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God's Words For US
by Cecelia Lester
Do we realize that we represent Jesus in our daily activities? Do we realize that people watch how we handle ourselves in times of crisis? Yes, we are representatives of Jesus Christ when we go to the bank, the grocery store, pay our car insurance, by gasoline, and eat out in restaurants. God expects us to represent His Son.
Can we teach new Christians and our young people that they represent Jesus to others? We should be training new Christians and our young people how to be disciples for Jesus. We are the only Bible some people read. People don’t always remember what we say but they do remember what we do and the way we treat others. God gives us the capacity to demonstrate His love for those we meet. He gives us Spiritual gifts to make us strong and to equip us for what lay ahead. He grows His Kingdom through us, his children.
My husband and I were at the grocery store one day. He sat down on a bench in front of the pharmacy counter. When I caught up to him, he was talking to a young woman. She had her left hand wrapped in gauze along with her index finger. The conversation went like this:
Husband “She lost her finger yesterday.” I looked at her dressed hand.
Me: “How did that happen?
The young lady: “I caught in a barn door.”
Me: “May I pray for you?”
The young lady: “If you want to.”
I prayed for her because I felt the need. As I prayed I felt Jesus right by me.
We should always be mindful of the fact that The Holy Spirit is with us as we walk through this life. Sometimes, we tend to forget that we are not alone facing issues. We all have some dear Christian friends on whom we can rely when we have concerns. We also have Jesus.
When we feel stressed out, we can remember to ask Jesus to help us through our rocky times. Just praying about our need can lighten our load.
We should not feel or act ashamed of having Jesus in our hearts. “If is anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the son of man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26, NIV)
Before we step out to represent Christ, we need to be sure that our hearts are right with Him. We need to spend time in prayer and in reading our Bibles. We could happen upon some very stressful circumstances and need God’s guidance to ‘be there’ for someone else.
God expects His children to obey His commands. When He says, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” He means it. When Jesus says, “Love the Lord God with all your mind, soul, and strength,” He also means for us to do just that.
Several years ago, in my reading, I came across this:
Prayer for Concern for Others
Father, help me to talk like a Christian: To speak in such a way that I build up another person’s confidence in themselves, instead of tearing down his reputation.
Father, help me drive like a Christian: To be watchful and careful lest I cause harm to someone else on the highways.
Father, help me to give like a Christian: Without thought of return, without anyone knowing what I do, and with Your approval as sufficient reward.
Father, help me to dress like a Christian: By not attracting attention to myself for being too fashionable or too casual; and help me to show by my appearance that I want people to know me for what I am inside myself.
Father, help me to sleep like a Christian: At peace with myself because sin is forgiven; and at peace with others because I do not allow my anger to last through the day.
Father, help me to eat like a Christian: to eat healthily, to eat moderately, to eat gratefully, giving thanks to You who provide my food, and for the one who prepares my food.
Father, keep me from being so pious that I keep You out of the practical areas of life. Be with me when I am alone, and when I shed my inhibitions, lest in those moments I cancel out all that I seem to be when I’m on my best behavior.
Father, I ask this because I follow a Master who was never guilty of the slightest wrong-doing, and who always showed his love in the small details of living. Amen.1
1.Bryan Jeffery Leach © 1976 (Found in Love Reaching, a special version of Hymns for the Family of God, Paragon Associates, Nashville, Tennessee, ©1976)
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Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.
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