Thought for Monday 15 November
They claim to know God, but by
their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and
unfit for doing anything good.
Are we worthy of the title ‘Christian’? Are we Christian in
name only or do our lives reflect our claim?
Many people claim to be followers of Christ because they
attend church every Sunday without fail. However, their action (or inaction)
does not uphold the claim they make.
I remember when a new neighbour moved in next door. I was at
work on the day but when I got home I was puzzled to see bread boards tied all
the way down the fence between our back gardens but thought, ‘each to his own’.
Next day there were some on the other side.
A few days later Andrea was playing in the back garden with
her cousin when I heard a man’s voice shouting and went to the window to see
what was happening. It was the man from next door shouting at the girls to make
less noise, his language was atrocious, aimed at two 6-year-old girls playing
with dolls and prams. I went out to ask what the problem was but he had gone
back inside. The girls were crying so I had to bring them indoors. This
behaviour happened every time Alex or Andrea were in the garden despite Benny
having words with him. Eventually the kids wouldn’t play in their own garden. The
children on his other side had a swing and a chute but couldn’t use them
because of his abusive ranting.
I was told he was an Elder in the church he attended. At
first I didn’t believe the friend who told me this but I did know they both
went out every Sunday carrying their bibles and looking every bit as pious as
anyone could look. It turned out that he was indeed an Elder and I often
wondered how he was with his district members. At that time, I wasn’t an Elder
but I was grateful for the fact that the Elder I had was polite and pleasant
and not like my neighbour.
We are told in Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly
loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness
and patience.
This is the expectation for Christ followers, five
things that should govern our actions. No matter who we are dealing with, these
things must be foremost in our conduct toward them. If we act as Jesus would toward
others we are on the right path. We must follow the example of our Lord, Jesus
Christ didn’t just show us how we should act but also how we should speak.
Prayer
Eternal Father, thank You for the loving way You take
care of us. Help us to show that loving care toward those we meet in our day to
day lives, not only in our actions but in how we speak to them. Help us to
remember that our actions may be the deciding factor in their decision to
follow Jesus or not, help us to walk more closely in His footsteps. Amen.
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