Be Kind, Be A Nonconformist

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 

Romans 12:1-2

Christians are the ultimate nonconformist. Our transformation allows us to be kind to those who are mean to us, to defend those who are unfairly attacked, to speak out when lies are told. to be merciful to those who are poor and those who least deserve it, and to show the love of God to the world in hundreds of ways. 

It is this unconventional, unexpected response by us that makes nonconformist.    

Shake things up, be kind. 

The Real Reality

 

Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored….  

 

Lamentations 5:21

Reality television is full of stories of extreme makeovers.  Old dilapidated houses are restored to contemporary dwellings.  Old cars are primed, painted, rebuilt and rolling down the road looking like the day they rolled off the assembly line.  People get haircuts, shaves, waxes, weaves, hairdos, made up, dressed up or down and transformed before our eyes.  It is all done in the name of entertainment, and in the end that is what it is nothing real just Hollywood entertaining us. 

The most extreme makeover we can make is to turn our lives around by asking Jesus to be our Lord, Master and Savior.  He alone can remove the stain of sin from our lives and restore us to the spiritual beings we are designed to be.   We are new inside and out and that is not reality television that is real reality.

 

Bear With One Another

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism;  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 

Ephesians4:1-4

The Apostle Paul was often arrested and put in prison for preaching the Gospel, but this did not deter him from ministering to others which he did by writing letters.

Paul urges us to to live life worthy of the calling we received and to treat one another with respect and dignity.  He is not injecting a lot of rules for us to follow only urging that we get along with each other in a bond of peace.  

This peace is possible because we share the common faith and baptism and worship one God and Father who is over us all.  

Not Just For Funerals

 

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Psalm 23:1-6

A month ago, while my husband, Chuck, was gravely ill, he recited this scripture.  It scared me because this scripture is frequently read at funerals. I did not realize that he was talking about hope, not death.  Through it all he remained a trooper.  

It was a long journey from the hospital to the care center.  His improvement has been slow but steady.  Every day, he is a little better.  We have learned to celebrate every victory.   

This being said, I now read this scripture not looking at death, but looking at life  and knowing that God is with us.  God comforts and blesses us, even when we are at our worst.   

I believe that the prayers of many have helped Chuck and me through this time and we are thankful.

Remember pray for those who are ill and pray for those in need and pray constantly. God hears and answers.   

 

 

Say Something Nice

 

Let us not loose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.  

  

Galatians 6:9.

Several years ago, my children attended a community Bible School.  They had a great time.  The last day I saw the Bible School director standing in the hallway with a trash bag. The woman looked disheveled and tired.  I stopped and thanked her for all her work and told her I thought she did a great job.  She looked surprised and said, “You know, I have heard complaints all week and you are the only person who told me I did a good job.” 

Nothing snuffs out a joyful worker like criticism.  When we are thinking of critiquing another Christian’s work, we need to use our brains before opening our mouths.  As Christians, we need to be sensitive to those people who are doing the work of Christ and encourage and thank them for their work.  A kind word to a weary worker is like big pay raise. 

It is always the right time to say something nice. 

God Has Boots On The Ground

When the king saw Esther, the queen, standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter.

Then the king said to Esther, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.”

Esther 5:2-3

God always has boots on the ground to do His work. Sometimes it is surprising who is wearing them. Esther was a surprise.

Queen Esther saved the Israelites from sure destruction by bringing their fate to the attention of King Ahasuerus. She did this not by badgering the king or by creating disturbances, but by being a Godly woman who the King respected.

Keep the faith. God has boots on the ground looking after His people, including you.

 

Try a Little Tenderness

 

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

Proverbs 15:1-2

We all know them. The people who think they know everything and let us know it. Sometimes they are totally wrong. It is then that we have some choices. We can publicly confront them and risk making them mad, or let them go on making an idiot of themselves, or follow the Biblical model and quietly speak to them about their error. Using gentle words might save us from getting beat up.

Try a little tenderness.