God Isn’t Looking for Aristocrats, Cultured, or High-Born People
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise….
— 1 Corinthians 1:26,27
Through the ages, God has always delighted in choosing normal people to do His business. If you consider yourself to be a normal, average kind of person, that means you are just the kind of person God is looking to use!
First Corinthians 1:26 says, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.…” Do you see the word “noble” in this verse? It comes from the Greek compound word eugenes. The first part of the word is the Greek prefix eu, which means well or good. The second part of the word is the Greek word genes, from which we get our English word for the human gene. When these two words are compounded together, the new word portrays people who are well-born or who have excellent genes.
In ancient Greece, the word eugenes meant men of high descent, such as sons of kings, politicians, or others from the upper crust of society. It referred to individuals whose ancestors had been powerful, wealthy, rich, or famous. These were high-born, blue-blooded, cultured, refined, courtly, pedigreed, aristocratic people who sustained their lofty positions in society based on their birth.
Examples of this class of people would be members of royalty who held their exalted positions in society whether or not they personally merited those positions. They were born into the upper crust and stayed there simply because of their family name or relations.
Modern examples of eugenes are sons and daughters of kings and queens who retain their royal posts simply because of the blood that runs in their veins. Other examples would be the sons and daughters of famous and beloved politicians. Although the offspring themselves may not have accomplished anything significant, their famous last name has sealed their fame and place in society. They were born with a “name” that gives them lifetime guarantees and access to privileges that are not available to common people with unknown names.
But the word eugenes can also refer to people who carry the seed of genius as a result of the good genes with which they were born. An example of this category of eugenes would be the family of Albert Einstein.
Some years ago, I was visiting a pastor in New York City who told me an interesting story about a visit he had with the niece of Albert Einstein. He was amazed to discover she had five earned doctorates and held several prominent positions in universities in New York City. Like her uncle Albert, she was endowed with genius in her genes, and it carried her all the way to the top of every field in which she became involved.
Let me give you another example of “good genes” as portrayed by the Greek word eugenes. Before the Russian revolution, noble families owned the lands and controlled the territory of Russia. In 1917 when the Red Army seized power, all of Russia’s rich decoration and regal royalty came to an abrupt end. The nobility was killed or fled to foreign countries. It looked as if history had buried them forever.
Thank God, today the communist regime is gone. In its place, a brand-new rich Russian class is emerging. People often ask, “Who are these new super-rich Russians?” It is interesting to note that many of them have the same family names of the old ruling class that dominated Russia before the 1917 revolution. The nobility that runs in their veins is too strong to be held down. Once again, it is taking them to the top of society.
The Russian nobility were endowed with powerful genes. These genes have been passed down to the present generation. Now the offspring of the Russian nobles are reassuming positions of power that were once occupied by their grandparents. This tendency to rule and reign is in their genes.
The word eugenes describes both kinds of people — those born into famous families who enjoy the inherent privileges of their last name, and those who carry a streak of genius, talent, or superiority in their genes. These are “the upper crust” — the ruling class or aristocracy of the world.
However, Paul says that God hasn’t specialized in calling this category of people. Take a look at world history, and you’ll see that God hasn’t primarily specialized in using kings, queens, royalty, politicians, scientists, philosophers, writers, movie stars, or celebrities to advance His Kingdom. From the onset of time, God has reached into the hearts of ordinary men and women. These are the ones who most often accomplish mighty feats through His grace and power.
So if God isn’t looking for the upper crust of society, He must be looking to “the lower crust” — in other words, to the ordinary, usual, regular, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, typical kind of people. This means that if you come from a normal, average background, you are possibly the very one God wants to use!
Yes, God has called the rich and famous as well, but it is the regular folks who most often find themselves chosen by God to carry out His will in the earth. He specializes in using ordinary people, just like you and me. That is why Paul goes on to say, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.…”
The word “foolish” is from the Greek word moraino. The word “moron” also comes from this Greek word. My thesaurus gives these other synonyms for a “moron”: idiot, imbecile, halfwit, numskull, dimwit, dunce, blockhead, dope, ignoramus, lamebrain, jerk, or twerp!
The truth is, no one is an idiot in God’s view. But the world often views people whom God chooses as being nitwits, lamebrains, and idiots. It is worth noting that the word moraino was used in Paul’s time to depict people whom the world scorned, made fun of, and treated with contempt.
Because much of the Early Church was comprised of servants and slaves, most of the people in the local congregations were very uneducated, uncultured, clumsy, crude, awkward, and unpolished. It wasn’t that they were stupid. They had simply never been exposed to or taught about manners, culture, and refined behavior. Reared and treated as servants since birth, they’d never had a need to know these skills.
However, the early Christians’ lack of polish made them look stupid in the world’s eyes. In fact, the Roman Empire at first looked upon Christianity as the religion of stupid, poor people because it grew so rapidly among the lower slave classes.
Yet Paul says, “…God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.…” The word “confound” is the Greek word kataishuno. It means to put to shame, to embarrass, to confuse, to frustrate, to baffle. The word “wise” is again the word sophos, referring to those who are naturally brilliant, intellectually sharp, or especially enlightened. Paul is saying that God calls people whom the world considers morons in order to put to shame, embarrass, confuse, frustrate, and baffle those who think they’re so smart!
So if anyone has ever called you an idiot — if you’ve ever been called a stupid imbecile, a jerk, or a twerp — it’s time for you to rejoice! This makes you a candidate to be used for God’s glory!
The following expanded version of First Corinthians 1:26,27 gives a fuller picture of the Greek words used in this verse:
“For you see your calling, brothers, how not many of you were especially bright, educated, or enlightened according to the world’s standards; not many of you were impressive; not many came from high-ranking families or from the upper crust of society. Instead, God selected people who are idiots in the world’s view; in fact, the world sees them as imbeciles, jerks, real twerps. Yet God is using them to utterly confound those who seem smart in the world’s eyes….”
