Saturday, February 7, 2009
In His Steps
“…Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.” 1 Peter 2:21
When I was young, my family spent many spring afternoons searching fields on the farm for Indian arrowheads. Prime time for discovery followed deep plowing and a heavy rain. That was also the top time for getting stuck – up to your knees in the thick, dark mud. I soon learned the best way to navigate around the fields was to follow the freshly made footprints of my father.
In His Steps. Author Charles Sheldon used this phrase in 1896, to title his book which challenged Christians to ask the famous WWJD – “What Would Jesus Do?” question when facing the moral quandaries of life. Few people were in worse dilemmas than the ones to whom this verse was originally written – slaves. Beaten up and beaten down, slaves spent their lives caring for the needs of others with no one looking out for their own. Valued as property not as people, they were traded or mistreated at their masters’ whims. Slaves had every right and reason to rebel, yet they were called to remember Jesus’ example of humility and holiness and to follow in His steps. As those living in the luxury of freedom, we should be even more willing.
“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.”
I failed to mention that my dad is 6 feet 4 inches tall and wears a size 14 shoe. I was often stretched to my limit as I tried to follow his big stride. Life’s choices are constant and challenging. The imitation of Christ will strain us and stretch us as well. A glance across the footprints of His life can leave us thinking, “What big shoes to fill.”
We’re not asked to fill His shoes. We’re told to follow His steps.
In the best of times and the worst of times, follow closely – all the time.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
“Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.” 1 Peter 2:17
R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Respect. Along with Aretha, we all want it and we ought to give it – to everyone. But how? What does respect look like in our every day? Peter must have known those reading his letter might wonder at his words, so he shared some specifics.
Three to be exact. “Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.” Love other Christians. Fear the Lord. Honor the king. Sound simple? Not always.
“Love the brotherhood of believers…” Love your Christian family. All of them? We often struggle loving our blood relatives and now God wants us to add our “born-again kin”!Sometimes some people are just hard to like. Maybe that’s why God says “love.” The word used is agape – it’s not an affection based on feelings. It’s based on action – unselfishly putting someone else before yourself. That’s respect.
“Fear God…” Don’t be afraid. But be in awe. Serious awe. We can’t fathom God’s perfection. We can’t grasp His holiness. He is far beyond us and way bigger than us. He created all we see by simply speaking, and He holds everything together simply by desire. Reverence for who God is helps us realize who we are and who we aren’t. God not only demands our respect; He deserves it.
“Honor the king.” God rules over all, but He sets earthly authorities in place according to His plans and purpose. Our responsibility is to honor, or properly respect, the ones in charge. Even the ones we don’t like. Don’t balk. We have no room to fuss. Peter wrote, “Honor the king,” when Nero was the Caesar. Nero was not nice – at all. He murdered his mother, killed his first wife so he could marry someone else, but later murdered her also. To divert suspicion away from himself after the fire of Rome, he accused the Christians of arson, conducted mass arrests, and among other tortures, burned his victims alive in public. In spite of who Nero was, Peter knew God is best glorified when Christians are respectful and good citizens.
By the way, the verse tense used in this verse indicates that we should constantly maintain a respectful attitude. Respect is not a one-time choice. It’s a continual commitment.
Continually love your Christian family.
Continually look up to God.
Continually lift up your leaders.
Instead of looking for respect from others, try giving respect to others.
The outcome might surprise you.
Time for a Little R&R
REFLECT
Respect is an action based on an attitude. What does respect look like in your life?
RESPOND
Phone a Christian brother or sister and pass along encouragement.
Praise God for who He is as your Creator and Savior.
Pray for our President.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Respect. Along with Aretha, we all want it and we ought to give it – to everyone. But how? What does respect look like in our every day? Peter must have known those reading his letter might wonder at his words, so he shared some specifics.
Three to be exact. “Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.” Love other Christians. Fear the Lord. Honor the king. Sound simple? Not always.
