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Living to Please God: Earn the Respect of Others

If people walk with me, talk with me, looking for truth

They’re gonna find out soon

If they’re following me, then they’re gonna follow you

So let my life speak loud and clear

Lord, I wanna hear

“Well done.”

Well Done – Mariah Peters

I want to live a life that pleases God. I’m pretty sure if you’re reading this blog, you do, too. It’s not always an easy thing to do. We all want to stand before the Father at the end of our lives on earth and hear,

“Well done, good and faithful servant. Come share in your Master’s happiness”
(Matt. 25:21).

 We know going to church, giving tithes and offerings, helping others, and all that good church-going stuff; but Paul gives some pretty clear instructions to the church in Thessalonica as to how to live a life that pleases God. This week, we’ll take a look at some of them.

 

Earn the Respect of Others

“…and make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”  
I Thessalonians 4:11-12

It might surprise you to learn that “In God We Trust” wasn’t always on our U.S. coins. The first copper penny in the U.S. was designed by Benjamin Franklin.  One side bore the motto, “We Are One,” surrounded by a chain of thirteen links representing the thirteen colonies. On the other side, the sun shone down on a sundial, with the word, “Fugio,” (Latin, meaning “I fly) and the year 1787 on either edge. At the bottom was a reminder: “Mind Your Business.” The meaning of the three things together was, “Time flies – do your work.”

While “In God We Trust” is certainly a worthy motto, Franklin’s motto was also an excellent reminder. It’s so easy to get caught up in everyone else’s business. Let’s face it – social media is a great tool for keeping in touch, but some people put every single event of their lives on Facebook. Before you know it, you’ve spent hours reading, liking, and commenting … and now you’re behind on other things because you were too busy minding the business of others instead of your own.

It’s not just social media. We let so many things interfere with what we’re supposed to do. Sometimes it can’t be helped. But many times, it’s solely our choice.

The admonition here is very simple. Do what you’re supposed to do.  If you are working and being productive, chances are you’re also creating a way to pay for the things you need – housing, food, etc – so that you’re never dependent on anyone else. I’m not talking about the hard times when we really need help. This happens to almost everyone at one point or another. What I’m talking about is a lifestyle of reliance on others, a life in which you don’t even try to earn your own way, or you take on large amounts of unnecessary debt that could’ve been avoided. This is another topic for another day, but the admonition from Paul is clear. Be as independent as you possibly can. Take care of yourself and your family.

Being hard-working and self-reliant also leads to this: remember that in everything you do, every aspect of your life, you are a representative of Christ, and therefore your actions or inaction reflects on him. If you want people to respect Christ, earn their respect yourself. Show the world that Christians are different, not because of who we are, but because of all He did and who He is. Let the world see just how much Jesus can change your life. Let them see Jesus in you.

Your greatest testimony isn’t the “God story” you tell people. It’s the everyday life you live.

In His Love,

Amy

Living to Please God: Respect Others

If people walk with me, talk with me, looking for truth

They’re gonna find out soon

If they’re following me, then they’re gonna follow you

So let my life speak loud and clear

Lord, I wanna hear

“Well done.”

Well Done – Mariah Peters

I want to live a life that pleases God. I’m pretty sure if you’re reading this blog, you do, too. It’s not always an easy thing to do. We all want to stand before the Father at the end of our lives on earth and hear,

“Well done, good and faithful servant. Come share in your Master’s happiness”
(Matt. 25:21).

 We know going to church, giving tithes and offerings, helping others, and all that good church-going stuff; but Paul gives some pretty clear instructions to the church in Thessalonica as to how to live a life that pleases God. This week, we’ll take a look at some of them.

 

Respect Others

 “…and that in this matter, no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.” 
I Thessalonians 4:6 (NIV) 
“Now, about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.” 
I Thessalonians 4:9 (NIV)

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” This command to love others is mentioned not only in Thessalonians, but also in Leviticus (19:18), Matthew (22: 37-39), Mark (12:30-31), Luke (10:27), Romans (13:9), Galatians (5:14) and James (2:8). Jesus called it the second greatest commandment, coming only after loving God. So this command is either very important to God, or He just knew we needed a lot of reminders. Perhaps both.

Loving others can be one of the greatest joys of a Christian life. The fellowship you develop with Christian friends is deeper than any other friendship you’ll ever have. You know you are linked not only in this world but in the next—true brothers and sisters in Christ.

