Monday
He's LOOKING at me!
"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."
Hymn 363. Let others see Jesus in you.
Verse 1). While passing through this world of sin, and others your life may view, be clean and pure, without within, let others see Jesus in you.
Have you ever started out with high hopes and a full car on vacation with your family? The precious little darlings are going to have a memorable opportunity to be with mom and dad and do fun things. And things do go great; until they wake up. Usually you discover this as your perfect and precious daughter screams out: "He's LOOKING at me!!' As her older brother looks both guilty and puzzled. At least that's how it was for us. There's another family story on my wife's side where the evil younger sister dumps a bowl of milk and cereal on the sweet precious older sister just for "looking at her" at the breakfast table. (And you can guess which was my innocent wife and which was her mean sister Tresha).
Truth is, we are all being watched. Over ten years ago in Brazil, I got a traffic ticket from a camera, and in today's world of terrorism and cyber fears, there are cameras everywhere. Many broadcasting inappropriate and shocking content over the internet, and in some cases without the person in the video even knowing it. And we get so acclimated, we don't even think about being watched by others. Friends in social settings. Coworkers in the office. Other parents in the schools. Other drivers on the road. Family at home. Strangers in the airport. Non-Christians everywhere.
And I realized anew today, that I don't always behave in a way I'd like to be watched. I'm sure that my actions often fail to reflect Christ. This week, our lesson is living so others give God the glory for what they see us do. Wow - that's a high bar, but let's look together for ways to grow closer to the desired lifestyle.
Tuesday
What's your book about?
Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover–up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
Hymn 363. Let others see Jesus in you.
Verse 2). Your life's a book before their eyes, they're reading it through and through; say, does it point them to the skies? Can others see Jesus in you?
How many bibles have you worn out? I remember as a child my grandmother's bible always being in taters. And not from just laying on the dash of her car all week. Her notes filed the margins; words were circled and phrases were underlined on pretty much every page. The covers were stained in the middle from the hours spent in her aging but well lotioned hands. I often saw her reading it as I watched tv at her house. She always had it out for a story at bed time before we physically knelt beside the bed for prayers. We always said the blessing, even at the Blue Circle drive in.
Today, I am blessed to own a library of bibles. Different versions. KJV, NIV, NASB, TLB, MSG, GN, NKJV, etc. And different study versions. Thompson Chain Reference. The Open Bible, the Chronological Bible. And that's just the paper ones. I have three Bible Apps on my iPad with more versions in so many languages - some that will even read to me - I could never get through them all. And while I've adopted my Grandmother's habit of making notes and underlining in my paper bibles, I have not used them to the point of the covers disintegrating. I often use the electronic versions if I'm in public so as not to draw attention to my readings. I may silently bless my food with my eyes open at lunch, and even skip this discipline in public, and even at home if we don't do a formal meal at the table. I have much room to grow here.
Now I'm not suggesting that you should start carrying a 20 pound bible everywhere you go. Nor that you should read it aloud in every public place you visit. And not even that you should always say grace in restaurants. But I am saying, that I believe that if I spend more quality and quantity time in God's word - reading, studying, listening to sermons (aren't podcasts great?), thinking, asking questions - that I will learn more about God. More about myself. More about His will for me. And by doing that, as others see the book of my life unfold before them, God's presence will be noticeable and others will see the difference. And lead them to look to Jesus as the reason for that difference. How about you - want to try and be a better book for others to read? Start today.
Wednesday.
Thank you.
Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
Hymn 363. Let others see Jesus in you.
Version 3). What joy 'twill be at set of sun, in mansions beyond the blue, to find some souls that you have won; let others see Jesus in you.
I've often been blessed through music. This is not the first series of devotions I've written where I've used the words to a hymn to help me understand or illustrate a point. I have enjoyed making joyful noise in more than one choir where they could find someone willing to stand by me. I'm one of those people you see on the road at times singing loudly in the car alone with the windows all rolled up. In sacred music, I like most of the traditional hymns (there's an iPad app that consists of the entire. Baptist Hymnal!), southern gospel, Bill Gaither, Sandi Patti, Michael W. Smith, and even some praise choruses. But several years ago, I remember hearing a song by Ray Boltz called Thank You.
