Mat 5:41 And whoever shall compel you to go a mile, go with him two.
Oftentimes, we are asked to do something for someone, a favor perhaps, and then, instead of responding friendly and positively, we look for all sorts of excuses, to avoid the request.
So often in the work place, we have the opportunity to do that little something extra, perhaps volunteer our services during stocktaking or assisting with the moving of the office equipment etc. But, the `clock` beckons and we would rather rush home to avoid traffic etc.
Yet, when bonus time arrives, when it`s time for general promotions, we wonder why – yet again – we have been overlooked. We want to tell ourselves and everybody else that “the boss does not like me or I’m sure he has something against me”
Mat 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the grain-measure, but on a lampstand. And it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.
To be a Christian involves dedication.
There are some `wrong` interpretations of Jesus' statement "take up his cross. "
Some people have taken the idea of a cross as a burden to be endured, a suffering to be experienced, or an annoyance to be tolerated. According to Jesus, taking up one's cross means to follow the will of the Father; the suffering that results constitutes the cross.
There are some strong implications of taking up one's cross.
To take up the cross is to dedicate oneself to God's will. Jesus yielded to the Father's wishes and desires.
To take up the cross is to expect results. Jesus obeyed the Father's will, and it meant the world's opposition.
When a Christian decides to do God's will, he or she needs to expect the world's opposition. Some Christians have had to give up their lives. To be a Christian means to be dedicated to the Master.
To be a Christian involves imitation.
There are wrong interpretations of Jesus' statement "Follow me. "
Some have tried to imitate Christ by imagining what Jesus would do in many circumstances of life. To follow Jesus means to adopt his manner of living in words and actions.
There is a manner of life reflected in imitating, Jesus. The pattern for life may be seen in the way he lived. Let us mention some of Jesus' practices.
He attended worship regularly in the synagogue and in the temple.
He practiced the habit of systematic prayer.
He accepted people for who they were, and he sought the highest good for people.
He `hated` rebellion against God, whether in the form of sensuality or attitude.
He obeyed the Father in every possible way.
Look at the great heroes of the Bible. They were men and women who could match the occasion. Moses was that kind of man. Surely Joseph, who rose from the bottom of a pit to a leader of Egypt, was that kind of man. Could David have been anything other than the kind of man who rose above his faults and problems? Esther was surely the kind of woman who did not let problems paralyze her. On and on we could go, but you see the point.
How was all this done? The reason such people could rise out of the "wells" of life is because they all had a great faith in God. It is a childish attitude that says, "If God loved me, He would take away all these problems." Not so! The opposite is really true. If God loves you, He will reveal Himself to you through His Word and give you opportunity to let your faith lift you up. God wants us to learn how to do it. He wants us to work at it. When you realize that and accept it, it will give you a power to deal with living you never had before.
No comments:
Post a Comment