Therefore, even though you may not have any genius residing in your genes nor any nobility running in your blood, that isn’t a strike against you! You can’t lay claim to these factors as excuses for not being used by God! God isn’t looking for people who are geniuses or well-born, high-class blue bloods. He’s looking for anyone who will say yes to His call! So if you consider yourself to be just a regular ol’ person, it’s time for you to start rejoicing again! You are exactly the kind of person God wants to use!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, help me stop making excuses for why I think God shouldn’t use me! It’s time for me to stop ignoring the call of God and to accept the fact that He has laid His hand upon me and wants to use me in this world. Forgive me for putting this off for so long, but today I accept Your call. I reject all excuses for any further delay, and I gladly embrace what You are telling me to do!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I boldly confess that I am exactly the kind of person Jesus Christ wants to use! I may not have the blue blood of nobility flowing through my veins, but I have been touched, cleansed, and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. That blood qualifies me! With the Word as my guide and the Holy Spirit as my Teacher, I have everything I need to do anything Jesus ever requires of me. I am quick to obey; I do not hesitate; and I am faithful to carry out every assignment that He gives me!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Thinking back on those who were most mightily used by God throughout the ages, do you know from which class of society most of them came?
2. Now think about those whom God is greatly using to touch the world and confound society today. What class of society do most of these people come from? What kind of education did most of them have when God first started using them in a notable way? How many of them have blue blood running in their veins or would be deemed geniuses by the great universities of the world?
3. What does this tell you about God’s ability to use you?
You Are Sealed and Guaranteed by God’s Spirit!
In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.
— Ephesians 1:13
I couldn’t believe what I had just heard on the telephone! A beautiful and very expensive piece of Russian porcelain that we had sent to a dear friend in the United States had arrived broken in pieces! It was so broken that it couldn’t be put back together again. What made this situation even worse was that this was already our third attempt to mail this piece of porcelain — and every single time we had tried, it had arrived broken!
We were so frustrated with these attempts to mail this porcelain that we decided to personally carry it on the airplane with us the next time we flew our transatlantic flight to see this friend on the other side of the world. Although it was a huge piece of porcelain and very difficult to carry, the only way we could be assured that it would arrive safely was to personally and gently carry this delicate object ourselves. Finally, the day came when we boxed up the large porcelain, packing lots of stuffing around it. We brought that bulky box with its fragile cargo onto each airplane that carried us to our destination. When we finally delivered the exquisite gift to our friend, she rejoiced to see that it had finally arrived at her house without a single broken piece and without a scratch!
If you’ve ever received something in the mail that was broken, you can probably relate to this story. Or have you ever ordered something by mail that you were so excited to receive but that was a big disappointment when it arrived? When you opened the package, did you find out it was so poorly made that you had to return it to the sender?
Or have you ever ordered a product with the promise of a certain delivery date, only to have the arrival of the package delayed so many times that you nearly lost your temper with the company from whom you ordered it? All these scenarios can leave you feeling very frustrated and disappointed, can’t they?
Well, in the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul lets us know that God Himself is waiting for a special delivery package! He is so excited to receive this package that He has personally done everything necessary to ensure that it will arrive intact, complete, with no defects, and without a single piece of it being broken or scratched. He has also done everything necessary to make sure it arrives right on time!
Notice that Ephesians 1:13 says, “…In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” Today I want to draw your attention to the word “sealed.” This word comes from the Greek word sphragidzo. This is extremely important.
Seals were used in New Testament times to guarantee that the contents of a package were complete and not defective. Such a seal would only be placed on a package if the product had been thoroughly examined and inspected to make sure it was fully intact and complete. If it were broken, defective, or faulty, the guarantor would not put his seal upon it. The seal was proof that the product was impeccable.
Such seals were also put on parcels before being mailed to their final destination. Parcels bearing such “seals” were usually sent by extremely wealthy individuals. These seals, which bore the insignia of a particular wealthy or famous person, meant that this package was to be treated with the utmost, tender care.
To seal such a package, the sender poured hot wax onto the flap of the envelope or the string that bound the box. Afterward, he pressed his insignia into the wax, leaving a visible, distinctive mark. This insignia alerted everyone that the package was the possession of a wealthy or powerful person. Therefore, the “seal” guaranteed that the package would make it to its final destination.
Well, the Bible says you are “sealed” with the Holy Spirit of promise. This means there is nothing incomplete or defective about you. When God made you new, the last thing He did was check you out, thoroughly examining and inspecting you before placing His final seal of approval on your heart.
In Ephesians 1:13, Paul says that if you belong to the Lord, you have been “sealed” with the Holy Spirit. For God to “seal” you with His Spirit means that you are God-approved! Your contents are intact and in order. You should never again view yourself as if you are “damaged goods.” You’re not damaged! You are approved, endorsed, recognized, affirmed, sanctified, and notarized by the Spirit of God. You have the seal of God’s approval, so start acting as if you’re special. God thinks you are very special!
The “seal of the Holy Spirit” is also the guarantee that you’re going to make it to your final destination. God is the One who inspected and packaged you. He also put His guarantee on you to ensure that you’re delivered to His ordained destination for your life. That means you should never complain that you’re not going to make it. Of course you’re going to make it. God will see to it!
When demons see the seal of God on your life, they know they are not to mess around with that package. You’re a special package, to be treated with special care. Angels watch over you and guard your safe passage from one place to the next. Evil forces may attempt to delay the timing of your arrival, but the seal of God in your heart guarantees that you’ll get there.
An interpretive translation of Ephesians 1:13 could be the following:
“…The moment you believed, God thoroughly examined and inspected you to make sure that you were fully intact and complete. Because He found nothing in you broken, defective, or faulty, God put His seal upon you — the ultimate proof that He found you to be impeccable. That seal meant you were approved, endorsed, recognized, affirmed, sanctified, and notarized by the Spirit of God. It was His guarantee that you are going to make it to your final destination.”
