Skip to main content

Saturday... Our view of who we are drives us.


Saturday... Our view of who we are drives us. It really does. So who are we?

Paul in writing a letter to he coworker and friend, Titus reemphasizes who he, Paul is. In Titus 1:1 (NLT) Paul says, "This letter is from Paul, a slave..." Now that statement can bring a lot of different reactions from us. He's a slave? Poor guy. We've got to do something about that. 

But he goes on, "a slave of God." Ya, look what it got him. He is in prison. But Paul was saying this as the beginning of his introduction. He wasn't feeling sorry for himself or ashamed. He knew what that really meant. He had given his whole life over to God. He didn't see it as a put down but a tremendous opportunity.

Too many people say that I am a slave to my wife, my husband, or to my work and see that as something negative, a put down. But in reality, it is a tremendous opportunity to be married and to have a job. Your attitude toward your life makes such a difference.

And then Paul says, "and an apostle of Jesus Christ." Yes, I am in prison, I am a slave but God is using me to change the world. I am "an apostle of Jesus Christ." 

The whole verse says, "This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know how to live godly lives."

I was just thinking, I am a slave of God in my old age, I am in my 70's and I could see that as being a major hindrance but I see that He wants to show me that it is a tremendous opportunity to make a difference. I am an apostle of Jesus Christ and I have been chosen even in the prison of old age "to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know how to live godly lives." I love it. It is so amazing what God can and wants to do through His slaves. I don't want to be anything else.

Verses 1-2 in The Message says, "I, Paul, am God's slave and Christ's agent for promoting the faith among God's chosen people, getting out the accurate word on God and how to respond rightly to it. My aim is to raise hopes by pointing the way to life without end. This is the life God promised long ago - and he doesn't break promises! And then when the time was ripe, he went public with his truth. I have been entrusted to proclaim this Message by order of our Savior, God himself." 

We Have a choice. Proverbs 12:27-28 (AMP) says, "The lazy man does not catch and roast his prey, but the precious possession of a [wise[ man is diligence [because he recognizes opportunities and seizes them]. In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death [but immortality - eternal life." 

Now that is a great view of what God gives His slaves. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning  


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Monday... He did it by Himself

Isaiah 44:24b (AMP), "I am the Lord, Maker of all things. Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself." Monday... He did it by Himself. Many have a tendency to think very highly of themselves and what they can do. Oh we do have great ability but we are not the source. Yes it is important to have self-confidence but we are limited. The prophet Isaiah in 44:9-10 (NLT) says, "How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don't know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god - an idol that cannot help him one bit?" Now later in verse 24 (AMP) he writes, "For the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb says, 'I am the Lord, Maker of all things, Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself.'" I love that. "By Myself." Now we do need confidence but we are foolish to ma...
Post a Comment
Read more

Friday... We have this hope of expectancy.

Psalm 5:3 (NLT), "Listen to my voice in the morning Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." Friday... We have this hope of expectancy. Now David found a great way to start his day. He says in Psalm 5:1-3 (NLT), "O LORD, hear me as I pray." And that is a great place to start. It really is. Morning sunrise He goes on, "Listen to my cry for help, my King, my God, for I pray to no one but you." And that is so important. We don't try to pump ourselves up by ourself. No, we pray to no one but you, God, my LORD, my King. Now this relationship with God is so, so very important. And then David says, "Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you" And that is so great. And then he says, "and wait expectantly." Yes, we have this hope of expectancy. We are experienced. That is what a relationship with God and a moment by moment connection does. It makes a difference in our daily wa...
Post a Comment
Read more

Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true.

Psalm 12:6 (NLT), "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true. Maybe this is what you want to say in this day in which we live. Psalm 12:1-2 (MSG) says, "Quick, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down, all the friends I depend on gone. Everyone talks in lie language; lies slide off their oily lips. They doubletalk with forked tongues." Do you ever feel that way?" Have you found that to be true? Well David the writer of this Psalm continues and says in verse 6 something to encourage us, to lift us up, to give us hope. Psalm 12:6 (NLT) says, "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." The Message Paraphrase says verses 6-8 this way, "God's words are pure words, pure silver words refined seven times in the fires of his word-kiln, pure on earth as well as in heaven, God, keep ...
Post a Comment
Read more