What Have You Done Today To Make Your Position Known?
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (New Living Translation)
11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.
I have just begun a new phase in my life. It is an interesting place to be in. It is also a strange place, to feel at forty six like you have been reborn, revitalized, renewed. It is a strange place to feel finally that you are coming into a place that you have missed for a good portion of your life. This weekend I was in a new place, a new environment, starting a new thing. At first I was unsure of what this all meant, and how it was going to fit into what God had called me to do, until I lay in bed and prayed, at two in the morning, and felt a peace wash over me that had never been there in any other venue or season of my life. I knew I had been created to worship, and I had discovered that I had the personality type that would guard and protect, but I have always been a manager, or one who, is good at helping people find their way, to their dreams and goals, a supporter, one who undergirds and supports the mission of others. Strangely enough for many years, I had no idea that this was a ministry gift, nor did I understand that it was not a weakness but strength. I also had no idea that it was a God given talent and that it would be a vocation, not just an occupation. You see I thought I needed to be on the intercessory prayer team, or in ministry like I had always been to show forth the love of God and to make my position in Him known, but I have discovered that within the four walls of the church that is an assumed fact, not a statement being made!
Every day we make statement, by our actions, our reactions and our lifestyles. We can say that we love, and then, our actions can say loud and clear that we don’t. We can say that we have the love of God abiding in us, but at the slightest challenge we show everything but that love in how we respond or react to people and circumstances. We can say that we love God and serve Him, who we have not seen, but if anyone dared to ask us to serve anyone, or anything but ourselves and our fleshly desires, we would lose it on them. We should be an unspoken sermon, and declaration of what we believe and whom we believe in. We should be not have to utter a word for people to know that God is in our lives and is a vital part of whom we are and what is our motivation for living. Every day we tell a story, we make declarations, we stand for something, but I want to ask, what is it that we are standing for, what is it that we are saying? When a wife can tell her spouse she will be glad when he is gone who is she saying she is concerned about? When a sister takes great pride in making a sibling feel bad about themselves instead of lifting them up and having their back what does that say about them? When a grandmother, although struggling in her own right turns from doing what is right for those in her family that cannot protect themselves, what is she saying about who she follows? When a husband blatantly disrespects or cheats on his wife what does that say about how seriously he takes his commitment? When a coworker will misuse the trust and confidence of another what does that say about who standard they are following? When a friend will take another for granted, what does that say about whose definition of friendship is in place? When a child, openly disrespects their parent, what does that say about where they learned respect and who respect should be given to. When w mother uses fear and intimidation to control her children, what does that say about who is in control of her life?
It has become so easy for us to forget that our life is a living testimony to something. That is tells a story of great magnitude. The way we live our lives speaks of our character and our submission to the will of God. The way we treat people says much about how much we think of ourselves. The way in which we value love and friendship speaks of where our heart really is. How much we give to others and appreciate what is done for us, speaks of how entitled we may feel that we are, or how humbled we are. You see, the words of mouth and the meditation of our hearts should not be the only thing acceptable in God sight, the way we live, should as well. It should be a path that others can follow right into the very presence of God, and it should identify that our life is hidden in Him! So, let me ask you this, what position are you in or where do you stand?
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