“Love the brotherhood of believers…” Love your Christian family. All of them? We often struggle loving our blood relatives and now God wants us to add our “born-again kin”!Sometimes some people are just hard to like. Maybe that’s why God says “love.” The word used is agape – it’s not an affection based on feelings. It’s based on action – unselfishly putting someone else before yourself. That’s respect.
“Fear God…” Don’t be afraid. But be in awe. Serious awe. We can’t fathom God’s perfection. We can’t grasp His holiness. He is far beyond us and way bigger than us. He created all we see by simply speaking, and He holds everything together simply by desire. Reverence for who God is helps us realize who we are and who we aren’t. God not only demands our respect; He deserves it.
“Honor the king.” God rules over all, but He sets earthly authorities in place according to His plans and purpose. Our responsibility is to honor, or properly respect, the ones in charge. Even the ones we don’t like. Don’t balk. We have no room to fuss. Peter wrote, “Honor the king,” when Nero was the Caesar. Nero was not nice – at all. He murdered his mother, killed his first wife so he could marry someone else, but later murdered her also. To divert suspicion away from himself after the fire of Rome, he accused the Christians of arson, conducted mass arrests, and among other tortures, burned his victims alive in public. In spite of who Nero was, Peter knew God is best glorified when Christians are respectful and good citizens.
By the way, the verse tense used in this verse indicates that we should constantly maintain a respectful attitude. Respect is not a one-time choice. It’s a continual commitment.
Continually love your Christian family.
Continually look up to God.
Continually lift up your leaders.
Instead of looking for respect from others, try giving respect to others.
The outcome might surprise you.
Time for a Little R&R
REFLECT
Respect is an action based on an attitude. What does respect look like in your life?
RESPOND
Phone a Christian brother or sister and pass along encouragement.
Praise God for who He is as your Creator and Savior.
Pray for our President.
Be Good - For God's Sake!
“Live such good lives among the pagans that, thought they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.” 1 Peter 2:12
Be Good!! This instruction, given often by my mom, I now repeat frequently to my own children. But why did my Mom want me (and why do I want mine) to be good? One honest reason - because we want people to think our children are wonderful and that we are not terrible! Like it or not, and whether it’s true or not, in the eyes of others, our kids’ behavior says a lot about us.
“Live such good lives among the pagans that…they may see your good deeds and glorify God…” Be Good!! It’s an instruction from our Father, who has replaced the terrible in us with His wonderful life. Now He wants us to live so that through our goodness the people around us will see His glory. In the eyes of others, His kids’ behavior says a lot about God.
As Peter wrote, perhaps he remembered what Jesus once said. “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) We have such a good God. We should live such a good life. Not so that the people around us will say, “Yeah you!” But so they will say, “Yeah God!”
As you shine God’s light through your good life, not everyone will like what you do or will like you. But don’t stop being good even if others accuse you of being bad. In the end, even they will come around and admit the truth. And God will be glorified the whole time.
So live a “such good” life – not of pride but of praise.
Don’t be a goody-two shoes. Just be good.
And people will see God.
Time For A Little R&R
REFLECT
Who is someone around you who shines God’s praises by his/her good life?
Who is someone around you who needs to see more of God through your life?
RESPOND
Be good. And give God the glory.
Be Good!! This instruction, given often by my mom, I now repeat frequently to my own children. But why did my Mom want me (and why do I want mine) to be good? One honest reason - because we want people to think our children are wonderful and that we are not terrible! Like it or not, and whether it’s true or not, in the eyes of others, our kids’ behavior says a lot about us.
“Live such good lives among the pagans that…they may see your good deeds and glorify God…” Be Good!! It’s an instruction from our Father, who has replaced the terrible in us with His wonderful life. Now He wants us to live so that through our goodness the people around us will see His glory. In the eyes of others, His kids’ behavior says a lot about God.
As Peter wrote, perhaps he remembered what Jesus once said. “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) We have such a good God. We should live such a good life. Not so that the people around us will say, “Yeah you!” But so they will say, “Yeah God!”
