Whose Opinion Matters Most?
Good Morning Friends,
Christmas is a time for giving and sharing and there are lessons for daily living to be learned in the experience. It is not about us experiencing a short lived feeling good about ourselves. For self-approval is not all that hard to come by. But approval by God is another thing all together. It all comes down to priorities. It all comes down to managing our relationship and our emotions in the reality that God loves us. Personal acknowledgements can help us but they should not be the primary benchmark for validating what we do. We must be about glorifying God. It is difficult to avoid being affected by other’s opinions of us. We want to call ourselves servants of God but when we are treated like that we get upset. We do not have our head on straight when it comes to answering today’s question. Whose Opinion Matters Most?
Scripture: Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries.
1 Corinthians 4:1 (NRSV)
For it is not those who commend themselves that are approved, but those whom the Lord commends.
2 Corinthians 10:18 (NRSV)
Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer. And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules.
2 Timothy 2:3–5 (NRSV)
‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
Matthew 6:2–5 (NRSV)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2 (NRSV)
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.
1 John 1: 1-5 (NRSV)
Message: Ok, I am hoping for more than twelve days of Christmas. I am hoping that just as Dickens reinvented and revived it so too can we experience that spirit of active usefulness and kindness that perseveres throughout the year in a way that puts God first. Here we can celebrate the gift of the Christmas season in every season. Here we realize that we can find peace with God when we surrender our will. We can have 24/7/365 access to God when He takes up residence within us. We have something to celebrate because we gain the unmerited favor of God…grace. Each day we can rejoice in the hope that we might actually live the life God designed us to live. For when we know in faith that God has our best interests at heart we can persevere day after day. It is common for all of us to seek approval for our actions as a reinforcement on the journey. As children, we longed for the affirmation of our parents. As we grew older, we also valued the opinions of our friends, colleagues, and employers. At times, the esteem of others can claim such importance that it becomes our way to measure our worth as a person. But the lesson of Christmas is not about striving to obtain the approval of people. Today’s devotional and scripture and Christmas itself is a call to commitment… a commitment to the Lord, a commitment to personal growth, a commitment to a local fellowship of relationships, a commitment to share the faith, and put our talents and abilities to work for others. Christianity is not a sideline experience friends. At some point we have to jump into the water to experience the connection between effort and success. We have to practice swimming against the current. If we do not jump in, the adversities of life will throw us in and for the unprepared drag us down. To survive against the rapids of life, God’s Spirit must live in and through us as a priority. Here we need a genuine faith that is transformational, a personal touch from the Lord that challenges us to conquer our pride, purify our faith and strengthen our character against the current.
Pray we be authentic. Pray we be of good cheer. Pray we be aware of God each day. Pray we eat of the fruit that is never out of season…Joy. Pray we take the light out into the world each and every day. Pray we put God first in the next year. Pray we experience the unity of God and love in Jesus. Pray we yield our body, mind and will to the joy of the Word made flesh. Pray we swim against the current of self will. Pray our motivation is to live righteously. Pray we let God’s light shine.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 