Do we concern ourselves too much with the state of the world around us? Do we judge our faith, not on the righteousness that we come to know, but on the impact we perceive we are having on the society and church we live in? If we do that, then we are setting ourselves up for depression, and for viewing ourselves as being deficient... failures. So, what are we to do? How can we avoid this pitfall? We are to become like Jesus.
Do we stand at the foot of the hill and listen to Jesus teach? Do we watch Him enter Jerusalem and celebrate the fact that we know Him? Are we in the upper room and marvel at His foot washing and His words surrounding the bread and the wine? Well, all of these things are amazing and wonderful but in each case we are a bystander, yet when we are filled with the Holy Spirit then suddenly the life of Jesus moves from before your eyes to a place deep within us. We cease being watchers, and perhaps marginally practicing Christians, and become one with Christ.
Do we think God has abandoned us when we are in a season of suffering in our lives? Do we look to Him and cry out in anger at our pain? Does doubt come from our strife, or even the mere endurance of hardship... or do we trust in Him all the more? There is a mystery in suffering; we wonder why God uses adversity and pain to teach us some of faith’s most valuable lessons.
How do we view those who don’t know God and who have no relationship with Jesus Christ? Do we walk past them and look for a tender spot in the heart of others, or do we begin to pray for their salvation? When a fellow believer falls on hard times, do we say a quick prayer to ourselves and then go about our lives, or do we sincerely pray for their relief every day? We say we want to be like Jesus and yet so many of us don’t follow Him in one of His most basic characteristics... we don’t lovingly intercede in prayer for others. Jesus is the Great Intercessor... but are we like Him in this regard?
What nourishes our faith? What does our Spirit consume for its strength? When we go to the Lord’s Table we feed our souls the flesh and blood of Jesus, and this sustenance brings us life, eternal life. To consume the body of Christ is to bring Him inside us... to allow Him to dwell in a physical as well as spiritual sense within us. Communion, it is the life-giving nourishment of the Christian experience… it is the most wonderful and satisfying meal taken in the tiniest of morsels and smallest of sips… It is the enormity of eternity in the most meager of earthly portions.
How do we begin our day? Do we wake up when the alarm clock sounds, or do we get up of our own volition? What are the things that we consider to be our morning routine? Mornings are a very special time. The world is fresh, and indeed so are we; so how do we begin each new day? Do we begin by washing our face, showering, dressing, getting a cup of coffee, or making breakfast? Where in our routine have we allotted time for prayer? Where is our time of devotion? When do we greet God? Is it first, last... at all?
Do we let our pride get in the way of our faith? Do we take pleasure in the praise of others when the glory for all we do is truly God’s? Or perhaps we value the praise of men over that of the Lord Himself. The simplest lack of humility is a sure sign of a prideful nature, and it is the primary ingredient in every major lack of faithfulness. Our pride is a tool of Satan and with it he seeks to place who we are and what we do before God. Is this who we are? Are we proud men and women, or humble before the Lord our God?
Can we perform miracles today? I can’t tell you how many times I have heard that question asked, but by merely posing the question we are pointing to the reason why so many ask it in the first place... faith, or the lack thereof. Have you reconciled yourself to the fact that miracles were a thing of the past, or do you grasp hold of this gift and see them being performed today?
Do we understand how precious we are to God? As we go about the process of worshipping Him, and building our faith in Him, do we realize that He is longing for us with even greater vigor? We readily accept that Jesus is His Son, but can we admit to ourselves how much God truly loves us and desires to reclaim us? Can we accept that the blood of Christ which was freely offered out of God’s love will completely cleanse those of us who believe this promise to be true? Can we receive God’s gift of grace without doubt or question? And do we agree to the terms of our adoption as His children?
Are you searching for a secret to successful prayer? Do you think that there must be some hidden formula that would allow you to pray powerfully? Well, I think Jesus removed the secrecy and hidden truths when He taught His disciples to pray the Lord’s Prayer, but if you want additional instruction then look to Mark 11 and you will find two prayer “hacks” that will increase your understanding of praying.
We are professed Christians, and yet are we still nervous about entering into the presence of God? Do all the sins in our lives come flooding back, and beads of sweat pop out on our foreheads at just the thought of meeting with the Creator of the Universe? This was the kind of concern the Jews who served in the temple had, and so much so that the priests who were tasked with going into the Holy of Holies would have a rope tied around them... just in case they were struck dead and their body had to be recovered. Yet we are told not to fear because we are cleansed in the blood of Christ; the perfect sacrifice... the Lamb of God. So why are we so nervous?
Do you carry your prayers into the day with you? Does the encounter you have with Jesus during your time of morning devotion and prayer follow you into the worldly environment that awaits you outside your prayer closet? The hardest thing for a Christian to do each morning is to get up from his knees and walk into the chaos of the world outside his door. Yet, if we wear our prayers into the world we will find that we carry the peace of Christ on our faces and in our actions, and that from our hearts the glorious glow of Christ will radiate for all to see.
Are we humble before God? Do we relinquish our will to Him in every way? For some of us humility is a bitter pill to swallow; we are filled to the brim with pride and see no reason to kneel. Yet scripture is adamant regarding this point... we are told to be humble, and as a matter of fact we are told to not only be humble before God, but towards other men too. Today, let’s look at how we behave and ask ourselves if we actually embody humility as we should... as Jesus taught us while living among us.
Are your eyes fixed on the things of heaven, or do you still chase after those of this world? Do you long for kingdom treasure, or the gold, silver, and riches of an earthly existence? It is so tempting for us to set our priorities incorrectly. If we see ourselves as physical beings who contain an imbedded spirit, rather than a spirit wrapped in an earthly body then we are lost. So, let’s ask ourselves these two questions today… “how do I envision myself?”, and “how am I living my life?”.
Do you ever wonder if you are effectively serving the Lord? Can you look at your life and see the fruit of your faith, and smell the sweetness of it as it ripens? It is wonderful when this happens and we can see our impact on the kingdom, but more often than not we serve Him in secret and without leaving a ripple on the surface of life to show for it.