AM I MY FATHER’S CHILD?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see
your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.”
(Matthew 5:6)

MEDITATION:
We have all heard phrases like, “Always put your best foot forward”.
When we participated in team activities as kids, we often heard our
parents say, “Do your very best”. When we were young, we had to get
a final inspection from our parents (usually our mom) before we left
for school, and our inspections were even more thorough before going
to church.

Why in the world were our parents so concerned about our appearance
and our behavior in public? It could be for many reasons, but more than
likely one of the main reasons was, the way we looked and how we acted
was a reflection on them as our parents.

As their children, if we looked shabby, or if we misbehaved in public, then
others would think we didn’t have very good parents, right? Others might
think our parents were messy, disorganized, and could possibly be someone
who causes trouble.

As children, we need to remember that our parents are often judged
by our appearance, actions, attitudes, and words. But it doesn’t stop
there, it continues into adulthood. Others will sometimes judge our
parents by what they see in us.

Most everyone likes compliments, but there is something special when
we know our parents are proud of us and our accomplishments. Being
a parent can be the toughest job we could ever love, but it is subject to
mistakes.

However, when a parent sees how others react favorably to their child,
it can give parents a feeling that even with the mistakes, they might have
done a few things the right way. The most important thing for a parent to
know is that their children belong to the Lord. That is the reflection every
parent should hope they contributed to in some way.

What about those of us who belong to the family of God (His children)? 
The things we do and say can influence the opinions others have of the 
Lord, can’t it? Don’t we want to make God proud of us by the way we live 
our lives? We want others to look at our heavenly Father favorably, right?

If we are a child of a loving God, but treat others unkindly or unfairly,
how will they feel about the Lord we worship? Would they think we are
children of an unkind and unloving God? That is not the impression we
want others to have of the Lord, is it?

We want those who are lost to discover and receive the same salvation
from God that we have been given. It means we have a responsibility
to suppress our natural desires and to allow the Holy Spirit to be in
control of our lives.

If we allow our natural desires to prevail, then how can our words
and actions glorify our Heavenly Father in heaven? Glorifying Him
should be the highest priority of those He has rescued from sin and
adopted into His family, right?

Every believer has been given a ‘light’ from God for us to shine
before others. If we want to confirm our faith, we must share it;
we must be witnesses for God. Our ‘light’ is not something to be
hidden for fear of misrepresenting our Father, but it is a light of
faith and hope that we should want others to see in us.
    You are the light of the world. A town built on
    a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light
    a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put
    it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the
    house.
    (Matthew 5:14-15)

ACTION:
What kind of ‘light’ are you to others? Our light is impacted
by the type of light we allow into our lives, isn’t it?
    The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are
    healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But
    if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will
    be full of darkness. If then the light within you is
    darkness, how great is that darkness!
    (Matthew 6:22-23)

When others see our light, are they pointed toward the Lord
or away from Him? Whenever we are saved, it doesn’t mean
that we no longer must work on improving our words, actions,
attitudes, etc. We are a work in progress as the Lord continues
to sanctify us for His purposes.

Being a child of God means we have a greater awareness of how
others can be influenced and impacted by the things we say and
do. As a member of God’s family, we mustn’t let down our guard
and overlook how our actions, words, and attitudes can be viewed
outside our inner circle of friends. We could have a negative impact
on others who are lost and in need of salvation.

We might be treated rudely and disrespectfully at times by some people
who go to church with us (even good friends), but fortunately God gives
believers a greater tolerance for this type of treatment from others. How?
He reminds us that we also have flaws, but He still accepts us.

But for non-believers, it could cause them to have the wrong opinion
of what God expects from those He rescued from sin and adopted into
His family. Our actions can cause lost souls to develop a curiosity about
salvation or drive them away from any interest in the Lord.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your gift of salvation. When
I received Your gift, I became an adopted child of Yours and I
know that everything I do and say will reflect who You are to
others. Help me to have a new awareness of the things I say
and do, and how I interact with others. Teach me to correctly
carry the light You have given me. I pray that others will be
drawn to You through what they see in me. Remind me to be
respectful to all, to encourage everyone, and to be a pleasing
reflection of You.”

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