“Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory."
Romans 15:7 (NLT) Did you know that every time you show love, you give glory to God? Here’s how it works. Every time you show what God is like, you give him glory. And God is love. So when you love, you show God’s glory. God says, “I am loving. I am compassionate. I want you to be like me. I want you to develop my character.” You’re never going to be God. But God wants you to become godly. He wants you to develop his character—like father like son, like father like daughter. He wants you to learn to love people the way he loves people. There are many ways to love like God does. One way to love other people is by accepting them. Romans 15:7 says, “Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory” (NLT). God wants you to accept everyone—no matter what. Does that mean you have to approve of everything they do? Of course not! There’s a difference between acceptance and approval. While God loves and accepts you unconditionally, he doesn’t approve of everything you do. It should be the same for you. You can accept everyone without approving of everything they do. Love is not saying, “I approve of everything you do.” Love is saying, “I accept you in spite of what you do.” With every person you encounter today, take the opportunity to give God glory by loving as he loves—with unconditional acceptance.
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“You should live in a way that proves you belong to the God who calls you into his kingdom and glory."
1 Thessalonians 2:12 (GW) I talk to people all the time who say, “I have so much, and yet I feel unfulfilled. I’ve got a good family, good job, and good friends. I’m part of a great church. Then why do I feel so unfulfilled?” It’s because you were made for more than this! You were made for more than survival. Until you begin to live in God’s Kingdom, by God’s power, and for God’s glory, you will never find fulfillment in life. How do you live a fulfilled life—the kind of life you were designed by God to live? The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 2:12, “You should live in a way that proves you belong to the God who calls you into his kingdom and glory” (GW). What does it mean to live in God’s Kingdom? It means you make God’s agenda your agenda. You make God’s will your will. You care about what God cares about. You put God first in whatever area you want him to bless. What does it mean to put God first in your life? Here are five areas where you can put God “FIRST”: Finances. If you want God to bless your finances, even during hard times, start tithing. Interests. Put him first in your hobbies, your career, and your recreation. Give God first consideration in every decision. Relationships. Put him first in your family, your marriage, and your friendships. Schedule. Give him the first part of every day. When you wake up, sit on the side of your bed and say, “God, if I don’t get anything else done today, I just want to love you a little bit more and know you a little bit better.” Troubles. Turn to God first when you have a problem. Prayer should never be your last resort. It should be your first choice. Put God first in everything. Then watch how much God blesses you. “Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."
Psalm 50:15 (NIV) Do you ever feel alone when you’re struggling with temptation? You’re not! The Bible says God is ready to help. In the Bible, Jesus gives you a prayer of deliverance to use when you’re tempted. He tells you to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13 ESV). We often shorten that prayer to just one word: Help! Prayers don’t have to start with fancy words like “our gracious heavenly Father.” When you need deliverance from temptation, you can get right to the point: “Help! Keep my eyes straight” or “Help! I don’t like the way my relative treats me, and I’m going to see her today” or “Help! Everything in me just wants to get back at him!” The Bible is full of people who prayed for deliverance—like David, Daniel, Esther, Peter, and Paul. God was there to help them, and he’ll help you too. In fact, God hears and helps everyone who asks. You may wonder, “Why can I expect God to help me when I pray the prayer of deliverance?” Because God has promised to help. The Bible says, “Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me” (Psalm 50:15 NIV). God doesn’t say you must have a long conversation with him. You can just say, “Help, God! I’m facing something now that willpower won’t get me through.” He knows everything that’s going on in your life, and he’s sympathetic to your situation. He knows how irritating some people are to you; he knows about the things that tempt you. The Bible says it very clearly: “[Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NLT). Notice that the Bible says, “[Jesus] understands.” Why is Jesus sympathetic? Because he faced the same temptations that you face. You may be thinking, “Wait a minute. Are you saying Jesus was tempted to get angry?” Yes, I am. “You’re telling me Jesus was tempted to have self-pity?” Yes. The Bible says he was tempted in all the ways you are, yet he did not sin. Because Jesus was tempted but didn’t sin, he’s just who you need to help you overcome your own temptations. In fact, he wants to help you. When you’re tempted, God isn’t angry with you. He’s not going to scold you. On the contrary, he wants you to come boldly to him! He says, “I’m here to help.” |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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