Matthew 11:28-30 Perspective

Matthew 11:28-30 The Message (MSG)

^28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

You may not recognize this passage in The Message, but it is where Jesus says to join Him because His burden is light.

I love how this version stated Jesus' invitation to join Him. To get His perspective. To walk in His directives, not in my own. To learn from Him.

I especially love the line, "Learn the unforced rhythms of grace."

Being a follower of Jesus does not have to be labor intensive. But it must be intentional. Living as Christ lived is not easy, but it is freeing. Too often I can get caught in the "immediate." What do I have to do today for work? Who needs me to be where? What spinning plate have I let fall? And I forget to maintain perspective. If I would just look at what is happening in the world around me - near and far - I would begin to see my little "to do" list in a different light.

God calls me to work - but my job is not my most important "occupation." God calls me to be available to others. But my most important relationship is with Him. God calls me to diligence. But are all my plates God-appointed?

Jesus is calling me to walk alongside of Him and only Him in everything I do. I want to walk with Him and learn the unforced rhythms of grace. 

Father, teach me to remain focused on You and not the immediate. To grasp the power of Your Presence and not the pull of my calendar. Train me in the way of the unforced rhythms of grace so I may be more like you. So be it.

Further Thoughts:

1. In what ways have you lost perspective? How do you regain it?
2. How do you maintain "life" and keep your focus on Jesus?
3. What does it truly mean to live in the unforced rhythms of grace? 

 

It's All About Relationships

"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40 NIV

The greatest relationship we will ever have is with our Father. No other relationship should ever come before the intimacy we have committed to develop between us and our Creator. We have chosen to become His follower, and our complete being needs to be focused on total surrender to a love relationship with the Father. But we do not live on an island. Every day we are developing human relationships. As we consider the relationships we build in our earthly lives, we have to begin here -- "Love your neighbor as yourself." To be a commandment second only to loving God with your entire being states that how we handle relationships is a vital aspect of our social existence designed by our Creator. We cannot dismiss them and neither can we address them half-heartedly. Both reactions negate the importance God has placed on relationships.

This is a challenge for me. As an introvert, I am drained by people. Don't get me wrong; I love being with people. It's just that I must integrate "me" time into my day to recharge. That can tend to lean me towards selfishness. I will plan out my day to balance people time and recharge time. Unfortunately, the enemy will use this to his advantage and tempt me with an abundance of alone time to the detriment of time with people.When all is said and done, I am making life about my comfort rather than meeting other's needs.

Don't get me wrong; boundaries are not a bad thing. Balance is good as well. But when it is used as an excuse, it can become a hindrance to following the Father's commands.

So relationship-building requires selfless love for others. With the same intensity that I am protecting my personal time, I must love on others for I am to love my neighbor as myself. Obviously, I am loving myself all too well. I must work on loving others better.

But what does it mean to love others and who are our neighbors? I had a wonderful step-dad. Raymond loved everyone. There wasn't a person he would meet that he did not thoroughly cherish. And since he was a man who lived in the "now" in everything he did, he would take time for anyone, anytime, anywhere. I never knew someone who could make genuine friends of their co-workers and the mailman. He simply oozed time for one-on-one conversation. I say conversation, but his "conversations" consisted of asking a question and listening to the other person's answer with complete rapt attention. And then his entire body would reflect the emotion most empathetic with the speaker. If they were recounting something joyful, Ray was joyful. If they were sad, Ray was sad with them. If angry, he provided calm. If frightened, he gave safety. His entire focus was on other people and their needs -- any person his life came in contact with.

A week after Ray passed away, there was a knock on my mom's door. There stood a twenty-something girl holding a potted flower. "I just heard that Mr. Wells passed away," she said. "I had to find out where he lived and come to tell you how sorry I am and how much I will miss him." The young woman was the check-out girl where he bought his groceries.

That must be how Jesus walked on the earth -- completely focused on others. Attentive. Sympathetic. Helpful. Listening. Responding. Empathetic. Compassionate. With a selfless love.

Further Thoughts:

1. If I am to love others as myself, in what ways do I love myself?
2. List the ways Jesus showed love to others.
3. How did Jesus find balance between his own needs and meeting the needs of others?
4. What is hindering me from loving others like Jesus did?
5. What is one change I need to make today to better love those around me?