This should tell you how intensely God longs for your arrival in Heaven! He Himself has inspected you, sealed you, and guaranteed you. Now He watches over you to see that you make it all the way into His Presence, where He eagerly anticipates that day when He will see you face to face. So whenever the devil speaks to your mind or your flesh screams that you’re not going to make it, rebuke those lies and point to the seal God has placed on your life!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I am so thankful today that You have sealed and guaranteed me! Forgive me for those times when I speak badly of myself, judge and condemn myself, or put myself down in front of others. I should be proud of and thankful for who I am, because the blood of Jesus has cleansed and redeemed me. You were so convinced that I was free of defects that You sealed me with Your Spirit, giving me Your ultimate seal of approval. Help me appreciate the great work You have done inside me! Thank You for guaranteeing, overseeing, and assuring me that no force on earth and no demonic powers can stop me from arriving at my ultimate heavenly destination!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am “sealed” with the Holy Spirit. My contents are intact and in order. I am approved, endorsed, recognized, affirmed, sanctified, and notarized by the Spirit of God. Because God has “sealed” me, it is guaranteed that I am going to make it to my final destination. When demons see the seal of God on me, they know they are not to mess around with me! I am a special package, to be treated with special care. Angels watch over me and guard my safe passage from one place to the next. Evil forces may attempt to mess with me, but the seal of God guarantees that I’ll arrive safely and complete!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Do you view yourself as “damaged goods,” or do you see yourself as approved, endorsed, recognized, affirmed, sanctified, and notarized by the Spirit of God?
2. If you don’t view yourself the way God does, what scriptures can you begin to memorize, meditate on, and confess to renew your mind to the truth of who Jesus Christ has made you to be? Why not make a list of those scriptures and put them in a visible place where you can frequently be reminded of them?
3. Do you know some believers who are struggling with their self-image and could use a little boost from a friend to help them think higher of themselves? If so, why don’t you take a little time today to go out of your way and let them know that they are approved and endorsed by God?
Are You Tired of Waiting For Your Fruit-Producing Season?
Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
— Colossians 2:7
Have you ever been so frustrated at waiting for a fruitful time in your life that you said to the Lord, “When is the fruit-producing season ever going to start in my life? I’ve worked, believed, and waited, but I am a little tired of waiting to see the fruit I long to see in my life. How long do I have to wait, Lord?”
I encourage you today to stay on track and refuse to give up, because you’re about to reach the greatest period of fruitfulness you’ve ever known. Before a fruit-producing tree reaches a time in its growth when it blossoms and bears fruit, first it sends its roots down deep into the earth where it can draw on a constant source of nourishment. Then as it continues to be nourished from below, it begins to send its limbs upward and outward.
During the life of that tree, it must endure the elements of every season — the heat, the cold, the sleet, the rain, and the snow — before it ever blossoms. Because those roots are deeply tapped into a continuous source of strength, nourishment, and energy, the tree is able to outlast all the seasons and eventually become a fruit-producing tree.
Psalm 1:3 uses the example of a tree to declare that when a person is rooted in God’s Word, he is “…like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
If you are wondering how long it is going to take before your fruit-producing season finally arrives, don’t get too discouraged! The bigger the tree, the greater the need for that tree to send its roots down deep into the earth to draw nourishment and to give it a firm footing against the wind, the weather, and the elements of the different seasons. That continual nourishment will also protect the tree from pestilence that may try to attack it through the years.
In light of this, consider what the apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 2:7: “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” I want you to especially notice the word “rooted” in this verse. It comes from the Greek word ridzo, which means to be firmly and deeply rooted, making the object fixed, steady, stable, and strong. This is the picture of a strong tree whose roots go down deep and reach its source of nourishment. The tree is also held securely in place by those roots, regardless of the weather or the environmental opposition that comes against it.
Rather than complain that it’s taking too long for your fruit-producing season to arrive, you need to thank God for this time in your life! Take this time to send your roots down deep and tap into the strength of God’s Word and God’s Spirit. If your roots are securely fixed in Jesus Christ, you will outlast every season, every foul climate, and every storm. Eventually you will enter into the finest fruit-producing season of your life, your ministry, your family, or your business.
Honestly, you need to thank God that things haven’t happened faster in your life! Have you ever seen someone who reached success too quickly? That person usually loses his success just as quickly as he gained it because he didn’t have the roots and the experience necessary to maintain the success he gained. When people achieve success too quickly, it often means they don’t have the roots, the depth, and the sure foundation to bear them up in the difficult times they will encounter as they go through the seasons of life.
So take this time to work on your personal life, your mind, your thinking, your discipline, your finances, your weight, your relationships, and your behavior. While you are waiting for that fruit-producing season to come to pass in your life, use this time to put off the old man and to put on the new man (Colossians 3:9,10). Spend this phase of your life wisely by renewing your mind to the Word of God (Ephesians 4:23) and being certain your affections are set on things above, not on things of this earth (Colossians 3:2).
If you use your time wisely, there will be no wasted time in your life. But if you just sit around and complain that it’s taking too long to get where you want to go, you will waste time. Sitting and complaining doesn’t make anything happen faster — and it often further delays the manifestation of the answer you’ve been waiting for.
So refuse to belong to those who are grumpy and complaining all the time. Instead, look at this time in your life as a blessing sent from Heaven to help you get yourself rooted deeply in Jesus Christ! Then send your limbs upward and outward as you tap into the power of God. Eventually you’ll begin to see blossoms budding in your life, signaling that you are about to enter your long-awaited season of bringing forth much fruit!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I thank You for not sending success to me too quickly. I know that if I had achieved success earlier, I wouldn’t have been ready for it. In fact, I might have destroyed it due to my own lack of experience and my immaturity. Help me embrace this time in my life as a time of preparation. Help me to truthfully analyze every part of my life in order to see what areas need to be more deeply rooted in You. I want my roots to go down so deeply that no storms of life and no attacks from the devil will be able to move me from the place where You have called me. Help me to stay so fixed, firm, strong, and stable that once I enter the fruit-producing season, I will never leave it!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am firmly and deeply rooted in God’s Word. As a result, I am fixed, steady, stable, and strong like a tree whose roots go down deep. I am tapped into the life of Jesus Christ, and He has become my Source of nourishment. I am held so securely in place that I am unaffected by the storms of life and the pestilence that the devil tries to use to attack me. I will outlast every season, every foul climate, and every storm. I am about to enter into the finest fruit-producing season of my life, my ministry, my family, and my business. My fruit-producing season is getting ready to begin!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Have you ever seen people quickly reach success, but it seemed that they lost their success just as quickly as they attained it? Can you name specific individuals who come to mind as examples?
