“I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” (Jesus,in Revelation 3:1-3)
I believe God desires every follower of His to be sensitive and introspective, along with humility. Pride would lead me to say, “This can’t be speaking about me!”, while a humble, self-reflection would lead me to ask, “Is God speaking to me through this? Is there an area that I have yet to give over to Him?” As David said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)
Before looking out there at what needs to be fixed around me, I need to first hear Him speaking through His Word, and dare to look within! How do I “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31)? Is there a way to reach others for Christ in a way I have yet to try? Is there a way to better serve His Church according to my gifting, or its needs?
I think of the example of Moses in Numbers 12. Moses had gotten angry at the oppression of his people Egypt, to the extent of even killing a man oppressed them. He later showed anger at the Israelites for so quickly abandoning the God who saved them, throwing down the God-inscripted stone tablets when witnessing them worship a golden calf. He was zealous over God’s renown, but silent when his own reputation was at stake, so that it is described of him as being the most humble man on the face of the earth! In turn, God Himself defended Moses by speaking to Aaron and Miriam on his behalf!
I am convinced that “Loving the Lord with all your heart” involves being jealous and zealous for the Lord’s renown to the extent that we spend considerable time with the Lord meditating on these things. Jesus’ Lordship over a believer’s life involves taking stock of our everyday priorities. If the management of my work schedule or my family’s needs doesn’t bring glory to God, I must be willing to make changes! If the way I conduct business as an employee or boss doesn’t draw attention to my being a Christian first, I need to reevaluate that. If I’m not making every effort to be in the scriptures daily, or be with the people of God regularly, I must seek change out of love for my Lord!
Consider all the “one another’s” in the New Testament (I counted over 50), most of them clearly within the church context. Colossians 3:16 for example: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” Or Hebrews 10:24-25, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Obviously, as pastor, I must be asking myself, “Am I doing the very things I preach on from God’s Word, and leading His Church by example? If God shows me areas where I may have been wrong, I need to be humble enough to admit them publically. I know of people who can be doing this better, but what about me? Romans 14:4 speaks to me: “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
I think quite often about the witness and legacy I am leaving for my children. Outside of “many words” from preaching, or parental lecture, do they see me making intentional choices to win others to Christ or encourage believers in various ways? Do they see me acting in a way that is consistent with the scriptures, particularly in demonstrating that this world and its treasures are temporary and fleeting, but life with Christ Jesus is eternal? Operating by the conviction of God’s leading means doing things that are unpopular at times, to the world most often, but also to my children periodically, and sometimes even to those in my church family! This is the nature of humbly abiding to Jesus’ Lordship.
So I bring the same question to you that I am bringing to myself, “How can I move towards greater involvement in obedience to God’s command here, in 2025”? How can I better shine the light of Christ in this next step, where He’s leading me?” I invite you to share with me and others His answer to you!
With Much Love and Appreciation for You,
Pastor Jason