Lord, forgive me for my selfish ways. Show me today how to love better. Open my eyes to other's needs. Open my ears to their heart's cry. Teach me to love Your kids as You love Your kids.

Hebrews 1:1-3a "In His Image"

NOTE: Okay, took a little longer than a week. Jury duty took over my life. In the Word, but not online. (Read a lot from Proverbs.) I'm back now and ready to tackle a new book and learn many new truths.

Read Hebrews 1:1-3a.

"...he has spoken to us by his Son...." NIV

Here is the essence of the Old Testament versus the New Testament. In the Old, God spoke to the prophets, and they spoke to the people God's words. But now through Jesus Christ, we have direct access to the Father. That is just amazing to me. How blessed we are. We do not serve a distant God who like the mythological gods sat on their thrones far away and in their self-centeredness, dictated our fates. Our Father loves us so much that He became one of us and makes it possible for us to "draw near to Him and He will draw near to us." His dictates are not for His own gain, but for our good. His guidance is 24/7. He never sleeps or ignores us. Even when He takes His time to answer us, it is because His timing is perfect, and His ways are right. Out of His tremendous love, our Father makes Himself available to His children, and it is only possible through Jesus Christ -- the "perfecter and finisher of our faith."

I also love the first part of verse three. "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." All of God's glory could not have been contained in one human being. So Christ is the radiance of His glory -- a mere fraction to give us a glimpse of who God is. But in Christ's being, He is an "exact representation" of the Father. Everything we see and learn from the Word about Christ, that is God. His compassion, justice, understanding, knowledge, power, anger at sin, unconditional love -- these are all God's attributes. As God Himself, Jesus shows us in a human package, what our Father and Creator is like. And then to be told that we are made in His image. Wow. Stop and think about that a minute. I am made in the image of the Creator. I'm not equal with Him, nor will I ever be. But like a child resembles their parents in looks, I resemble my Father in my spirit. If I put away the sinful nature that wants to take over each day, I am truly designed for good. There is something very comforting in that truth. And powerful. By the power of Jesus Christ, I am in touch with my Creator whose character I am designed to embody.

I'm still human and will never be perfect. But, wow, what a leg up we have. We are designed for perfection. Now to just allow His Spirit to mold our hearts to match.

Further Thoughts:

1. What other Scripture says that we were designed in God's image?
2. What would Old Testament life been like?
3. Has New Testament revelation made life to easy for us? Or at least, can we become lazy over Old Testament devotion?
4. Does direct access to the Father make arrogance a temptation? How do we avoid that?
5. Even though we are made in His image, we are still so small, and He is so BIG. Live in humility.

Colossians 4:5-6 "Someone's Watching"

Read Colossians 4:5-6.

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders...." NIV

Recently at our church we had one of our teens (let's call him Clay) play the drums in the service. Clay had only been attending for about three months and had grown spiritually in tremendous leaps from an atheist to a believer. He had played drums for our Sunday morning youth service called, A.M. But not in the adult service. That's why his father and his girlfriend came that morning. I was sitting on the front row because Jim (my husband) and I were going to team teach on parenting that day. Jim was standing off to the side in the wing. Worship began and suddenly I realized that standing to the side, but right in front of the stage was Clay's dad with a camera taking video of Clay playing the drums. Because we work so hard to avoid distractions during worship so people can actually worship, my first instinct was to go ask him to sit in the front seats or wait until after service to get his video. I knew the team would play another song for him in between services. I even looked over at Jim to see if he wanted me to move. We both just waited a bit to see if he would sit back down, but he tenaciously stood there taping his son. Jim nodded me off to let him continue. At greeting time, Clay's dad (We'll call him, Tom) sat down beaming from ear to ear.

Bob immediately got involved in the church helping with set up (We meet in a high school.) and came to church three weeks in a row. I talked to Clay the second week Tom was there and he said that his dad really liked coming and felt it just added something to his life. This last Sunday, week three of Tom's coming, we had baptisms. We always have some scheduled with video testimonies to precede them. But after the scheduled ones, Jim always gives an invitation for anyone who wants to get baptized to come talk to a pastor. We have clothes and towels waiting for them to use. At the end of first service baptisms, Clay came forward and asked to be baptized. It was awesome. Here this 16-year-old, who only three months previously was a self-proclaimed atheist, was receiving the sacrament of baptism. Clay had called his dad to come, but Tom missed it by just minutes.

