I've been catching up on my "Living Beyond Yourself" homework (Beth Moore) for Renew. I missed a bunch while I was sick, so now I'm trying to get a few lessons done each day.
JOY:
Today's study was about joy, specifically the joy that comes from knowing our names are written in Heaven. Wow. Beth Moore emphasizes that salvation belongs to God. I never really thought about the significance of that until today. "Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne..." (Revelation 7:10). Why is it important that salvation belongs to God and not to us? Because it is His gift to us. If it didn't belong to Him, then He wouldn't be able to give it to us. "It is a gift of GRACE that we have the privilege to accept." (Beth Moore)
Beth also states that "recognizing that salvation belongs to Christ helps to get us out of ourselves." How often do I focus on me, me, me? It's not about me!
SALVATION:
Here's another other sobering thought from Beth based on 2 Peter 3:3 - 7: "A moment will come, at the ushering in of eternity, when every lost man and woman will be confronted with the staggering loss of his or her salvation... The lost will suffer a horrible threefold realization: they will realize that He is LORD, that they are LOST and that it's too LATE."
That certainly puts things into perspective. Why do I worry about "offending" people by sharing the gospel with them? This life is but a breath. Eternity is forever. Do I want the guilt on my conscience of knowing some of my friends and family could be facing an eternity without the Lord just because I'm afraid of offending them? The joy they could have of knowing their names are written in the Book of Life pales in comparison to my discomfort. Again, it's not about me!
Showing posts with label devotional thoughts - witnessing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devotional thoughts - witnessing. Show all posts
Wednesday, 30 January 2008
Monday, 18 June 2007
On Colossians 4
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." (v. 2)
I find it interesting that Paul said to be watchful and thankful in our praying. I find it easy to be thankful when I pray, but what does it mean to be watchful in prayer? I gather that it means to be observant in our daily lives and look for things to pray for and opportunities to pray.
Paul goes on in the same section: "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (vv. 5 - 6)
We are to be watchful when we are around others - making the most of every opportunity. This is the hard part for me. When I am around people who don't share my faith, I tend to be less careful about what I say. It is easier to gossip or speak rudely when I am around people who speak the same way (that's not to say the non-believers are rude, but that they don't judge that kind of speech the way believers do). I guess that's the root of it. Christians tend to be very judgmental (myself included) about the things people say, especially non-believers. Is that being full of grace? No. Our conversation is to be seasoned with salt. Salt is a preservative and adds flavour and taste to dishes. Our conversation should be wholesome, enjoyable and leaving a pleasant taste in the mouths of the listeners (so to speak!). People will not be drawn to Christ if we speak rudely or act judgmental towards them. We need to pray for opportunities to draw people to Christ and ask God to give us the words to say that will be "salty" for the listener.
I find it interesting that Paul said to be watchful and thankful in our praying. I find it easy to be thankful when I pray, but what does it mean to be watchful in prayer? I gather that it means to be observant in our daily lives and look for things to pray for and opportunities to pray.
Paul goes on in the same section: "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (vv. 5 - 6)
We are to be watchful when we are around others - making the most of every opportunity. This is the hard part for me. When I am around people who don't share my faith, I tend to be less careful about what I say. It is easier to gossip or speak rudely when I am around people who speak the same way (that's not to say the non-believers are rude, but that they don't judge that kind of speech the way believers do). I guess that's the root of it. Christians tend to be very judgmental (myself included) about the things people say, especially non-believers. Is that being full of grace? No. Our conversation is to be seasoned with salt. Salt is a preservative and adds flavour and taste to dishes. Our conversation should be wholesome, enjoyable and leaving a pleasant taste in the mouths of the listeners (so to speak!). People will not be drawn to Christ if we speak rudely or act judgmental towards them. We need to pray for opportunities to draw people to Christ and ask God to give us the words to say that will be "salty" for the listener.
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