2. What were the reasons these individuals gained and lost success so quickly? Reflect on this question for a while; then write down your observations.
3. What do you need to be doing differently in your own life to make sure you don’t ever fall into the category of those who quickly gained and quickly lost success?
If You Pray Wrongly, You Can Be Sure Your Prayers Won’t Be Answered!
…Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss….
— James 4:2,3
We’ve all encountered moments in our spiritual lives when we prayed with no results. Apparently the people to whom James was writing his epistle were having the same experience. Just as you have probably asked yourself at one time or another, it appears that these believers were also asking, “Why aren’t our prayers being answered?” We can surmise that they were asking this question because James provided an answer in James 4:3: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss….”
The Greek word for “amiss” is kakos, which describes something that is bad or wrong. As James uses it in this verse, it depicts a person who is asking wrongly, badly, or inappropriately. You could say that this person is simply not hitting the mark in his request. Although he prays with the greatest fervor, he is not hitting the target with what he is asking. This person is apparently asking God to do something that is not in agreement with His Word. Therefore, regardless of how long or how passionately the person asks, God will not answer his request with a positive answer because it is not in agreement with the Word.
Or perhaps this person is asking for the right thing, but because he is so fretful and filled with fear and anxiety, he doesn’t ask in faith. Rather than praying from a position of faith, he cries out to the Lord in fear and anxiety. But fear doesn’t move God — faith does. Hence, although this person may be asking for the right thing, he is asking from a wrong spirit. Thus, he is asking badly or inappropriately.
This means what we ask and how we ask are both of vital importance if we are going to get our prayers answered!
A literal translation of this verse would be as follows:
“…You ask, and receive not, because you are asking wrongly, badly, inappropriately….”
Especially when I was younger in the Lord, I made the mistake of asking things wrongly when I prayed. Perhaps my intentions were right, but my prayers were not in agreement with the truths revealed in the Bible. There were other moments when I finally got my prayers in agreement with the Word of God, but I was so motivated by anxiety and fear that I couldn’t ask in faith. Consumed with worry, I pounded the floor as I prayed, yelling and screaming out for God to move on my behalf. But because I was so filled with fear regarding the situation I was praying about, all my pounding, yelling, and screaming didn’t do a bit of good. I was praying from a wrong spirit — out of fear rather than out of faith — so all of that effort resulted only in a sore throat!
Have you ever had the experience of asking the right thing in the wrong way? Praying scripturally and in faith is essential if you want your requests to be answered positively.
First John 5:14 says, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.” The word “confidence” is the Greek word parresia. It describes confidence, boldness, or assurance. It pictures a person so confident that when he speaks, he has no doubt about what he is saying. He knows what he is saying is correct or appropriate; therefore, he becomes very bold. In the context of prayer, this word presents the picture of a believer who is so confident he is right in what he is asking that he asks unashamedly and confidently.
What can give you this kind of confidence? The verse goes on to tell you: “…If we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.” So when you 1) know God’s will and 2) ask Him to do something that is in agreement with His will, you can be 100-percent sure that God will hear you and that your request will be positively answered!
This means you have solid ground on which to stand as you pray in agreement with the revealed will of God, the Bible. Since your request is in agreement with what God has already revealed in His Word, you know you can be bold when you make your request! And there is no need for you to pray out of fear and anxiety either. Just quiet down, and let the Word of God fill you with peace; then ask in faith.
First John 5:14 guarantees that if you ask anything that is in agreement with His will, God will hear you. In fact, verse 15 goes on to promise you, “And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”
Knowing what to pray and how to pray is vitally important. So always keep this in mind as you get ready to make your requests known to God: God listens for His Word, and He responds to faith. When He hears His Word prayed from a heart of faith, He is compelled to act.
The success of your prayer life is up to you, friend, so don’t ask “amiss” when you pray. Make sure you are asking correctly and in an appropriate spirit of faith. As you learn to pray in line with God’s Word from a heart filled with faith, the answers you seek will manifest in your life more quickly and more fully than ever before!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I can remember times in my past when I’ve prayed the right thing the wrong way, and it resulted in unanswered prayer. I ask You to help me ask correctly when I pray, and to ask in a spirit of faith and not in a spirit of fear, dread, or anxiety. I never realized before now how important it is to ask in the right way. Holy Spirit, I ask You to help me ask correctly and pray appropriately from this moment forward. Whenever I start praying wrongly or out of a wrong spirit, please stop me. I ask You to correct me and teach me how to pray in line with Your Word from a heart of faith!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that God’s Word is my guide to help me ask correctly when I pray. I declare that I am motivated by faith and not by fear, dread, or anxiety when I pray. Because I ask according to God’s will, He hears me when I pray. Because He hears me, I know that I have the petitions I ask of Him. God acts promptly to answer my prayers because I ask with a heart filled with faith in accordance with His will. Because I make sure that what I pray is correct and how I pray is appropriate, I am receiving more and more results from my prayers all the time!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Can you think of a time in your life when you were so filled with fear that you couldn’t pray in faith, even though you prayed the right words? Did you wonder why your prayer wasn’t answered? Do you now understand how important it is for you to pray in an appropriate spirit of faith?
2. What results have you received in the past when you prayed in a spirit of faith and asked God to do something that was in agreement with His Word?
3. Can you list two things you have learned from today’s Sparkling Gem? If these two points have helped you, can you think of one person with whom you can share these truths today in order to encourage him or her the same way you’ve been encouraged?
Darkness Cannot Overcome the Light!
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
— John 1:5
I know of no great Christian leader who hasn’t faced some kind of opposition as he or she sought to do God’s will. But the truth is that darkness does not have the power to overcome light! Every believer can overcome any attack if he or she won’t quit first!
John 1:5 says, “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” The word “comprehended” is the Greek word katalambano. It is a compound of the words kata and lambano. The word kata carries the force of something that is dominating or subjugating. The word lambano means to seize or grab hold of. When the two words are compounded, they mean to seize, to pull down, to tackle, to conquer, or to hold under one’s power. Therefore, this verse could be translated, “Darkness does not have the ability to suppress or to hold the light under its domain.”