Tom stayed for second service and after the baptisms, he came forward to speak to a pastor about being baptized. Someone ran to A.M. service and pulled Clay out saying, "Your dad is going under." So with Tom and the pastor in the portable hot tub, and Clay kneeling behind his dad with his hand on Tom's shoulder, Tom took the plunge. What a beautiful sight - father and son, hugging and crying -- as together they declared that they will follow Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

So here's the point of my story. What if Jim or I had stopped Tom from videotaping his son that day three weeks ago? Here was an unbeliever who was proud of his boy and just wanted to document his son's accomplishment. We could have come across as very uncaring and legalistic if we had stopped him and maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have come back. I'm not saying this is the only reason Tom kept coming back. There are other factors -- the Holy Spirit working in his heart; the love and acceptance of not only Tom but his son by the people of the church. But.....what if.

People are watching us every day. Many just waiting for us to "mess up" so their view of Christians can be confirmed. Many watching because they see we have something that they so desperately want. Are we taking that fishbowl life seriously? Are we watching that we treat all people with love and kindness -- not just those in the body or the ones that treat us nicely? Are we allowing the glory of Christ to shine through our actions and conversations so we present the best reflection of Christ possible? We have to live out in front of all people the person we say that we are. Souls are hanging in the balance. And I don't want to have to answer for one of them being lost.

Further Thoughts:

1. Look for more Scriptures on being a witness for Jesus Christ to those who we are around every day.
2. How did Jesus treat the unbelievers He came in contact with?
3. Is there a "Tom" in your life who needs to see who Jesus really is? Are you showing them? If not, what needs to change?

Colossians 3:12-17 "Clothe Yourselves, Part 1"

Read Colossians 3:12-17.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves." NIV

Paul has made it very clear that our old self has died, and we are made new in Christ. He has pointed out the continual choices we must make to avoid the evil things of the earth. We must participate in an active avoiding and run from the temptations that are always before us.

We have been cleansed and warned, now, as "holy and dearly loved" children of the Almighty, we must actively put on some things. Christ cleansed us from the old ways, but we must choose to put on the new. It doesn't happen automatically. We are on a transformational journey, not a quick-change moment. So we work (and it is work) to consciously seek to wear the character of Christ. God may choose to confront us with one of these at a time, but we must actively be working on them to be more like Him.

Compassion: Merriam-Webster's definition is "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it." This takes a purposeful desire to put away selfishness and really look at other people. I must set aside my agenda and serve them. The human mindset of "it's all about me" just doesn't cut it. I must take time to look, listen, and act on another person's behalf to truly show compassion.

Kindness: How we treat others. Do we bad-mouth them or lift them up? Do we give people the benefit of the doubt or condemn outright? Do we compliment or tear down? Do we show the respect that all human beings desire and deserve?

Humility: "The state of being humble" which is "not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive" (Merriam-Webster) Without humility we can easily take on an attitude of "I am better than you. I am above you." Which can lead to "You are not worth my time." Also, a lack of humility can cause us to be judgmental. We are unable to extend grace because in our haughtiness we conveniently forget that we too are imperfect, saved-by-grace sinners. And without humility, we can succumb to the temptations of a god complex. In our pride, we think we are doing everything by our power and deny the true authority in Christ. So many ways to stubble when we ignore the need to embrace humility.

Gentleness: "the quality or state of being gentle ; especially : mildness of manners or disposition" And gentle is "free from harshness, sternness, or violence." (Merriam-Webster) I don't know how many times God has made "gentleness" my word for the year. You'd think I would get it by now, but He's still working on me. (I just want to be like Sister Teresa.) In confrontations, gentleness allows us to calm the savage beast of anger and frustration in others. When we answer affronts with gentleness, the enemy is disarmed. They have no where to go with their anger because you are not being hurt or affected. When we discipline our children in gentleness, we are instructing instead of lashing out. Even when Christ was angry with the disciples, He maintained a gentle spirit.

Patience: Of course this is the act of being patient. Patient is defined as "bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint; manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain; not hasty or impetuous; steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity." (Merriam-Webster) Wow, that's a lot to live up to. No wonder I have such a difficult time with this one.

The great thing is with patience and all the other virtues, I don't have to master them on my own. I choose to clothe myself, but it is Christ who actually makes me into this person. It is by His transforming power that any of this is even possible. I am to allow myself to be the clay in the Master Potter's hands. He alone will be able to mold me into the Christ-like character that He calls me to live. I just need to agree to get dressed.

