for our Lord so that all may have the opportunity to meet Him in us today.

Scripture reference: 1 Thessalonians 1: 4-10


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Choosing His Way

Our broken world needs God.  For many living in brokenness, we will be the first bible they every read.  Although we are not of this world, we are to be in the world.  God calls us to be His hands and feet, using whatever gifts He has given us to make His world a better place.  We cannot simply and only exit within the four walls of our homes and our churches.  We must step outside into the fray.

To be a “living sacrifice” we must be willing to give up and share some of our stuff – our time, our money and resources, our gifts and talents, and ourselves.  As God becomes more, we become less.  Our decisions and actions look less like ours and more like His.  ‘Other’ supercedes ‘self’.

As we become increasingly aware of the world’s needs and our role in meeting those needs, we become more aware that our whole life is an act of worship.  Our simple greeting of another becomes a way of sharing God’s love with another in need.  Our conversation with the store’s employee becomes an opportunity to minister.  Our choice of how to conduct ourselves at work becomes an extension of our worship.  Our choice of what to do with our free Saturday becomes a reflection of God being a priority in our life instead of ourself being the priority.

Our words offer hope, love, reconciliation, healing.  Our actions bring relief, justice, provision, protection.  As we live into this type of Christianity, God’s spirit and presence in our life grows deeper and deeper within us.  As people that are broken begin to know God through our words and actions, they begin to know God too.  Every word we offer and every action that we make can bring ourselves and other closer to God.  May we choose wisely this day.

Scripture reference: Romans 12: 1-8


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Our Words

Isaiah 50:4 reads, “The sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.”  God’s word is a guide to us too and can also be a mean of holding us accountable.  His word is always true.

Our words can be both good and bad, truth and lies.  We can use our words to teach about God, to encourage and bring hope, to counsel and correct.  But we can also use our words to bring conflict, strife, and disagreements.  Because our words are so powerful, we must choose them carefully.  The expression “Think before you speak” comes to mind.

Despite the power of our words, our actions often ‘speak’ louder.  Anyone can talk.  Anyone can say almost anything they want.  But most think that what we do is more indicative of who or what we really are.

The reality is that for all of us, both our words and our actions must mesh, must come from the same source.  The Word of God is that source.  To matter in our world, as Christians we must act and speak the words of love, healing and justice all the time.  The message of Jesus needs to come through loud and clear in all of what we say and do.  In order to speak and act on God’s word, we need to be in the word.  Happy reading!!