Monday is a day that usually finds me reviewing the weekend.
Conversations, meetings, the worship service – all replay in my head. What
could have been done better? What should be celebrated? Does anything need to
be finished? But, most of all, these
days I ask myself, “why?” Life is too
short to just do what’s always been done without vision and/or purpose. My
prayer is to make these days matter, to be used of God to make a measurable
difference in lives for His kingdom.
Do you ask
yourself, ‘why am doing these things?’ Are you actively pursuing an excellent
life in God’s purpose? Monday morning
brings a new week and a new set of opportunities. Today’s choices matter. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote - “Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow
an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a
character and you reap a destiny.”
Peter go straight to the heart of the matter. First, he reminds us who we are in Christ and
then of the importance of living in a way that matches our identity. "You
are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to
God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness
into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the
people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received
mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to
abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans (people who do not know
God) that, though they accuse you of
doing wrong, they may see your good
deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Peter 2:9-13, NIV)
What a calling! When Christ called us to faith, He gave us
an identity that is amazing. I, a nobody have become somebody, not a celebrity,
not distinguished by wealth or even human accomplishment. I was adopted into
the family of God and become part of the people that He has chosen to be His very own. In Christ, you share that privilege and high
calling. There is no pride in it because
as Paul says, "We are seated with
him in the heavenly realms—all because we are one with Christ Jesus."
(Ephesians 2:6, NLT) "God saved you
by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it
is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done,
so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece.” As
Peter did, Paul reminds that the privileged calling comes with responsibility. “He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so
that we can do the good things he
planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:8-10, NLT)
Are we living as His sons and daughters? Today in the ordinary interactions of life
will the character and heart of our Father show through us? If not, why not? Are there adjustments we
need to make, attitudes that need to change, sins from which to turn,
relationships to be restored, skills to be refined?
Shine bright. Full your calling. Do the right things, the
best things, today to make His Name glorious.
And< Jesus promises this to us. Not so far distant we will be
welcomed into our forever home with this - ‘Well
done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this
small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s
celebrate together!’ Could there be
any better hope than that?
Here is a word from the Word for the new week. Believe it.
Receive it.
"As we know Jesus
better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life.
He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! And by that same mighty
power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises.
He has promised that
you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that
you will share in his divine nature.
So make every effort
to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will
produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing
God better." (2 Peter 1:3-5, NLT)
May your day be full of God and good!
No comments:
Post a Comment