Thank God it's Monday - Pt 4

Technically work is a four letter word but according to the bible its not a necessary evil but rather something that can bring joy, satisfaction and impact. The bible gives us explicit instructions about work that just might change our view of work even though we might keep the same job.

One of the most important but overlooked spiritual disciplines is to examine ourselves and our relationship with God. If we aren’t careful we can slip into deception that leads to destruction. The wake up call in the scripture is a charge to be sober minded and vigilant in our relationship with God and the enemy of our faith. Being honest about where we are is critical of we are going to know where we are headed.

Christians by definition are called to reflect Christ as missionaries in a foreign culture and oftentimes in dark places. Our knee jerk reaction at times to how “the world” behaves and acts is often a misguided approach reflecting finger wagging moralists without the strength of character and compassion Jesus modeled. While there are times in which we must make a stand and point out the error in others, our primary responsibility is to model repentance and character so as to ensure that our message to others has credibility. The scripture is clear that we should have influence in the world God loves and whom Jesus died for without compromising our personal convictions. One of the marks on Jesus life and the life of the early church was persecution because of their message while at the same time they enjoyed real favor as well. At times it feels like many Christians believe that to have favor with “the world” it means we must be compromising something. Jesus life and the testimony of the early church speaks to the fact that we will likely grow in both persecution and at the same time favor.

If we don’t know who we really are we become easy prey for our enemy who would like to bring confusion so that we will serve his purposes. We are all on a journey of self discovery whether we know it or not and unfortunately we often choose unreliable sources to shape and affirm who we are. The only person who has the right to label or name you is the one who made you, when we discover who God says we are the days of insecurity gives way to a sturdy understanding of acceptance and love through Jesus Christ.