A Little Too Much Pride

 

Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind but associate with the lowly.  Do not be wise in your own estimation. 

Romans 12:16

We all have a certain amount of pride, which is alright.  If we had no pride we would not bathe or take care of ourselves.  But we sometimes have a little too much pride in ourselves to the detriment of those around us. 

We need to step back and look at how we treat those who we think are not as good as we are or as well off as we are.  When we level our view of others to that of being our equals, we open more opportunities to minister and present the Gospel to people.

Under Grace

 

For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

Romans 6:14-19

When we ask Jesus to be our Lord, Master and Savior, we are no longer under the law and we will not be judged by God according to the law. We are subject to the grace of God.

The Apostle Paul points out that this does not mean that we can sin with impunity. It means that we are now the servants of the living God and as such are bound to live in a manner which brings glory to Him. This is not to say that we will never sin, but that if we sin, we need to repent and not repeat the offense.

Grace means we have a much easier go of it in life because we are no longer burdened with and subject to the consequences of willing sin. We are covered by the grace of God who will direct the paths of our feet so that we can enjoy the good life of a redeemed believer in Christ.

Say Something Kind

 

Pleasant words are a honeycomb,

Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 16:24

The best thing we can do for people when they are going through difficult times is to offer kind words.  Kind words cost us nothing and comfort those who are suffering. 

When you do not know what to say, say something kind.   

Harvest Time

 

He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. 

  

Ecclesiastes 11:4

Every time a farmer plants a seed, he is taking a risk. He is relying on rain and sun and weather so that he can harvest a crop and make a profit.  If farmers did not have faith, they would not be farmers.

Life is a risky business.  Choices we make don’t always turn out the way we think they will.  Sometimes things are much better and sometimes they don’t go so well.   

Fear should not paralyze us.  We know God is on our side and no matter what happens God is with us. 

And, sometimes when we think things have gone terribly wrong, it turns out that it was for the better in the long run. 

Have faith and take action. 

God Has Revealed Himself

 

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

Psalms 14:1

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them, for God has made it evident to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Romans 1:18-20

King David said it well, only a fool would say there is no God.

We are not left to wonder about God’s existence, we are presented with the evidence of His existence. 

Paul in his letter to the Romans explains that God has revealed Himself to all men.  God created the universe and all that is in it.  If man simply looks at a new baby, he can see that only the hand of a divine God could create something so wonderful.  

Only a fool having seen the universe could deny the creator of it all - the strong, powerful, true God.

 

God has revealed Himself.  Look and you will see Him. 

We Are Not Called To Be Grouchy

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.... If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23, 25

When we examine ourselves, we can look at what it is we take out into the world with us.  How do we approach life?  If we are grouchy, we need to consider that we are not called to be grouchy. 

The fruits of the Spirit remind us that we are more than our circumstances - we are chosen and we have been gifted much from God and we can show it by allowing the fruits of the Spirit to fill us. 

Spread some joy and kindness. 

We Love Because God Loves Us

 

Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, in an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

Ephesians 5:1-2.

What does it mean to walk in love? Does it mean we have to let other people walk all over us? No. It means that whatever we do, we do it in a spirit of love. It does not mean we will be popular or that we have to be nice to those who really don’t need being nice to.

As Christians, we must speak out against wrong, but we are to do it in a manner that addresses the problem as a problem, and offers the perpetrator an opportunity to correct the error of his ways. This is what God did for us. He called us from our lives of sin, to a new life forgiven by Jesus. 

We love because God loves us.