Wednesday Reading: Luke 7:29-35
Key Verse: Luke 7:34
34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, Behold a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!
Devotion:
When someone does not fit into our view or our plan in life we tend to give them some sort of derogatory title so that we can view them as an outcast of some kind; thus giving us a way of keeping them out of our lives. This has been something that has been going on since the beginning of time and not just in mans last few hundred years. We tend to look at certain traits in human life as being things that the last century has given us because of the way in which life has changed so much but the deeper we look the more we find that life style has changed, but life continues in much the same manner.
Our bibles still hold firm today as they did when they were written. They will continue to hold firm right up until there is no more need for them – after Christ returns to take us all home. Until that day we need to remember that what we have in God’s Word is there for our guidance throughout life. Just because they walk everywhere instead of jumping in a car or plane does not mean that they were entirely different people – it does mean that they lived very different life styles...
The more varied our lifestyles become, the more varied we expect people to be too. The more we get into different lifestyles the more we expect our friends to be into the same lifestyles too. The more different our lifestyles become, the less tolerant we become towards those who are not willing to live the same lifestyles as ourselves. Jesus made sure that He stood apart from the crowd and gave everybody the same chance no matter what lifestyle they lead. If we do not allow others to live their own lifestyles whilst still living for Christ then we may well be working against God. He wants us all to come to believe in Him, not for us all to live the same lifestyle as John the Baptist lived in the desert; He just wants us to make sure that He comes first no matter what lifestyle we lead...
Points to Ponder:
Do you categorise yourself in life?
Are you making sure God comes first?