Further Thoughts:

1. Find examples of Christ exemplifying each of these characteristics.
2. What are ways the five characteristics will overlap with one another?
3. What area is Christ working on with you right now? How are you doing?
4. Find other Scriptures on each of these characteristics and memorize the ones pertaining to your growth right now.

Colossians 1:28-29 "The Proclamation"

Read Colossians 1:28-29.

"We proclaim him...." NIV

The word "proclaim" according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary means "to declare publicly, typically insistently, proudly, or defiantly and in either speech or writing : announce b: to give outward indication of : show." The third definition is "to praise or glorify openly or publicly : extol." Notice that proclaiming is three-fold: announcing, showing and extolling.

Announcing would be telling others about Christ in word or writing. Getting the message out and releasing the mystery. There's a dying world out there, and it is our job to "proclaim" Christ to them.

Showing would be living out what we are proclaiming. Christ within us makes us a new creation. The old is gone, and we should guard ourselves from ever letting it creep back into our lives. We must live exemplary lives modeled after Christ. Will we be perfect? No. But others must see an attractive difference in the way we live.

Extolling is never shrinking from praising God openly and boldly. Right now we have the freedom to do this in most places. But in our workplace and in schools, we have been restricted. Other religions haven't, but Christianity sure has. We have to find a way to keep our jobs and remain loyal to our Lord.

Our proclamation of our Lord admonishes and teaches others in wisdom so all of us may continue to grow and become even more like Christ. This is a constant battle against the enemy, and will be till we die or He returns, whichever comes first. (I vote for Him returning:) The consolation in all this is that the battle is not ours. We labor and struggle, as Paul says, in His energy. That is so awesome because I sure don't have enough energy to do it by myself. If I have access to the power of the Almighty Creator of the Universe, then I'm going to take it. That way, I'm assured of the outcome -- victory. (Have you read the end of the book?)

Further Thoughts:

1. Are you living a "proclaiming" life? Why or why not?
2. What are some practical ways in your life you can proclaim Jesus Christ?
3. Look up Scriptures on living by the power of God.

James 2:14-26 "Living Out Faith"

Read James 2:14-26.

"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." NIV

This begs the question, Am I living out my faith? I can study the Word all I want and believe that everything in the Word is true, but if my life does not reflect the Word and Jesus Christ, what good is it? If I am not applying my beliefs to how I live my life, what's the use?

So how do we know how to apply our faith? Jesus and the other mentors of the Bible are a great place to start. They show us how to live out our faith -- loving people with the love of Christ. Emulating their choices and decisions will teach us how to respond in similar situations. The steps to full devotion can be learned from those who came before us.

Then we have the Holy Spirit. When in doubt, whisper a prayer and ask the Lord what you should do. He never leaves us dangling by a thread. He will guide our steps if we only ask and listen. But the steps of faith in asking and listening are still worthless if we do not act on His answer.

We were not placed on this earth to sit back and become fat with knowledge and belief. We must put feet to our faith and reach out to a world who needs to hear about Jesus and see Him in action.

Further Thoughts:

1. List people in the Bible. Beside each name, write out how they lived out their faith.
2. What stops you from living out your faith -- fear, laziness, ignorance? How are you going to combat this lie of the enemy that is paralyzing you in your walk with the Lord?
3. Ask the Lord to show you what deeds He wants you to do in His name? How will you glorify Him?

James 1:21-27 "Living the Word"

Read James 1:21-27.

"Therefore,...." NIV

Okay, here is that time where we see "therefore" and need to ask, What is it "there for?" God has just instructed us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry because anger does not lead us into a righteous life. So how do we please God with our life? What are we to do?

First, we make a choice to put off moral filth and evil. You may say, "but I'm not morally filthy or evil." Are you? Have you examined your life lately and matched it up to the standards of God? His Word is our moral compass; His life our example. We will never be able to match it exactly, but are we even close? The enemy of lies is cunning and slick. He leads us into areas of compromise that we would initially say we would never enter. But because we go there inch by inch instead of mile by mile, we don't seem to notice the subtle changes we are allowing into our life until it is too late and we are fully enmeshed in a habit, relationship, or philosophy that is contrary to the Word of God. Take inventory -- how's your house looking?