As you shine God’s light through your good life, not everyone will like what you do or will like you. But don’t stop being good even if others accuse you of being bad. In the end, even they will come around and admit the truth. And God will be glorified the whole time.
So live a “such good” life – not of pride but of praise.
Don’t be a goody-two shoes. Just be good.
And people will see God.
Time For A Little R&R
REFLECT
Who is someone around you who shines God’s praises by his/her good life?
Who is someone around you who needs to see more of God through your life?
RESPOND
Be good. And give God the glory.
First String
“You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called out of darkness into His wonderful light." I Peter 2:9
Growing up, I dreaded the days we divided into teams during PE. Quite gangly and not quite graceful, I was rarely chosen first. I was usually part of “the rest of ya’ll.” You remember the teacher’s snappy instructions. “Keith, Paul, Karen, you’re on one team. Brad, Suzy, Mike, you’re on the other. The rest of ya’ll divide up between the two teams. Let’s go! You’re wasting your playing time!”
“The rest of ya’ll.” Those who don’t stand out enough to be singled out. The ones who aren’t good enough to go first. Warm bodies but not winners. Only somewhat competent and even less confident, we need somebody to build us up or bail us out.
Jesus did both. For all of us. None of us are good enough to make His team on our own. By the cross He got us to where we are, and through Peter, He tells us who we are. “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…” You are chosen. You’re important. You are special. You belong. Not because you’re good but because He’s grace.
And because He has good things for you to do. God has no second-string. Don’t be a benchwarmer, missing out on the action and the opportunities to “declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
Suit up and step in. Play well and praise well. Because of His victory, we really are the champions!
Batter up!
Time For A Little R&R
REFLECT
Think about this: You are chosen by God. You’re important to God.
You are special to God. You belong to God.
RESPOND
Today, by what you do and what you say, declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.
Growing up, I dreaded the days we divided into teams during PE. Quite gangly and not quite graceful, I was rarely chosen first. I was usually part of “the rest of ya’ll.” You remember the teacher’s snappy instructions. “Keith, Paul, Karen, you’re on one team. Brad, Suzy, Mike, you’re on the other. The rest of ya’ll divide up between the two teams. Let’s go! You’re wasting your playing time!”
“The rest of ya’ll.” Those who don’t stand out enough to be singled out. The ones who aren’t good enough to go first. Warm bodies but not winners. Only somewhat competent and even less confident, we need somebody to build us up or bail us out.
Jesus did both. For all of us. None of us are good enough to make His team on our own. By the cross He got us to where we are, and through Peter, He tells us who we are. “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…” You are chosen. You’re important. You are special. You belong. Not because you’re good but because He’s grace.
And because He has good things for you to do. God has no second-string. Don’t be a benchwarmer, missing out on the action and the opportunities to “declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
Suit up and step in. Play well and praise well. Because of His victory, we really are the champions!
Batter up!
Time For A Little R&R
REFLECT
Think about this: You are chosen by God. You’re important to God.
You are special to God. You belong to God.
RESPOND
Today, by what you do and what you say, declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.
The Rock Church
“As you come to Him, the Living Stone, you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house…” I Peter 2:4-5
High in the Honduran mountains, a hospital sits at the edge of a small village. Nothing about it appears extraordinary. It’s just a basic block building. But those blocks are special. They weren’t mass-produced in a nearby factory and delivered by semi-truck to the construction site. No, each block, a jumbled blend of sand and stones, was hand-mixed, hand-poured, and hand-set in the building. Many hours of heavy and hard labor, of block upon block, produced a place where the hurt can find help and the sick regain strength.
Peter knew about stones. And about rocks. At their first meeting, Jesus changed his name from Cephas to Peter – a rock. Jesus later said that on the rock-solid foundation of who He is, He would build His big church out of little stones like Peter. And like us.
God isn’t into mass production. He takes His time – and the times of our lives – to handcraft us into perfect shape. He chips and chisels until the fit is right. He puts us together not just to be a monument to Him but to be on mission for Him. We are not a building - like the stone-walled temple where priests sacrificed sheep to cover sin. We are a body – a forgiven people who connect with each other as we praise our Father and help our brother.