It tells the story of a man's dream of going to heaven. There he goes walking with a friend on golden streets by crystal blue seas. An unknown voice calls out his name. He doesn't recognize the person, but he finds out that the person had learned of Christ when he was leading a childrens' Sunday School class. Another calls out to him who was saved because of his donation to a mission offering. "And one by one they came, far as the eye could see." All blessed by actions he had taken on earth that may not have even been noticed. Small sacrifices that had huge eternal effects.
It is obvious to me that as a sinful man in a sin filled world, I'll never be able to perfectly reflect the God who saved me. But I am who He makes me to be. I can do things, and many times things that no one else can or will. And if I try, I can grow to be more like Him. I may never do large things in the eyes of mankind, but I don't think there are any small things in God's plan.
So today, I'm going to look for something small and not too difficult to do for someone else. Things like praying for one of my staff who has a father who is ill. Doing the dishes to give my wife a break. Emailing an elderly friend to let him know I'm praying for him and his wife. Asking my daughter what she thinks about a bible passage I read. Sending my pastor a note of encouragement. Buying a traveling soldier a Red Bull at the airport pretzel shop. Maybe there's a way to let others see more of Jesus in me after all.
Thursday
What does a Christian look like?
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Hymn 363. Let others see Jesus in you.
Verse 4). Then live for Christ, both day and night, Be faithful, brave and true, and lead the lost to life and light. Let others see Jesus in you.
If I am going to try and live, so that others will see Jesus in me, I need to know what that looks like. I need to try and make choices that move me on His direction. I've actually asked and answered the question of what does a person look like who is sold out, living for God and reflecting His character many times in my life. And my answers change, usually reflecting my increased understanding of the nature of God.
As a child, the answer was probably my parents. As I grew and noticed that we were not a perfect family, I bet I decided our pastor was like God. In retrospect, that's a hugely unfair burden to place on a minister, for he, or she, is a flawed human who is also seeking to be Christlike. As I grew, I realized that many of God's people carry His traits in their lives, and it comes out in many varied ways as people ministered to me.
- CM was an elderly widow gave an almost single mom and her son a ride to church.
- GH was college aged when he gave a broke high school kid a ride to church, to roller skate, to football games, and even to just cruise.
- S&VB opened their house to so many youth for activities as varied as playing board games to developing a puppet ministry.
- HH had owned a grocery store until becoming a welder - he guided his nephew to choose a secular career because God uses laymen as well as ministers.
- GH was a businessman gave a young college student a pay it forward "loan" when he lost his job.
- J&JS gave a young professional whose family was a thousand miles away a home away from home.
- CP told his racquetball partner that even if he divorced, that God would still love him - and so did he.
And I've even been blessed to watch Godlike characteristic grow in others I've had a chance to lead in small ways.
- GM went from a boney shouldered high school student playing an angel in a church drama to lead college bible studies and now to the senior pastor position at one of the largest Baptist churches.
- I met CH when he was a middle schooler, and he now plants churches in Washington state.
- DSK looked like a smurf in a puffy blue ski suit when she skied the first time as a youth. Now she works for a company that helps churches needing new ministerial staff.
I have come to realize that God looks a lot like us, when we are doing what we can to accept the sacrifice He made for us and let Him guide our daily lives. Join me in looking for opportunities to allow Him to work through us.
Friday.
My tribute.
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Hymn 577. My Tribute,
... Just let me live my life; let it be pleasing, Lord, to Thee. And should I gain any praise, let it go to Calvary. ...
It's hard to live as Christ would have us live. I've heard people say take it a day at a time, but for me that's too long a time period. I have tried to live moment by moment, but I think maybe impossible is a better description. In my own efforts, I know that's true. And if we stop there, there's no hope and we may as well give up.
But as I sit here, about 35,000 feet above the ground and a hundred miles or so south of Chicago, I look out my window into the winter blackness. And I see lights. Not a brilliant glow like Houston or Chicago, but small dots of blinking light. That's how I think we do it. Not by huge miracles of perfection. Not even by large brilliant lights. We do it as small, blinking lights. A few brighter than others on any given day, but no one able to light everything up. A single light is seen in the dark, but groups are brighter and easier seen than singles. It takes a lot of us, and we blink out sometimes leaving it to someone else to be the light. And my prayer for myself becomes "Lord, let my light shine." As often as possible and as bright as I can to help others, so that when my light is dim, or even out, there will be another near me to light my way.
Will you join me in in prayer as we say...
... Just let me live my life; let it be pleasing, Lord, to Thee. And should I gain any praise, let it go to Calvary. ...
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