We should regularly take a hard look at our life and see if we have let any compromise creep in. But the rest of this passage gives us a way to avoid desiring the things of this world. James tells us to live out the Word that has been placed in us. That can have two meanings....Jesus is the Word and the written Word of God. Once we have received Jesus into our hearts, our desire is to live for Him, right? Well, that's the goal. But with the bombardment of the enemy's temptations to indulge self, we must diligently be on our guard against slipping into old habits and desires. Our focus should be on His Word. Learn who Jesus is so you can live as He lived. Study His Word and life. Hide His words in your heart. Then emulate His actions. That's why James says that you cannot merely read the Word, you must live it. Study and sermons are all good, but they are only a means to an end. The goal is to live as Christ lived. That is the truly righteous life that God desires. Put feet to His Word.

Further Thoughts:

1. Have you been only studying and not living out His Word? What is He calling you to do? We are to live out the Word in the big things and the little things of our life. Make a list of where you need to do better in living the Word.
2. Read James 2:20. (KJV) Search for other passages where we are told that we must live the righteous life beyond just faith. Search "works," "deeds," "actions."

Matthew 27:11-26

Read Matthew 27:11-26.

"'I am innocent of this man's blood,' he said. 'It is your responsibility!'" NIV

The religious leaders and the people they sway to their way of thinking seem to be a theme that has been running for several chapters now. Once again, I am struck with the contrast between the religious leaders and the non-believers, in this case, Pilate, the Roman governor, and his wife. Here they turn over Jesus to the civil authorities stating a charge of treason since blasphemy would not have a stand in the civil courts. They could use treason because Jesus had claimed to be "king" of the Jews. Therefore, they were trying to show that Jesus was usurping the Roman authority. But Pilate, this non-believer, sees right through the ruse. Look at verse 18 again, "For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him." He knew that he was receiving an innocent man to be put to death because of the Jewish leaders' arrogance. Isn't that amazing....and tragic? Even Pilate's wife pays attention to a dream she has and tells Pilate in verse 19, "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man...." Two people, not a part of The Way, probably worshippers of mythological beings, sees the Truth clearer than the ones claiming to be upholding it.

And the responsibility for this tragedy doesn't all fall on the religious leaders' shoulders. The people allowed themselves to be swayed by the chief priests and elders and would rather have a known criminal freed and an innocent healer crucified. The blindness is so complete. The enemy had a stronghold that day -- only because God allowed it to fulfill His purposes. But still, the ability to move that many people away from the Truth. We so underestimate his powers. Granted, we have a greater power over the enemy, but only if we keep our eyes focused on Jesus and not moved to Satan's lies.

In the end, the only person who saw the truth was Pilate. He didn't have the fortitude to stand up to the crowd and fight for Jesus' innocence; instead he washed his hands of the responsibility. The people had spoken, and he would honor their request. But he made it publicly known that he didn't agree with the verdict.

So how does the non-believer see clearer than the supposed believer? What is happening in the believer's life to hinder them from seeing Truth as truth? As I look over the last 15-20 years, I know I have grown so much closer to the Lord. I credit consistency to my time in the Word, surrender to His Lordship, and a constant working on my personality to reach out to others rather than just taking care of myself. And as I grow closer to Him, the sin around me becomes more obvious. Inconsistencies are glaring, the world seems to become blacker and Christ's truths, whiter. And my sin appears more wretched than it ever was because I see the perfection of God magnified.

So I guess that boils down to four things: (not necessarily the only things....)

• surrender to His Lordship
• consistently studying the Word to know Him better - this is hearing His voice
• taking steps to be more like Christ
• when I sin, recognize it and immediately confess it

The religious leaders were not doing any of these. Well, obviously they new the Word, but only the law, not the heart. And they obviously did not learn very much about the character of God because their lives did not exemplify Him at all.

This is a clear warning for us all. A life that loses focus on the right priorities, misses seeing the Truth. And that is an eternal tragedy.

Further Thoughts:

1. How are you doing on the "four things?" Are there other areas you think are important that the religious leaders were missing?
2. Compare and contrast the religious leaders of that time to judgemental Christians today. What happens to turn us into judgemental Christians? How is the opposite lived out?

Matthew 20:20-28 "A Heart for Service"

Read Matthew 20:20-28.