This doesn’t mean that darkness won’t attempt to overcome the light. However, its efforts will be frustrated and unsuccessful because the light of God always prevails, even in what seems to be the darkest hour or the bleakest situation. Darkness simply doesn’t have the power or ability to put out God’s light. Since you are a child of the light (Ephesians 5:8), this means darkness doesn’t have the ability to put out your light either!
First John 5:4 says, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” The word “overcometh” is the Greek word nikos. It means to conquer. It was used to portray athletes who had gained the mastery of the competition and ultimately reigned supreme as champions over the games.
The Holy Spirit was careful in His selection of this word nikos. This word communicates vivid images that pertain to our walk of faith and victory. First, it tells us that when we begin the walk of faith, we enter into a real-life competition. The decision to walk by faith puts us right smack dab in the center of the ring where the contest immediately begins.
This is so important to understand, because too often we wrongly presume that if we walk by faith, we will be removed from all problems. But our faith pits us directly opposite the devil’s powers. He hates our faith because he knows what it can do! For this reason, Satan may try to go for a knock-out punch. But even if he knocks us flat, he can’t keep us down on the ground!
The apostle Paul testified to this when he said that he was “…cast down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:9). One translation says, “We occasionally get knocked down, but never get knocked out!” Those who are born of God have the supernatural ability to keep getting up again, no matter how many times they fall! Remember, John wrote, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.…”
Because the word “overcometh” is the Greek word nikos, it tells us that we are the ultimate champions and describes our superior position as children of God over the world. We are fully armed with everything we need to be super-conquerors in this life!
As the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), the devil may try to use the world around us to do battle with us. But regardless of what weapon Satan uses or how he attempts to combat you and me, First John 5:4 declares that we have a faith that overcomes the world! This means we have a faith that overrides and supersedes any organization, any event, any circumstance, or any difficult dilemma Satan would try to employ against us. He may be the “god of this world,” but we have a weapon so powerful that we can shoot him down every time he shows up uninvited.
John 1:5 makes it absolutely clear that darkness does not have the ability to suppress or to hold the light under its domain. Darkness may try to prevent the light from shining, but it never holds back the light permanently. Eventually it always comes shining through.
This is true of you and your dream, vision, or calling as well. You may feel hindered from time to time in your attempts to fulfill the call God has given you, but don’t despair. Those hindrances won’t last long. The only way the devil can steal your dream, vision, or calling is if you surrender to him first! If you hold on and refuse to give up, your faith will overcome every encumbrance the devil tries to set in your path!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I thank You that darkness doesn’t have the power to overcome me! It may try, but Your Word guarantees that darkness doesn’t have the ability to overcome the light! I am so thankful that I am Your child and that I live on the winning side! When the devil tries to discourage me, help me remember that in the end, we win!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I boldly confess that even if I occasionally get knocked down, I never get knocked out! I possess the supernatural ability to keep getting up again because I am born of God and I overcome the world. Regardless of what weapon Satan uses or how he attempts to combat me, my faith overrides and supersedes any event, any circumstance, and any difficult dilemma Satan would try to employ against me.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. In what ways has Satan tried to use the world around you to hinder what God has called you to do? For instance, has he tried to create a lack of finances to slow you down? What unsuccessful attempts has he made against you and your dream?
2. What did you do to resist those past attacks?
3. If you sense that the devil is trying to assault you right now, in what ways are you resisting his assaults?
Two Kinds of Strongholds
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations.…
— 2 Corinthians 10:4,5
If you want to be free from every stronghold of the enemy in your life, you have to understand that there are two kinds of strongholds: rational and irrational. The rational strongholds are the more difficult to deal with — because they usually make sense!
Paul refers to these rational strongholds when he says, “Casting down imaginations….” The word “imaginations” is taken from the Greek word logismos, which is where we get the word “logic,” as in “logical thinking.” Thank God for a good, sound mind, but even a sound mind must be submitted to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, your mind will develop a stronghold of natural reasoning that starts to dictate all kinds of lies to your life. I call these rational strongholds.
The reason I call them rational strongholds is that they are strongholds in the mind that make sense! You see, your logical mind will always try to talk you out of obeying God. In fact, if you don’t take charge of your mind, it will begin to completely dominate and control your obedience to God. It will tell you that you can’t afford to obey the Lord and that it isn’t a good time to step out in faith. Your natural mind will come up with a whole host of logical reasons to explain why you shouldn’t do what the Spirit of God is telling you to do.
Second, there are irrational strongholds. These primarily have to do with completely unrealistic fears and worries, such as a fear of contracting a terminal disease, a fear of dying early in life, an abnormal fear of rejection, and so forth. These types of irrational strongholds in the mind, emotions, and imagination will normally play their course and then dissipate. But if harassing thoughts persist in your mind and insist on controlling you mentally and emotionally, you must deal with them straightforwardly with the Word of God.
In Second Corinthians 10:5, Paul says, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” Notice that Paul doesn’t say one thing about bringing the devil into captivity. Rather, he tells you to take every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
The devil tries to invade your life through lies that he plants in your brain. If you don’t take your thoughts captive, it will be just a matter of time before the devil starts using those lies to create mental and emotional strongholds for the purpose of keeping you in bondage. But if you take your thoughts captive, then your thoughts cannot take you captive!
Whether those strongholds are rational or irrational, you can take authority over them and cast them down! So quit listening to every ol’ lie that devil tries to sink into your brain, and start taking those thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ! Pull down every mental or emotional stronghold in your life with the supernatural weapons of warfare God has given you!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, help me to see any area of my life that is dominated by rational or irrational strongholds. Forgive me for allowing the devil to sink his lies into my mind, and help me now to uproot and cast down every one of his lies. I know that Your Word will renew my mind to think in accordance with You, so I am asking You today to help me make Your Word a priority in my life!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I boldly declare that my mind is free from the devil’s lies! I think God’s thoughts; I meditate on God’s Word; and my brain is spot-free from the rational and irrational strongholds that Satan would like to plant inside me. Because of God’s Word working in me, I am completely free!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Can you think of three areas in which the devil has tried to penetrate your mind and take you captive with ridiculous, irrational lies?
