DO WE WALK THE WALK?
Daphne Powell
Today's Scripture: “... looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2, ESV
Theme: Look to Jesus for affirmation, not other people.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
When we wake up in the morning and start our day, we pray to do His will. By the time we get to work, the mood has shifted. We let traffic, a work e-mail, an argument with family or spouse change the mood. Consequently ,the last thing we are thinking about is walking like Jesus. But practice makes perfect. We can’t let our interactions with others get in the way of our walk with Him. But how? For me, it helps to first stop and recognize that I am off of the path; next, to give myself grace and not guilt; and lastly, to stop and pray that my desire to do His will is stronger than the worldly influence that leads me astray.
LEAST LIKELY
David, Jonah, the twelve disciples, Moses, Rahab, and Saul… the Bible is full of examples of people who were called by Him, used for His glory, and that we consider unlikely leaders because of their flaws. So why do we listen to man (neighbors, relatives, friends) instead of God? We are worthy; we are His children. He has given each of us a useful gift for the Body, His Church. The problem is we don’t use it, or we let others dim our shine. What I mean by that is we can’t let others’ low opinions of our value get in the way of trusting Him to lead us. But how? First pray, stay in conversation with Him and then be quiet and wait to hear from Him. Next, stay in the Word; His words to us are clearly communicated in Scripture.
ASSURANCE
Many Christians lack salvation assurance. How do we experience and live in joy if we doubt eternal salvation? The reason we doubt it is because we hold our standards up to what the world values and not to what is eternally valuable. We often become more worried about what others think than what God thinks. We can’t let others’ low opinions get in the way of trusting Him. But how? Keep your eyes on Him more and less on everything else.
Make It Personal: I think it’s easy to fall into the trap of “Am I good enough, smart enough, the best mom, friend, worker?” I had to change my mindset and become “Intentional” when it comes to walking the walk. Every week, I look at my calendar and make sure that I am intentional about being with Him: Bible study, quiet time, serving, prayer, and service. In what ways do you refocus on Jesus for affirmation when you’re tempted to look to other people?
Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for waking me up and giving me another day to live right by You. Thank You for the opportunity to grow in your Word and walk the walk. Amen
Read: 1 Timothy 4:6-16
Weekly Memory Verse: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” Hebrews 12:1-2, ESV