Are You Moving Forward?- in His Word 5-23-16
Sometimes we have to step back to move forward. This devotion is for a timely situation and I feel like it is important to repost from time to time to give God a chance to speak to who He wants, not just follow my own agenda. It can be hard trying to overcome my personal need to write and the desire to put something out there to share with others, at times I feel like I am running around trying to come up with a subject, a theme, or an idea on my own. Then I remember that it is not about me completing the task but about God speaking through the writing He gives me to write. I can choose to push my words out, or I can allow them to flow and the allow the Holy Spirit to take on the job of reaching out to others.
A few years back when I wrote this one I am sure there were specific people to write for, but this time I felt I needed to put it out again, even though I may have done so not so long ago, I pray that God will work His plan in it all! I trust that He will speak the words to the people He needs to speak to and I won't have to worry about why I chose this one, but just know I am obeying His direction. I will move forward and accept the things He puts before me as His direction, His guidance, and walk forward today in whatever I find in my path, in Jesus' name. I trust you will do the same. Take what is before you today and see what God will do with it! Thanks for reading on... and I hope you will find some thoughts to ponder today.
When we come to know
Christ we are a new person, in other words; we get rid of things that are
keeping us going back to the sins we used to do and we focus on doing what
God’s Word tells us to do. In doing this it moves us forward. Sometimes though
we do not get started on the right foot and we forget that God has done so much
to clean us up from our sins and bring us out of the bondage that we put
ourselves into. When this happens, we need to get in His Word, feed on His
goodness, and move forward in our walk with Him.
And so, dear brothers and
sisters, I plead with you to give
your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and
holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to
worship him. Don’t
copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a
new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s
will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Because of the privilege
and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning:
Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of
yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Romans 12:1-3
We need to be honest
with ourselves about who we are in Christ. We are basically “Jesus Reps” we
represent the Lord Jesus wherever we go. Whether it is at a local store or a
big event some place we need to remember who we are in Christ. Maybe in the
past you would sneak into a building and cut in line but now that you are a new
man in Christ you must move forward past it. It is not always easy…sometimes we
just think it is.
Sometimes
when we are in line for an event we just want to skip off and open a side door
to get into the building. We want to just walk inside instead of waiting for
the people in front of us in line; even though they may have been there much
longer and deserve to get in first. We often see others going in the door and
think to follow quickly behind them only to find they did the wrong thing. If
we went through the door knowing it was wrong we could inadvertently bring
someone else down the wrong path following us. I did this recently, I slipped
in the door of an event because I saw others doing it and I had to use the
restroom. When I came out I noticed others going ahead and heading to their
seats but I thought for a moment and chose to go out the door and got back in
line at the end of the line. I had been way closer to the front to begin with
but I did not mind, I was much more comfortable having returned to outside than
I would have been had I cut in line.
It just feels
better to do the right thing.
Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not
do it.
James 4:17
We need to move forward and stop doing the things that we
used to do because someone else is watching us. No matter what it is we are
doing we are representing Jesus in all that we do just because we decided to
accept Him as our savior.
But so and so does it right? So it can’t be that bad…
We who are strong must be
considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just
please ourselves. We
should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. For even Christ didn’t
live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult
you, O God, have fallen on me.” Such things were written
in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and
encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. May God, who gives this
patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other,
as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join
together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Romans 15:1-6
Our life is
given over to live for Christ and do His will in all that we do. Its time to
stop insulting one another, time to be kind to one another and time to do what
is right, just because it is right!
Grow up! That is what we have to do, and just as when a teen who has graduated and gone off to college finds out when they are thrust into taking the responsibility for themselves; doing what Jesus would do is not always the most fun thing. It is not always easy, it is not always what we would want to do; it is always what we should do.
If you or I
are stuck doing what we always did then will be stuck the much and mire we
started from and never grow up in Christ. We will find ourselves in the rut in
the road sinking fast when it rains instead of moving past it to the new
pavement smooth and beautiful; but sometimes you have to bump over a lot of
ruts to get on to the new road. Sometimes the road has ruts from where others
have gotten stuck and we just need to push on forward to the next thing.
When we make
a commitment to follow Jesus we are to keep following Him all the days of our
lives. Like an old pastor used to say
“I’m not retired I’m re-fired!” we never stop doing what is good and right in
the eyes of God and we dig in the word to grow stronger and more efficient in
His Word.
Dear Heavenly
Father, help us today to grow closer and more like you. Don’t let us stop
focusing our lives on Your directions and Your guidance. Let it be an everyday,
every time thing in our lives today and every day. In Jesus name, amen.
Suggested
reading :Romans 11:1-36, Romans 12:1-21, James 4:1-17 and Romans 15:1-33