"...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,and to give his life as a ransom for many." NIV

Here's a big surprise to many people who confess Christianity, we are here to serve. We are not here to soak up knowledge like a sponge. It is good to gain knowledge, but then we must put it to work. We are not here to make money. Although if we are blessed with a good paying job, we can certainly help out God's work financially. We are not here to gain more power. We are not here to sit on our backsides and complain. We are not here to let everyone else serve us.

Jesus demonstrated that we are all called to serve others. Now what that looks like will be different for different people. God has placed us all in various places on this globe at various times in history to do various jobs for Him. He's uniquely gifted each of us and will use those gifts to meet the needs of others and glorify Him. But no matter where we are, our service opportunities will range from large acts such as helping someone rebuild their home after a disaster to the smallest acts of service such as holding a door open for someone. God wants our eyes to be constantly on the lookout for someone needing us to serve them.

However, before our eyes can see, our hearts must be in an attitude of giving and it begins with surrender. Surrender to my agenda and submission to God's. This is not easy to do and I'm constantly working to do better. I am definitely a list person. I wake up in the morning thinking through the list of things I need to accomplish that day. Can you imagine Jesus doing that? "Okay, I'm going to heal three blind people, one lame, and two deaf today."

Jesus lived in the moment of need. We see several times where he was walking one place and was interrupted with someone calling Him over to heal them or taking Him to their home to heal their child. And because Jesus had such a high level of compassion and a heart to serve, He went.

Now I know we still have to do the things we need to do to live and pay bills. But it wouldn't hurt me to focus more on living in the moment and letting God interrupt my schedule to go serve someone who needs it.

Lord, increase my heart compassion for others and their needs. Help me to remain focused on Your redirection from my daily tasks. Don't let me miss the moment because it doesn't fit my schedule.

Further Thoughts:

1. Look up Scripture with the word "serve" or "service." What are the situations noted where we are to serve?
2. Is it easy for you to get caught up in the "to do's" of life? Ask the Lord to open your eyes to the needs around you.

Matthew 18:6-9 "The Warning"

Read Matthew 18:6-9.

"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin!" NIV

The graphic nature of Jesus' words immediately convey the gravity of these sins. Not that any sin is not grave, but the punishments and the recommendations to prevent such sins borders on the extreme. He definitely wanted us to know that this is something He will not tolerate.

So are we taking these warnings seriously? As a society I believe our children have been hung out to dry. We have not upheld a moral or ethical standard for them to follow. As a parent, I feel I am constantly rowing upstream against public opinions that would pollute my child's thinking.

On a personal level, living a life holy and pleasing to God is not just out of love for Him and a desire to spend eternity with Him. I am held responsible for the people I influence, as well. If there is any sin in my life that leads someone else to sin, I am condemned. As a preacher's kid and then as a pastor's wife, I definitely know what it is like to live in a fishbowl. But I'm still always surprised by how many are watching.

But you don't have to be in leadership to be an example. If you are living an honest, open Christian walk, people are going to be watching you. And they will eventually know if there is sin in your life. If you lead them down that path with you, you will be held accountable. That is a heavy responsibility we all must take seriously. That is why Jesus says to eradicate the opposing offender. Now He is not literally meaning to mutilate your body, but emphasizing the seriousness of capturing our weaknesses and killing their influence in our life.

Losing the lusts of our desires is nothing compared to losing eternity with God. Our life is not for satisfying every whim and notion we selfishly possess. Luke 10:27 says that we are to "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" No where in that passage am I to love myself first or even second. My comforts and desires are a tertiary point. And if I am loving God with my entire being - heart, soul, mind and strength, then my first inclination will be to see others as God sees them and extend my love to them. If these steps are all in line, I will not lead someone to sin but only to God.

Oh Father, help me to first focus on loving You and then out of that love, to love others. I again today die to self and the lusts that pull me toward the destruction of sin. Guide my heart; keep me for You alone.

Further Thoughts:

1. What temptation to sin do you constantly battle in your life? If you succumb, how could it affect those around you -- your family, friends, co-workers. Contemplate the gravity of your actions and ask the Lord to eradicate that desire from your life. So many people depend on your obedience.
2. Who are the people watching you? Are you living a life that they can follow? Do you reflect Christ not only in your words, but in your heart and actions? If not, why?
3. We cannot be a perfect example; only Christ is. But if we are living humbly before our Lord, we can be a light in a dark world. Shine.