Not much about us appears extraordinary or super special, but we are. The Master Carpenter has breathed His life into our stone-cold hearts, and He is building us up to be a place where the wounded will be welcomed and the struggling find support.
Let Him build in you. Let Him build with you. You’ll discover your place in His perfect plan.
Rock on.
Time For A Little R&R
REFLECT
You are God’s building material. How readily accessible are you?
RESPOND
Praise your Father. Help your brother. Be the part of His church He is building you to be.
High in the Honduran mountains, a hospital sits at the edge of a small village. Nothing about it appears extraordinary. It’s just a basic block building. But those blocks are special. They weren’t mass-produced in a nearby factory and delivered by semi-truck to the construction site. No, each block, a jumbled blend of sand and stones, was hand-mixed, hand-poured, and hand-set in the building. Many hours of heavy and hard labor, of block upon block, produced a place where the hurt can find help and the sick regain strength.
Peter knew about stones. And about rocks. At their first meeting, Jesus changed his name from Cephas to Peter – a rock. Jesus later said that on the rock-solid foundation of who He is, He would build His big church out of little stones like Peter. And like us.
God isn’t into mass production. He takes His time – and the times of our lives – to handcraft us into perfect shape. He chips and chisels until the fit is right. He puts us together not just to be a monument to Him but to be on mission for Him. We are not a building - like the stone-walled temple where priests sacrificed sheep to cover sin. We are a body – a forgiven people who connect with each other as we praise our Father and help our brother.
Not much about us appears extraordinary or super special, but we are. The Master Carpenter has breathed His life into our stone-cold hearts, and He is building us up to be a place where the wounded will be welcomed and the struggling find support.
Let Him build in you. Let Him build with you. You’ll discover your place in His perfect plan.
Rock on.
Time For A Little R&R
REFLECT
You are God’s building material. How readily accessible are you?
RESPOND
Praise your Father. Help your brother. Be the part of His church He is building you to be.
HUNGER PAINS
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. ” I Peter 2:2-3
I’ve never been truly famished, but I have mothered three infants whose howls said they were sure to starve if not fed immediately. My babies would not be pacified (or allow anyone around them to have peace) until they got what they wanted – MILK! They craved it and cried for it. They desired it and they demanded it. Often.
Why? Because God built into babies a longing for what they need. When God grants His gift of eternal life and we are born again, He places in us the same desire. But a big difference exists between a “human baby” and a “holy baby.” A human baby cannot feed himself and must depend on someone else to bring the bottle. Spiritual children can choose their own diet and decide what to take in and what to pass up. As God’s children, we have a desire for the divine, but so often we temporarily satisfy our hunger pains with the shallow treats of this world.
Don’t settle for the shallow. Desire the deep sweetness of the Lord. The very fact that God saved us gives us a taste of His goodness. “O taste and see that the Lord is good,” David urges us in Psalm 34:8. But don’t stop with just a taste; keep on eating. Take in what He says and take note of what He does. Many of God’s gifts can be supplements to our spiritual nutrition, but there is no substitute for His words and our words – for Scripture and prayer. They must be the milk and the meat of our diet.
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation…”
Don’t let your craving for God be occasional but constant. And don’t be pacified until it is.
Want to want God.
He will satisfy your hungry heart. And life will be delicious.
Time For A Little R&R
REFLECT
What do you crave in life? To what lengths have you gone to satisfy those cravings?
RESPOND
Ask God to help you be hungry for Him.
Start taking in His Word.
The more you eat, the more you’ll want!
I’ve never been truly famished, but I have mothered three infants whose howls said they were sure to starve if not fed immediately. My babies would not be pacified (or allow anyone around them to have peace) until they got what they wanted – MILK! They craved it and cried for it. They desired it and they demanded it. Often.