But the Bible doesn’t just say to love other Christians. It says “love your neighbor” which, sadly, isn’t always easy. Not all our neighbors are Christians. They certainly aren’t all loveable. Some are downright UNloveable. They block your driveway. They leave their trash out, the raccoons get into it, and it ends up all over the street. They let their dog “go” in your yard. They play music too loud or don’t cut their grass. Doesn’t matter. We’re to love them anyway.

“Neighbor” doesn’t just mean those who live around you, either. The original Greek word is plesion, which means, basically, any person near us. That includes the guy who cut you off in traffic, the woman who was rude to you in the grocery store, and the surly teenager who took your order in the drive-through.

We are to love them all. The Greek word used for love here is agapeAgape love is a committed love. It is the first Fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians. It is God’s love manifested. God isn’t asking you to like them. He’s telling you to love them.

So here’s a challenge for you. The next time a driver cuts you off in traffic, think about the rush he’s in. Maybe someone he loves is in the hospital, and he’s trying to get there. Pray for his safety and the safety of others around him. If that grumpy barista doesn’t get the lid on tight and your coffee sloshes onto your shoes, consider that she might have had a rough night with a sick, fussy baby, and pray for her. When is the last time you actually looked the cashier in a grocery store in the eye and told her to have a blessed day, and meant it?

Loving others doesn’t always mean you’re going out of your way to do things for them. It can be as simple as a sincere smile, an understanding attitude, and a strong handle on our absolutely human reactions to inconvenient and annoying circumstances. (Yes, that includes the guy who let his dog “go” in your yard.)

God wants us to love all those around us. Can you imagine what this world would be like if God’s love were manifested more often, by more people? Give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised.

In His Love,

Amy

Living to Please God: Respect Yourself

If people walk with me, talk with me, looking for truth

They’re gonna find out soon

If they’re following me, then they’re gonna follow you

So let my life speak loud and clear

Lord, I wanna hear

“Well done.”

Well Done – Mariah Peters

I want to live a life that pleases God. I’m pretty sure if you’re reading this blog, you do, too. It’s not always an easy thing to do. We all want to stand before the Father at the end of our lives on earth and hear,

“Well done, good and faithful servant. Come share in your Master’s happiness”
(Matt. 25:21).

 We know going to church, giving tithes and offerings, helping others, and all that good church-going stuff; but Paul gives some pretty clear instructions to the church in Thessalonica as to how to live a life that pleases God. This week, we’ll take a look at some of them.

 

Respect Yourself

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; (4) that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans who do not know God.
I Thessalonians 4:3-4

If you grew up in church, you heard it all your life. If you didn’t, it probably still isn’t a topic you casually converse about often. But in a culture where a video of Mylie Cyrus “twerking” goes viral and is an Internet sensation that gives her more exposure (no pun intended) than all of her Hannah Montana shows combined, it’s something that should not be ignored, especially if you are a parent or someone who works with young people.

true-lovewaits-150x150Our young men and women today are bombarded with sexual images and sexually suggestive language. Advertisements in magazines, television commercials and shows, and even video games are filled with curvy, scantily clad women and buff men. I was shocked to learn there are even games where your characters can choose to have sex! (Games like Assassins’ Creed, Mass Effect and the Fable series.)

Our kids notice, too, when we say one thing, then watch television dramas and movies or read explicit books. While these things are not technically sexual immorality, they often glorify the very type of behavior we are called to avoid.

Please understand. I’m no Puritan. I wrote and edited romance novels before God redirected my writing. I’m not saying romance novels are evil, either. I am suggesting that we take a good look at the things in our life that might be a stumbling block for us, someone we know … or even our kids. (Hint: If you have to hide your copy of that “bestselling” novel from your kids, you might want to think about that.)

We need to be aware of the examples we’re setting. Most of all, we need to talk to our children and the other young people around us. The more you talk about sex and related issues, the easier it will be for them to come to you if they have a problem. It might be difficult at first, even uncomfortable and awkward. The world is not going to teach them the importance of controlling their own bodies in ways that are holy and honorable. Wouldn’t you rather they hear your godly, biblical counsel than get the advice of their peers or worse, do a Google search?

In His Love,

Amy