2. Can you identify times in your life when the devil has tried to seize control of your mind with logical, rational strongholds in order to keep you from stepping out to do what God has asked you to do?
3. What steps can you start taking right now to cast these thoughts down so you can get free of these lies and move forward with God’s plan?
Never Forget To Look At the Children!
One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.
— 1 Timothy 3:4
Once while traveling on an airplane, I sat next to a lady who had taught public school for thirty-five years. I asked her, “What can you tell about a family by the way a child behaves in school?”
She answered, “Everything! I can usually tell by the way a child acts if his or her home is peaceful or tormented; if the parents pay attention to their kids or ignore them; and if the father and mother have a good relationship. Almost everything can be determined by watching a child’s behavior. It’s usually a mirror of what’s happening at home.”
Of course, I know there are unique situations in which parents do everything right in raising their child, yet the child still becomes indifferent toward God and develops a rebellious and disrespectful attitude toward others. But often rebellious children are a symptom of a deeper problem in the family. If only one of the children in a family is rebellious and unmanageable, you might be able to dismiss the situation as a freak development or an attack of the devil. But if every child exhibits the same disturbing behavioral problems, you can surmise that something is not right in that home.
Paul considered the condition of the home so important that he wrote that a leader must have “…his children in subjection with all gravity” (1 Timothy 3:4). This is important to understand, because what happens in a person’s home is usually the true picture about what kind of leader he is going to be. So when I personally look for new leaders or for people who will represent me and my ministry, I look at their children to see if they are respectful and understand authority. If the children aren’t being taught this at home, it may be a sign that this parent doesn’t value the things I count as important.
But what age of children are we talking about? The word “children” that Paul uses in First Timothy 3:4 is the Greek word tekna, the word used to describe children who are still under parental guidance at home. After a child grows into a young adult and leaves home, the parent is no longer responsible; however, as long as the child remains at home and under the authority of his or her parents, those parents have a God-given parental responsibility to teach that child how to live and how to act toward others.
Paul says in this verse that a leader’s children should have “gravity.” The word “gravity” is the Greek word semnotes. It presents the idea of a person who carries himself with dignity and treats other people with courtesy and respect.
Through the years, I’ve learned that the way a person’s children speak to each other and to others outside the home is very revealing about what’s really happening behind closed doors in that home. As noted above, children usually mirror the true situation in a home. In other words, how they speak, carry themselves, and treat others usually reflects the quality of relationships in their home.
If parents are constantly arguing and screaming at each other until it has become a pattern and a way of life, the children will usually speak to each other exactly the same way in that home. When siblings engage in chronic patterns of strife, name-calling, and mutual accusation, these destructive patterns probably exist in their parents’ marital relationship as well. Children repeat what they see their parents do.
I’ll never forget the time I was called upon to mediate a very difficult situation between a husband and wife whose marital problems could no longer be hidden. On the surface, they always smiled and acted deeply in love. However, the behavior of their children let me know that serious problems existed in that marital relationship.
Those kids frequently told each other:
- “I hate you!”
- “I wish you were dead!”
- “I can’t stand you!”
- “I’ll be so glad when you grow up and move out of this house!”
- “I think you stink!”
It was very revealing to me that the children spoke so freely to each other like this and that no one at home stopped it. It told me that it was probably the kind of language spoken by everyone in the home — including Dad and Mom.
Then the true story came to light, and the facade of marital bliss this couple tried to project was removed. The truth was that this husband and wife fought like cats and dogs. He yelled and she screamed; he threatened and she threw objects. That house had been filled with strife, discord, quarreling, and squabbling for many years. This long-term destructive behavior was exactly what those kids mirrored in their own behavior and conversations with each other.
If a home is filled with love, respect, and teamwork, this is also evident in the way the children conduct themselves. For instance, just recently a leader and his family came to our home for dinner. I watched that leader’s children interact with each other all evening while they were at our home. By watching those children, I knew exactly what I needed to know about this family. Those children possessed a respect and courtesy for each other and for other people that had been passed down to them by their parents’ example.
When children are disrespectful toward authority and resentful when they’re asked to do something they think is too low for them to do, it usually means they come from a home where a servant mentality is nonexistent. If their parents were true servants, their children would reflect that servant mentality themselves. Leaders who are servants most often have children who are servants.
So if you’re looking for someone to serve in your church or to hire for a job, never forget to take a good look at the potential candidate’s children. If you see a house full of children who are content to sit and watch other people work, be careful. You may be inviting someone who lacks a servant’s heart into your team of leaders. Certainly there are exceptions to the rule, but you will most often find that what you see in the children is what you’ll experience with the parent as well.
I am certain this Sparkling Gem has raised questions for you. My prayer is that it raises a warning flag to make you think twice about your own children and to cause you to move more slowly when choosing a leader who has disrespectful children. I’m NOT saying that a potential leader whose children are rude and disorderly can’t be used. But you should enter that relationship with both eyes wide open.
If your own children are disrespectful toward each other and toward authority, maybe you need to ask the Lord to help you analyze the real situation in your life and your home so He can show you what is out of order. Then once He reveals it to you, determine to start taking the proper steps to put things in good shape!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, thank You for speaking to me through today’s Sparkling Gem. I ask You to help me truthfully evaluate the situation in my life and honestly analyze how I am doing at rearing my children. It is difficult for me to be honest with myself about my performance as a parent, so I need You to give me the grace to see the truth as You see it. After You show me where I have erred, please quickly teach me how to bring correction into the situation. I am willing to be corrected, and I am waiting for You to help me clearly see the situation. I determine this day to do whatever is required to put my home in good working order.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am growing and developing as a parent. My parental skills are getting better and better all the time. My home is filled with love; my children speak with kindness and respect; and I am rearing them to be godly leaders for the next generation. With God’s Word as my guide and the Holy Spirit as my Teacher, I am leading my family in a way that pleases God and that is an example to others.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. When considering the behavior of your children, would you say they are respectful or disrespectful toward authority?
2. Do your children play one parent against the other parent — going to the second parent to get approval for what they want to do after the other parent has already denied their request? If yes, what does this communicate to you?
3. Do your children speak kindly to each other and respectfully toward their parents? If the answer is no, what does this reveal about you as a parent?
