Thursday, July 9, 2015

July 10, 2015

What if you could change your world in a powerfully positive way just by being courteous and well-mannered?

Why would you not do that?

If you are a Christ-follower God is calling you to use your influence to draw people toward Him.

"It (love) is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." I Corinthians 13:5

"You are the salt of the earth......You are the light of the world...." Matthew 5:13 & 14

The way you live your life is to influence others like salt which adds flavor, purifies and preserves when it is sprinkled on something. Do you have that sort of impact on your world?

Is your community a better place because of your involvement in it?

It should be! That's what God expects from you!

Your daily walk should shed the light of Biblical truth to guide others toward God. 

Are you living in a way that pushes back the darkness and shines His light?

You should be! God calls you to live that way!

The call of God upon His people is the call to love Him with your whole life so He can love others to life through you!

But that can't happen if you behave rudely.

If you post crude and hurtful things on the internet, that rude behavior reflects a lack of love.

If you treat store clerks or restaurant servers rudely you are not being salt or light. You are being a insult to His light!

If you snub or ignore people who visit your church service, you are not salt or light. You are an insult to His love.

If you can have an evangelistic impact just by courteous and well mannered why wouldn't you do that?

According to Paul in verse 5, you are rude because by nature you are self-seeking, you are short-tempered, and you are vindictive. Those are the attitudes and character flaws that cause you behave rudely toward others.

Before you can love others, you need to encounter the love of God! You must submit your unloving nature, your self-loving nature to His transforming love and grace.

Surrender the self-seeking part of your nature to the Spirit of God.

Confess your irritability to God and allow His love to transform your nature.

Choose to forget what you have forgiven and release past hurts so you can experience future blessing!

There is a world to win and once we begin to BEHAVE in a way consistent with our BELIEFS God's light and love will translate into salt and light!