Why? Because God built into babies a longing for what they need. When God grants His gift of eternal life and we are born again, He places in us the same desire. But a big difference exists between a “human baby” and a “holy baby.” A human baby cannot feed himself and must depend on someone else to bring the bottle. Spiritual children can choose their own diet and decide what to take in and what to pass up. As God’s children, we have a desire for the divine, but so often we temporarily satisfy our hunger pains with the shallow treats of this world.
Don’t settle for the shallow. Desire the deep sweetness of the Lord. The very fact that God saved us gives us a taste of His goodness. “O taste and see that the Lord is good,” David urges us in Psalm 34:8. But don’t stop with just a taste; keep on eating. Take in what He says and take note of what He does. Many of God’s gifts can be supplements to our spiritual nutrition, but there is no substitute for His words and our words – for Scripture and prayer. They must be the milk and the meat of our diet.
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation…”
Don’t let your craving for God be occasional but constant. And don’t be pacified until it is.
Want to want God.
He will satisfy your hungry heart. And life will be delicious.
Time For A Little R&R
REFLECT
What do you crave in life? To what lengths have you gone to satisfy those cravings?
RESPOND
Ask God to help you be hungry for Him.
Start taking in His Word.
The more you eat, the more you’ll want!
1-800-TERMINIX
“Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” I Peter 2:1
Roaches, termites, mice, and lice. None of these creatures make the welcome list for our houses or our heads. They are not graciously endured or casually overlooked. Instead, we take drastic measures to exterminate the ones we have and to repel the ones we don’t!
Peter encourages us to apply the same method of “pest control” to our hearts as we do to our homes – RID YOURSELVES! Concealed in the corners of our character are ungodly actions and attitudes that often scurry across our conversations and contaminate our relationships. Malice. Deceit. Hypocrisy. Envy. Slander. We’ve all been hurt by them, and we’ve all hurt others with them.
As Christ-followers, redeemed by His blood and rescued by His grace, these sins must not be allowed to infest our lives. They should not be tolerated; they should be terminated. We do not need to simply stash them away; we need to throw them away – making sure we eliminate them from our words and our will.
“Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”
Don’t be bad. Don’t be sly. Don’t pretend to be something you’re not. Don’t wish you were something you aren’t. And don’t say things you shouldn’t.
As with household pests, getting rid of the unwanted is often a process requiring repeated deliberate effort. Do not despair. God’s power is the stronger than any sin. He will clean you up and clear you out. He will help you get it right by getting rid of the wrong! Just call Him!
Time For A Little R&R
REFLECT
What bugs you the most about yourself?
What about you bothers other the most?
RESPOND
Ask God to show you where malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander are infesting your heart.
Confess your sinful attitudes. Commit to serious action.
Roaches, termites, mice, and lice. None of these creatures make the welcome list for our houses or our heads. They are not graciously endured or casually overlooked. Instead, we take drastic measures to exterminate the ones we have and to repel the ones we don’t!
Peter encourages us to apply the same method of “pest control” to our hearts as we do to our homes – RID YOURSELVES! Concealed in the corners of our character are ungodly actions and attitudes that often scurry across our conversations and contaminate our relationships. Malice. Deceit. Hypocrisy. Envy. Slander. We’ve all been hurt by them, and we’ve all hurt others with them.
As Christ-followers, redeemed by His blood and rescued by His grace, these sins must not be allowed to infest our lives. They should not be tolerated; they should be terminated. We do not need to simply stash them away; we need to throw them away – making sure we eliminate them from our words and our will.
“Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”
Don’t be bad. Don’t be sly. Don’t pretend to be something you’re not. Don’t wish you were something you aren’t. And don’t say things you shouldn’t.
As with household pests, getting rid of the unwanted is often a process requiring repeated deliberate effort. Do not despair. God’s power is the stronger than any sin. He will clean you up and clear you out. He will help you get it right by getting rid of the wrong! Just call Him!
Time For A Little R&R
REFLECT
What bugs you the most about yourself?
What about you bothers other the most?
RESPOND
Ask God to show you where malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander are infesting your heart.
Confess your sinful attitudes. Commit to serious action.
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