The Shield of Faith!
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
— Ephesians 6:16
When Paul wrote his letter to the church of Ephesus, he gave a full description of the spiritual weaponry God has provided for every believer. In Ephesians 6:16, he referred to the shield of faith. He said, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
With the imagery of a Roman soldier before him, Paul used the Roman soldier’s shield to illustrate the shield of faith that God has provided for you and me. The word “shield” is the Greek word thureos, which was used by the Greeks and Romans to depict an oblong door that was wide in width and long in length. The reason the Roman soldiers used this word to describe their battle shields was that the shields were door-shaped. They were wide in width and long in length; just like the door of a house.
Because it was wide and long, this shield completely covered the Roman soldier! This is why the Holy Spirit chose to use the word thureos as the illustration of faith. He is telling us that God has given us enough faith to make certain we are completely covered for every situation — just like the shield that completely covered a Roman soldier!
In Romans 12:3, Paul wrote, “…God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” How much faith has God given you? He has given you enough faith to make sure you are covered for any event that comes along in life!
So you don’t need to worry or fret that God has given more faith to others than He has given to you. Rest assured in the fact that God has imparted enough faith to you to make sure you are covered from head to toe! That faith, like a wide and long shield, is adequate to cover any need that will ever come along in your life!
In the majority of cases, the Roman soldier’s shield was composed of multiple layers of thick animal hide that had been tightly woven together. Usually six layers of animal hide were specially tanned and then woven together so tightly that they became nearly as strong as steel. One piece of leather is tough, but imagine how tough and durable six layers of leather would be! Because of how it was made, the shield of the Roman soldier was extremely tough and exceptionally durable!
However, the Roman soldier’s leather shield could become stiff and breakable over a period of time if it wasn’t properly taken care of. Therefore, it was necessary for him to know how to take care of it.
In order to keep those shields in good shape, the soldiers were given a daily schedule to maintain excellent condition of their shields. Each morning when the soldier was awakened, he would reach for a small vial of oil. After saturating a piece of cloth with oil, he would begin to rub, rub, and rub that heavy ointment into the leather portion of the shield to keep it soft, supple, and pliable.
Any soldier who neglected this daily application of oil and allowed his shield to go without the necessary care was in effect inviting certain death. If not correctly cared for and properly maintained, the leather portion of the shield would harden, crack when put under pressure, and finally fall to pieces. Therefore, the end result of a soldier’s failure to care for his shield was the loss of his own life.
Paul says that this shield is representative of our faith. This tells us that our faith, like the shield in Paul’s illustration, requires frequent anointings of the Holy Spirit. Without a fresh touch of God’s Spirit upon our lives, our faith will become hard, stiff, and brittle.
What happens when you ignore your faith and allow it to go undeveloped? What is the result of never seeking a fresh anointing of God’s Spirit to come upon your life? When a challenge comes your way, your faith won’t be soft, supple, and pliable enough to stand up under attack. A faith that is ignored nearly always breaks and falls to pieces in the midst of confrontation.
So don’t assume that your faith is always in top-notch shape! Instead, play it safe and assume that your faith always needs a fresh anointing. By taking this approach, you will always seek to do what is necessary to keep your faith alive, active, and well!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I want to thank You for giving me spiritual weapons! Today I am especially grateful that You have equipped me with a shield of faith that covers me from head to toe. Because You have been so gracious to provide everything I need, there is never a reason that Satan’s fiery darts should get through to me. So I ask You to help me hold my faith up high, keep it out in front, and march forward without any fear of what Satan might try to do to me!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am dressed in the whole armor of God! There isn’t a part of me that hasn’t been covered by the spiritual weaponry God has placed at my disposal. My shield of faith is working fine! It is anointed; it is strong; it is ready for any confrontation; and it will cause any dart that the enemy tries to throw at me to ricochet off without doing harm!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. If you were really honest with God and yourself, how would you evaluate the way you maintain, develop, use, and grow in your faith? Are you using your faith as you once did, or have you slowly backed away from the strong stance of faith you once possessed?
2. When an attack comes against you, do you stand strong in the face of it, or do you tend to fall to pieces? If your answer is the latter, what does this tell you about the way you are maintaining your faith?
3. What do you think you need to do to keep your faith in top-notch shape?
How Would You Like To Receive a Fresh Anointing?
…I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
— Psalm 92:10
How would you like to receive a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit on your life today? If your answer is yes, why don’t you go before the Great Anointer and allow Him to give you that fresh anointing? This is precisely what David was referring to when he said, “…I shall be anointed with fresh oil” (Psalm 92:10).
The word “anoint” that is used primarily in the Old Testament Septuagint and the Greek New Testament comes from the Greek word chrio. This word originally denoted the smearing or rubbing of oil or perfume upon an individual. For example, if a patient came to see his physician because he had sore muscles, the physician would pour oil upon his own hands; then he would begin to deeply rub that oil into the sore muscles of his patient. That penetrating application of oil would be denoted by the Greek word chrio. So technically speaking, the word “anoint” has to do with the rubbing or smearing of oil upon someone else.
When I hear the word “anoint,” I immediately think not only of the oil, but of the hands of the Anointer! Oil was very expensive in biblical times; therefore, rather than tip the bottle of oil downward and freely pour it upon the recipient, a person would first pour the oil into his hands and then apply it to the other person. For this reason, I refer to the anointing as a “hands-on” situation. It took someone’s hands to apply the oil.
Let’s consider this concept in the context of God anointing our lives. God Himself — the Great Anointer — filled His hands with the essence of the Spirit and then laid His mighty hands upon our lives, pressing the Spirit’s power and anointing ever deeper into us. So when we speak of a person who is anointed, we are actually acknowledging that the hand of God is on that person. The strong presence of the anointing that we see or feel is a signal to let us know that God’s hand is personally resting on that individual’s life.
