Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Living as God's Servants

Jesus and the Just Reign of God
God Sends Jesus

How to Live as God's People

1 Peter 2:11-17

The Message
11-12 Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.
13-17 Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God’s emissaries for keeping order. It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you’re a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.

For Reflection
A child screams, "MINE!" A child refuses to share.  A child cries when a toy is taken from him by another child.  To the first child, mother says, "No, we must share!"   To the second child she says, "No, not yours --  now give it back,"  What does the child learn about ownership?

There may be an entrenched confusion in our culture about the role of ownership but, in God's Kingdom there is no confusion.  God owns it all and we are stewards of all that is owned by God.  As trustees, our most preeminent responsibility is to be stewards of humanity.

Pray
that you will treat everyone you meet with dignity.  Pray that you will love your spiritual family.  Pray that you will revere God.  Pray that you will respect common authority.  Pray that you will find ways to displace human frailty with the humble righteousness that is carried in your obedience to God.

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