| II Chronicles 24:1-25:28; Romans 12:1-21; Psalm 22:19-31; Proverbs 20:8-10
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out.” (Romans 12:1-2)
“Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of His body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.
“If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else, if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.
“Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times, pray all the harder. Help needy Christians, be inventive in hospitality. Bless your enemies, no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy, share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other, don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody. Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody.
“Don’t insist on getting even, that’s not for you to do. ‘I’ll do the judging,’ says God. ‘I’ll take care of it.’ Our scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you, get the best of evil by doing good.” (12:4-21)
I couldn’t have said it better myself!
PRAYER:
Lord, I ask You to help me apply the Word I have read today to my life. Show me my part in the body of Christ. If I turn out to be a toe, help me to not be jealous of the eye. Help us all to know that we are all useful and important by Your design and apart from Your Body, we are nothing. We are dependent on Your body, not the other way around. So use me, all of my gifts and talents for Your glory. Lord, I pray to have a good, up-beat attitude, not jealous, bitter, mad or behaving like I’m better than others. I just want to be a decent person that You can be proud to say, “That’s my child!” I love You Father, these things I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen. |
