Thursday 23 Feb 2012

Thursday Reading: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 4:16
16  Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

Devotion:
What a statement! Are you sure that you want to be able to make a statement like this? If you think that you should be then you had better be sure that you are willing to stand up and be counted as being worthy of such a statement! Paul was a man who stood up for Christ and was willing to give everything up for His name. If we are going to think that we can make sure a statement then we should be the ones standing firm and upholding Christ’s name more than Paul!

Being able to separate ourselves from the sin around us is not an easy task unless we are fully committed to Christ and resting fully in His perfect grip. When we know that we are firm in His grip and can stand with His to resist the world, then we are beginning to be an example that others can look toward. Christ was a perfect example for us and one that we do need to study. We can look at the Apostles and see just how much they loved Christ, how much they had to work to be more like Him and then also see that they fell down at times as well. But the one thing that we need to study most of all is how they were willing to give over their lives to Christ.

What would you do if your parents started doing all manner of things wrong and did not try to hide it from you? Would you then begin to question whether they have lost the plot or even if they should be looking after you? Or would you give in and follow on from their example they are laying down? That is a very hard situation to be in and one that no parent should lay on their children. Christ, as our Father, did no such thing. He continued to show us the right from the wrong and continued to uphold His Father in heaven above all else. We need to treat those around us as our children and protect them from the evil that Satan has splashed all around this world.

If we are able to show others just a little of the love that Christ has shown us then we will become just that little bit more like Him. Christ looked beyond the sin that people were committing and looked inside their hearts. Whilst we cannot hope to see inside other people’s minds or hearts, we can look beyond their sin. Just because they are sinners should not exclude them from our lives. Instead we should be an example to them of how they could and should live rather than giving in to the ways they do. But be very weary that you need Christ with you because you will not be able to do it yourself!

Points to Ponder:
What do you think others think of you?

Are you taking Christ with you wherever you go?