I did not think I would be posting another entry in my blog for today. But God in his grace, led me to and inspired me through a story I read in a Christian blog post. This was exactly what I was looking for to cap-off my quiet time verses this morning which was in Ephesians 2:1-10 and Matthew 5:10-15.
Ephesians 2:1-10 1 And you [a]were (A)dead [b]in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you (B)formerly walked according to the [c]course of (C)this world, according to (D)the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in (E)the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all(F)formerly lived in (G)the lusts of our flesh, [d]indulging the desires of the flesh and of the[e]mind, and were (H)by nature (I)children of wrath, (J)even as the rest. 4 But God, being(K)rich in mercy, because of (L)His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were(M)dead [f]in our transgressions, made us alive together [g]with Christ ((N)by grace you have been saved), 6 and (O)raised us up with Him, and (P)seated us with Him in (Q)the heavenlyplaces in (R)Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing(S)riches of His grace in (T)kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For (U)by grace you have been saved (V)through faith; and [h]that not of yourselves, it is (W)the gift of God; 9 (X)not as a result of works, so that (Y)no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, (Z)created in(AA)Christ Jesus for (AB)good works, which God (AC)prepared beforehand so that we would(AD)walk in them.
One of the most difficult times in my Christian life is when I can't see what tomorrow will bring and my yesterday is trying to catch up with me and calling me back to the life I once lived.
I see this in those moments when decisions I am about to make will define whether I am a follower of Christ or still a child of this world and a slave to my old ways. It could be times when I have to surrender what I previously knew as "craftiness" or “competence” in exchange for doing what would be more pleasing to God.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that being competent or making sure that we are doing things right is not pleasing to God. I am merely saying that as Christians we are called on to take this a level higher. Going beyond just doing things right and instead making sure that we do the right thing and do it right---just as God would have us do it. Doing things right by the world’s standards does not always align with doing them according to God’s standards.
Oftentimes, this is easy enough to do in big, life-changing decisions. Why? Because in these situations oftentimes everything is black and white. Right and wrong are clearly defined and there are no two-ways about what we ought to do. By and large we are victorious in battles we wage in this area of our lives.
Sadly, as Christians, this is not where the battle rages. This is not the trench. This is the map room. This is strategic not tactical. Any general worth his mettle would know that too many tactical battles lost will inevitably lose you the war.
Allow me to tell you a story that I read in a Christian blog:
“Several years ago, a young priest moved to London. He often took the bus from his home to the downtown area. A few weeks after he arrived, He had occasion to ride a bus. As he took his seat, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him, twenty-pence too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself:”you better give the twenty-pence back. It would be wrong to keep it.
Then he thought: “Oh, forget it. It’s just twenty-pence. Who would worry about such a small amount? Anyway, the bus company already gets too much fare; they’ll probably never miss it. Besides, this may even be a blessing of sorts from God.”
Does this sound familiar? Ever been in a situation similar to the priest? How did we react? Did we rationalize? Justify? Or worse, did we actually “spin” the situation so that it would not only be acceptable/rational/justified but even seemingly “miraculous”? This is as "tactical" as "tactical" can get. No strategic arguments here about grace, prophecy or tribulation, etc., etc,.This is where the battle is waged. But how? Its just such a little thing. Such a small decision. Right? Let’s see what happened in the rest of the story.
“When his stop came, the priest paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the twenty-pence back to the driver and said:”Here, you gave me twenty-pence too much change.”
The driver, with a smile, replied:”Aren’t you the new parish priest in the area? I have been thinking lately of going to worship in your church. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change.”
When the young priest stepped off the bus, his knees became weak and soft. He had to grab the nearest light pole and hold on for support. As he hung on to the post, with tears in his eyes he looked up to heaven and said: “Oh, my Jesus forgive me. I almost sold out Christianity for a mere twenty-pence!”
We rarely ever see the impact that our actions have on the people and the world around us. As Christians, we must come to the full appreciation and realization that our lives and the way we live it may be the only Bible some people will ever get to read. Jesus himself said:
Matthew 5:13-15 “13 You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 14“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
The challenge is not so much how we do the right thing rightly in the big decisions of our lives, rather the challenge is how we show the Christ of the Bible through the seemingly small, mundane decisions we make in our daily life. It is here where our battle as Christians rages. It is here where everyday people see everyday Christianity lived out. It is here where souls are won or lost for the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ! This is where the salt is tested for its saltiness and this is where our light should shine the brightest.
Admittedly, there are a lot of thought patterns, reactions, habits we acquired in our pre-Christian life that we still carry over into our present life as believers. These were not “magically” gone when we accepted Christ.
If you’re like me, then most likely we’ve all been able to deal with the major issues in our thought life, actions and habits that we know are not pleasing to God. However, it’s the “little things” that I find hard to surrender. Largely because of their littleness (IRONIC!). They could be as simple as the way we react to other people on the road as we drive, what comes into our mind when things don’t go our way, how we treat our staff, colleagues, help, etc. when they do something wrong / against us / or simply make a mistake, etc. It’s these things that we need to completely surrender to the Lordship of Jesus.
Big things, big plans, big decisions are easily surrendered to Jesus. It’s the little ones we are often unaware of that we have difficulty surrendering. Its almost as if saying to Jesus: “Lord, all my lands, all my fields are yours..but I’m not giving you my house, my fireplace, my dining room, my closet—leave them to me, I can take care of them. They’re too little for a Lord like You.”
Well, truth is, although it is exciting to experience the fellowship, power and faithfulness of our Lord in the fields of our lives, still the most meaningful and unforgettable times of refreshing fellowship are experienced in the home—our heart, in the little things. This is where Jesus desires to be intimate with us. That’s why he said in Revelation 3:20
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”
The idea of dining together here is a picture of “intimacy / closeness”.
Moreover, we will realize that when it comes to trusting God in the really tough, big, decisions of life, it helps to have practiced trusting Him in the small ones. Being "intimate" and "honest" with Him in the little things. The “good works” that result from trusting him in these little areas of our life serve as further proof of the faith in Christ that led us to salvation (Ephesians2:10). Only when we're conscious of our Christianity in the mundane, little, day-to-day, decisions can we expect this same Christianity to naturally come out and shine for the glory of God in the big decisions we make!
This is where the worth of our Christianity is measured. It's not everyday we get to make "big", "life-changing" decisions. But we are called on to make decisions moment-by-moment of our lives. This is where other people see the true value / worth of our Christianity.
This is not just seen and appreciated by God but seen by the people that God wants to reach through us. This is where the battle is won! Fight the good fight fellow soldier in Christ! The battle is joined! Victory is ours and heaven is in sight! Press on!
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