Passage to Ponder: 1 Peter 2:1-17
“Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.” -1 Peter 2:11-12 (The Message)
Whew! What a week it has been! Today is the seventh day of this corona shutdown madness. I am used to things moving at the “speed of church.” If you have ever spent anytime working with committees, you understand the frustrations of “speed of church.” Having little time to wait, I have been making decisions and doing things related to leading our church (and association of churches) much faster than I and many are accustomed. I have probably stepped on some people’s toes this week and seemed to be a bit dictatorial to others. Emergencies don’t have time for speed of church!
I have tried to keep a few things in mind as I have dealt with people: 1. Just because I am stressed does not give me the right to be rude. 2. Just because the situation requires things to be done faster does not mean that other people won’t have better ideas than me. 3. Every person is experiencing stress in their own lives facing this challenge. 4. My example is a testimony of Christ—either a good one or a bad one.
I pray that the Followers of Jesus will become Leaders to Jesus…leading people who are scared and suffering to the voice of the Good Shepherd. One of the ways this will happen is to be model citizens, caring neighbors, and consistent in living. The people who know you have already formed an opinion about you. What is that opinion? If it is good, give them a reason to continue to hold that view. If their opinion of you may be less than stellar, you will have no better opportunity to prove the sincerity of your walk with Christ than right now. As Peter wrote, “Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices.”
The purpose of being a “Coca-Cola” Christian…you know, “the real thing”…is not to be patted on the back. It is so that “…they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.” We will all celebrate when this pandemic passes by. Some of us may experience deep sadness and loss. Some of us will have suffered from illness. All of us will have endured hardship. I’m looking forward to celebrating (personal contact!) with my church family (smoked brisket, anyone?), celebrating with my neighbors, and being reunited with relatives.
As nice as that day will be, there is a much greater celebration coming! There will be a great family reunion one day when Jesus gathers all God’s children into the Kingdom of Heaven. That celebration will be even sweeter knowing those who have yet to turn to Christ have been “won over to God’s side and [will] be there to join in the celebration when He arrives.”
Love,
Pastor Larry
Pastor Larry
(This is from a series of devotionals written during our time of restricted meetings and activities due to
the coronavirus.)
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