Thought for the day
A man was being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman immediately hit her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection with him.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a cell.
After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.
He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, waving your fist at the guy off in front of you, and swearing at him. I noticed the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'What Would Jesus Do" bumper sticker, the 'Follow Me to Sunday School' bumper sticker and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk.
Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car."Ouch! We are often eager to communicate our faith by putting cute little bumper stickers on our cars or by wearing jewelry that contains Christian imagery. And there's nothing wrong with that unless we think that the bumper sticker and jewelry can serve as a substitute for actually living a Christ-like life. Few people will be converted by a bumper sticker. But people WILL be impacted (and perhaps eventually changed) by a lifestyle that seeks to put God's Word into practice. And, just as surely, people will be repulsed by a religion that allows the hypocrisy of talking about God without the desire to live for God.
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?.....But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." (James 2:14,18)May Christ shine through you in what you do and what you say today (whether you have a bumper sticker or not).
Verses
Hebrews 6:12
We do not want any of you to grow slack, but to follow the example of those who through sheer patient faith came to possess the promises.
Galatians 6:7
You cannot fool God, so don't make a fool of yourself!
You will harvest what you plant.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Never stop praying.
1 Corinthians 1:5
For through union with him you became rich in every way -- alike in ability to teach and in ability to learn.
Prayer
Father, we are mindful that we not only fall short of Your glory, but we also fall short of understanding. Understanding all that You want to teach us in this life and the life yet to come. But we draw near to You with a sincere heart as we study Your truths and seek to apply them with understanding to our minds and hearts. This comes about as we read the Scriptures, as we meditate in prayer, as we contemplate Your holy character, and even as we make wrong decisions that force us to reaccess our actions and go back to Your infinite wisdom and understanding. As we do so we hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for You are faithful in all You say and in all You do. We bless You, Lord, at all times and give thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord, for Your infinite wisdom. Amen.
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