All tagged Character
Do we who are sinners mock Jesus as we carry forth our sins towards imminent death? In these, the final days before Easter, do we look at the sacrifice of Jesus and forget that it isn’t just He who hung on that cross, but we as well? Jesus didn’t instruct us to pick up our own cross, and follow Him, simply as a symbol, but by it we will suffer, and die to this world, as He did... and if faithful, be resurrected alongside Him as well.
When things get tough regarding your faith how do you go about handling the situation? If challenged or threatened because you are a Christian do you stand by your faith, go to your prayer closet, or run away from it altogether? Not all threats are of bodily violence or death; some are merely the fear of being ostracized, made fun of, or maybe being passed over for promotion at work. Fear of ridicule and failure can be just as effective as bodily harm to the steadfastness of our faith. Are you one of the apostles that ran away, or more like Peter who denied Jesus?
How great is our love for Jesus? Is it so great that the mere mention of His name cause a feeling of love and sanctification to rise up within us? The various names of Jesus should bring us joy and cause our spirits to leap within us, but this is not true until our faith in Him is complete, and He has saved us from sin. Jesus redeems us, and in so doing He changes not only what we do outwardly, but who we are inside... our very character.
Are you a reflection of Jesus? Has He instilled in you a gentleness of spirit, and made you lowly of heart... meek? Are these attributes that you even find desirable in this dog eat dog world that exists today? If you allow yourself to be immersed in the blood of Christ then this is exactly how you should look to the those around you! Can you see these characteristics as strengths, and not weaknesses?
How does hardship effect us, and specifically, how do we react to illness or calamity that threatens to take our life? Do we remain steadfast in our faith, or do we give up on God and believe only in our own demise? Suffering, and facing imminent death lays waste to the importance of all the things of life that once seemed so valuable to us, and whittles us down to just those that are central to our core... what is that for you? Do you even know?
I have never done this before, but my devotional message yesterday contained a gem that our society today seems to have lost. I received a nice email from Lou, a wonderful friend, a wife, mother, woman that has worked a lifetime alongside her husband, and a lady in her 80s; I want to share it with you, along with my reply to her. Here is her email regarding my grandfather’s saying that I shared briefly in yesterday’s devotional “The Revelation of Answered Prayer.”