Therefore, if you would like a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit upon your life, you must come before the Great Anointer! He alone can give you what you need. Open your heart to God, and allow Him to lay His hand upon your life in a new way. I guarantee you, a strong anointing will follow!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I am asking You to lay Your hand upon me in a brand-new way today. Rub the oil of Your Spirit deep into my life — and let the powerful fragrance of the anointing be felt, sensed, and seen by others who are near me. I want to carry Your power and demonstrate the aroma of Your Presence, so please lay Your hand on me today and let the anointing deeply penetrate me!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that God’s hand is on my life. Because of this, the Spirit of the Lord rests mightily upon me. Just as He anointed Jesus, I am also anointed to preach the Gospel to the poor; to heal the brokenhearted; to preach deliverance to the captives; to give recovery of sight to the blind; and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. I carry the power of Jesus Christ, and I give off the aroma of God’s Presence!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Can you recall a moment when you really knew the hand of God came upon you? When that happened, what were the immediate results?
2. How long has it been since you experienced a fresh anointing of the Spirit? Where were you when God’s hand last came upon you in a dramatic and spectacular fashion?
3. If someone were to ask you to explain the anointing to them, what would you say? After thinking about this, try to write your answer down so you’ll be better prepared the next time someone asks you this question.
Don’t Hold Anything Back!
So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
— 1 Thessalonians 2:8
One common failure among ministers is to teach people the Word yet neglect to model the principles so the people will know how to live it in their personal lives. But true discipleship is not complete until there is an example to follow. When people receive the Word only as an intellectual exercise, their heads may become filled with knowledge, but that knowledge won’t become workable in their lives until they have access to someone who models the message before them.
For example, Jesus modeled His message before His disciples. He lived with them, walked with them, worked with them, traveled with them, and spent nearly every minute of three whole years with them. As a result of working with Jesus so closely, the disciples not only received Jesus’ message, but they also saw the way He lived it as He modeled an example before them.
We know that modeling the Word was also a part of Paul’s teaching style. In First Thessalonians 2:8, the apostle Paul wrote, “…We were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls….” In this statement, Paul gave us the dynamic, life-changing principle that we must teach the Word and use our lives to model the message!
Certainly Paul taught publicly — and there was probably no better teacher than he in New Testament times. He was the “crème-de-la-crème” of New Testament theologians. Paul could have lectured for multiple hours from the vast wealth of information and revelation stored up in his incredible intellect — and I’m sure that from time to time he did this.
But Paul didn’t just lecture and preach. He gave the people not only the Gospel, but also his own soul. His “soul” was his life, his emotions, his view of things, his lifestyle. He lived so openly before the Church that he was able to model his message before them.
Paul even told the Thessalonians, “For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us…” (2 Thessalonians 3:7). The words “ye ought” are taken from the Greek word dei — a strong word indicating the Thessalonians understood that Paul was giving them compelling advice they should obey. In other words, Paul’s readers understood that even though the apostle did not directly command them to obey, they were to strictly follow the advice he was giving them.
Paul continues to tell the Thessalonians, “…Ye ought to follow us.…” The word “follow” is the Greek word mimeomai, an old Greek word for an actor or a mimic. Therefore, Paul’s command to “follow” isn’t referring to a casual type of following; rather, it implies an intentional study of the life, deeds, actions, and thoughts of another person in an attempt to fully understand that person and then to replicate his attributes in one’s own life. This type of following enables one to think like his subject, walk like his subject, mimic his subject’s movements, make the vocal intonations of his subject, and to act like his subject in a masterful way. However, this can only be achieved by those seriously committed to the act of replication. Mimicking, replicating, and acting like another person are the results of true discipleship.
When you put all these words together, Second Thessalonians 3:7 could be translated:
“It would behoove you to follow our example — to imitate and mimic us with the goal of replicating what you observe in our lives….”
Paul was committed to sharing not only the Word, but his life with those to whom he ministered. He told the elders from Ephesus, “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house” (Acts 20:20). From his testimony in this verse, we know that Paul publicly taught the Word; however, he also showed the people he taught how to live the Word! He gave them the entire package, which was the Word and his life combined together!
When the Word is packaged with a personal, living example, it is powerful! Nothing is more powerful than a message backed up by a person who applies that message to his daily life.
There is an unfortunate alarm among Christian leaders that if their followers become too familiar with them, the people will lose respect for them and their anointing. However, Jesus’ disciples were very familiar with His lifestyle, and it didn’t hurt their respect or honor for Him at all. Quite the contrary, Jesus’ life became the greatest message He ever preached to His disciples!
Paul also wasn’t fearful that the Thessalonians would lose respect by knowing him too well. Quite the contrary, he urged them to follow him and his lifestyle so closely that they would be able to duplicate his life themselves. The personal example of his own life showed them that they could walk in the power of the Word just as he was doing. Watching the Word work in Paul’s life only made the message that much more powerful to the Thessalonians.
As you work with new believers or people who are under your spiritual influence, be sure to let them get close enough to see that the Word you preach really works. It’s great to give them Bible lessons, but they need an example they can follow. If you are concerned that allowing people to get close to you will affect their respect for you, then you need to be honest about those areas of your life that you fear may discredit you in their eyes!
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you walk in the reality of what you preach and teach. Ask Him to give you the boldness, confidence, and grace to let the key leaders under your authority get close enough to see how the Word works in your own life. If you’re really walking in the reality of what you preach, allowing people to get close to you will only demonstrate that you are the real thing — and that will increase their level of respect for you!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I thank You for placing me under people who helped me grow when I was a young Christian. Their influence was important in my spiritual development, so I thank You for them right now — for their patience, their love, their kindness, and their willingness to let me get close enough to really learn how to walk with You. Now it’s time for me to do this for someone else, so please lead me to a young disciple whom I can begin to show how to walk in the power and authority of Your Word.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am a good example to other believers. Because I walk in the truth of what I preach, my life makes the message even stronger. People need a good example they can follow, and that means they need me! The Holy Spirit empowers me to preach, to teach, and to boldly model my life before others with confidence and grace!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. When you first came to the Lord, who had the greatest personal impact on your spiritual development? What kind of access did you have to these individuals, and why was their influence so important to your growth?
2. Is there anyone you are helping by giving him or her this kind of access to your life right now? Since it was so effective for you, don’t you think you ought to return the favor by letting God use you this same way in someone else’s life?
3. Be honest! Is there any area of your life that you are afraid for people to know about? Does that out-of-order area cause you to keep people from getting too close to you?