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Jesus did things differently, He went the extra mile, He Spoke the truth in love, and He called people out when they did the wrong thing. He also pointed people in the right way to go, showed them when they were doing the right thing too!
One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them. Matthew 5:1-2
He saw how many people where coming to hear Him and sat down at a higher level so that they could see Him while they listened to His teaching. (Verses 3-10 are the Be-Attitudes)
Jesus also reminds us that we need to pray for people who lie about us, or get mad at us for no truthful reason other than their own mistaken ideas about us. He said to be happy when people say untruths about you and to now that He knows when we are walking in the truth and living it, and He will reward us in heaven some day.
I especially love how He points out how people we read about in the Bible also had these problems. The Prophet Samuel was persecuted by Saul when he had his anointing lifted. Saul did not Samuel and God removed it not Samuel but he was blamed. (1 Samuel 13) king Saul thught He was above the Prophet and He was not. He thought He knew beter than God as well.
When we disobey God's directions for the glory to come to us, or for other selfish reasons we can be sure that God will adjust our attitudes. It may be loosing a blessing, and it may be a longer road we thought it would be to get to the place He has snow us we would go. Either way God will still be in control even if we don't realize it like Saul didn't.
Jesus came to help us understand how to do the right things. We pray, we read, we apply it to our lives. Be strong in the name of the Lord Jesus when people are rude to you.
God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5 :11-16
To keep that salt fresh we need to study the Bible. We need to read it daily and study to really understand what God wants from us, and then apply it to our lives. When we obey His Word, we share that with others, not that we obeyed but what the Word says about what we walked through. We share what we learned in His Word and that will shine through us. But there is another way we shine like the light on the stand, when we read, pray and apply the Word to our lives then we will be living, waking, talking the Word of Life to others whom we come in contact with. That means extra kindness when they don't deserve it, and giving God the glory for things we do.
Think about it, our light shines so others can find their way to His light!( Luke 11:33)
Don't hide Jesus today! Share him with everyone around you, get up on the hill and shine like Jesus! Get where you can be seen and tell somebody what Jesus has done for you and can do for them today!
In Jesus name!