Sunday 27 May 2012

Sunday Reading: Proverbs 13:2-3

Key Verse: Proverbs 13:2
2  A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.

Devotion:
I love the way that the proverbs show us such simple truths in a way that we would view two things as being as different as chalk and cheese; what a saying that is! We don’t often view this world and God’s world as being as different as chalk and cheese because we are always looking for ways in which we can live in this world with God or take God’s ways and bring them into the world. The only way that we think we can achieve this is by mixing the two together in some manner; whereas God would have us to separate them as far as we can instead!

We are reminded that the world’s ways and His ways are very different in so many places in His Word, but none more so than being reminded that what comes out of our mouths is going to dictate what comes back to us in our lives. If we are going to be obnoxious in our discussions with others then should we expect anything else other than people to be obnoxious back to us? Or if we cause others to argue then should we expect anything else back other than harsh words?

I know that it does not pay to generalise, but in this case we can because we are not speaking of a group of others but rather of ourselves if we go the way of others. If we act like non-Christian people then the world is going to see us as being non-Christians; the world has no problems with generalising anything and everyone. And the more that we go in the way of the world the more we will be labelled with them and even pushed into mixing with them because others may well be turning their backs on us just because of our actions.

But if we are willing to try to still our ways and the words, trying to be more like Christ, then others will see us as being different from the world – hence we will no longer be labelled as being just another person. There is no way that we can work our way to heaven through doing the right things and saying ‘good stuff’ but it is going to help to focus our ways and our minds on Christ instead of focusing on the world. If we want to be separate then we should be aiming at being separate and not just saying things… God wants us to act differently and not just to say that we are different because it is going to be those actions that speak so much louder that the words that we try to say to others!

Points to Ponder:
How do you think others see you through your words?

Are you lifting up Christ through your mouth?