CAN GOD DEPEND ON YOU?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the
Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
(Isaiah 61:1)

MEDITATION:
God made every human being with the option of making choices for
themselves. We all have the power to choose how we will react to any
type of situation. Two people can experience the same circumstances,
but one becomes a better person, while the other one becomes a worse
person.

What is the difference? One feels that life has dealt him an unfair hand,
while the other one learns from the experience and develops confidence
and courage to face additional challenges that he might face.

The same thing can happen whenever people make bad choices. Some
learn from their mistakes and become a better person, but others refuse
to accept responsibility for their bad choices. They blame society; they
blame the environment; they blame the schools; they blame others; they
blame their circumstances, etc.

When we read the Bible, we see that Adam sinned in a perfect
environment with perfect circumstances. From his example
alone, it is easy to see that we can’t blame our failures on others.
If we expect to improve as a person, then we have to accept the
blame for any bad choices that we make.

One way to avoid bad choices is to focus on good choices. Every
believer in God has been given the Holy Spirit to assist them with
any task the Lord assigns to them. One assignment from the Lord
is to share the ‘good news’ with the poor in spirit. There are many
who have no relationship with the Lord and believers have been
anointed to tell them about Him.

ACTION:
How are you doing on accepting responsibility for your choices?
More importantly, how are you doing in pointing others to the
Lord? We can point them to Him with words, but actions often
speak louder than words. When our actions show that our faith
is real, people will be less skeptical.

When we tell others about our faith, but they cannot see any
evidence that our faith is real, then they will lose interest in
developing a relationship with the Lord. This means that we
could do more harm than good when we fail to follow the
advice of James.
    What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
    if someone claims to have faith but has
    no deeds? Can such faith save them?
    (James 2:14)

And when James referred to Abraham,
we see the importance of our actions.
    Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he
    did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his
    faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was
    made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled
    that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him
    as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that
    a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith
    alone.
    (James 2:21-24)

If we claim to love the Lord, but choose to ignore His command
to worship together, then we are making a bad choice – not only
for ourselves, but also for the impact it has on others. We are all
part of the family of God and should enjoy our fellowship with
each other.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for trusting me enough to anoint me
as an agent of Yours to point others to You. Forgive me for the bad
choices I have made in my life. Help me to understand how important
it is for my actions to support my claims to love and worship You. With
Your help I want to make the right decisions so that I can have a positive
impact on those who are lost. I also want to set an appropriate example
for my children so they will worship You too when they become adults.”

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