HOW DOES GOD SEE YOU?
The past few years have been something. Personally I thought I sort of had life figured out and was steadily on course until a pandemic hit. I have found myself examining and questioning my life, my motives, what exactly my life stood for. There has been this sense of “something is missing” in my heart. Yes, I am still figuring that out. But…that has got me consciously examining the power of choices and decisions.
“Little seemingly insignificant decisions that clear the road for monster truck life-altering ones” so to speak. Every path we take leads to another choice and some choices can change everything – every moment of the rest of our lives hang on them. And, boy, we have all got choices that we have got to make.
On the occasion of Easter, we are being reminded that as Christians, we made a choice to be yielded to Jesus Christ and that has influenced our lives till this moment. That choice is the reason why you do not steal or lie lightly. Moreso, you choose not to be found in certain gatherings because of that very decision to be submitted to God. Easter comes to remind us of the reason why we got to be able to be children of God and we remember His death and resurrection for our sake. But after that, then what? Beyond the cross, where do we go from here? We have had to decide to pursue His word and His presence. We have had to be intentional in our pursuit of Him like a lover after his object of possession, just like He seeks us.
In the light of Easter and in the face of our salvation, how is your life today? How have our lives been influenced or changed by our salvation? Are we truly any better because of His salvation? Where are we now? I just want to help us think soberly about our lives and to look forward with renewed hope.
“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? --unless indeed you are disqualified. (2 Corinthians 13:5 )
The scripture asks us to examine ourselves as to whether we are in the “faith” …why does it not say “church”. You could be in the church but not be in the faith. It asks us to test ourselves lest we be disqualified.
If you say you are a believer of God, then be careful to maintain God works (Titus 3:8). So, believing in God is accompanied by a certain lifestyle. Why should we think or examine our lives?
The Bible says in Acts 13:36, that “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.”
The time you are born and the moment you leave this earth is all part of God’s purpose. Let us look at these scriptures for context. We all will fit into at least one category.
The Bible says this about Onesimus in Philemon 1:11, that “Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me (NIV).” It is possible to move from a useless Christian to a useful Christian. You can be in the church and make a shift.
Now for Demas in 2 Timothy 4:10 reads, “Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.” He moved from being useful to useless to the ministry.
Now this is said of John Mark, in 2 Timothy 4:11, “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.” John Mark moved from useful to useless and then back to useful. He was previously with Paul in Paul’s ministry and departed but then later, he made a shift and became helpful for Paul.
Where are you in the workings of God? Are you Onesimus who has moved from uselessness to usefulness or Demas who has moved from usefulness to uselessness? Are you John Mark,
who moved from useful to useless and then to useful again.
God did not die so we can live a life of ‘leisure’, carrying the title as a Christian and doing nothing. In Matthew 5, Jesus talks about the beatitudes. In other words, attitudes to have as a follower of Christ. Further down, He makes the analogy of comparing a Christian’s life with salt and light. Salt and light are two most common things in every home, poor or rich all over the world. Salt is obscure but salt gives flavour and that is what your life in Christ is likened. Salt preserves. Salt disinfects. Sin must be dealt with by us in this world because of our presence. Salt does three distinct things; preserves, penetrates and protects. As a child of God, as the salt of this earth, wherever you are, your salt must exemplify Jesus.
Light is silent. Light makes no noise, light just shines. Light gives direction…or are you just about going to church? You have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. There is a reason God put you in this world at a time as this just like Joseph said in Genesis 45:7, “And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.”
There is purpose in your “why” but how are you walking in your why?
Philippians 4:8-9 reads, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”
1 Timothy 4:13 reads, “Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.”
Luke 10:42 reads, “There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
God bless us all and give us Grace to live for Him only. In this season of resurrection, may you feel your faith renewed and your heart made new with the hope Easter brings. Happy Easter to you and your family!!
From Jennifer
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