DO YOU HAVE A FAITH THAT IS EXCITING AND FULL OF JOY?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and
even though you do not see Him now, you believe in
Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”
(1 Peter 1:8)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever thought about what would cause others to be attracted
to the Lord? As an example, the lost would probably be more attracted
to the Lord if they see Christians enjoying life and fellowship with each
other.

If children fail to see any joy in their home or joy in our Christianity,
they are less likely to be attracted to the Lord and have a desire to…
‘surrender their life to Him’.

Children may see us excited about going to a ball game or watching
something on television, but see us lazy and unenthused about things
of a spiritual nature (such as worship, reading the Bible and praying).
Our actions (or inactions) can cause them to get the idea that we don’t
think our relationship with the Lord is very important.

If they see us going to ball games, fishing, playing golf or any other
activities instead of worshipping with other believers on Sunday, it
will be difficult for them to believe that a relationship with the Lord
is important to us.

Our attitudes and actions (or inactions) will often rub off on them. If
they don’t see an enthusiasm in our attitudes toward spiritual things,
they will likely consider things related to Christ as dull and boring,
which can lessen the chances of their being attracted to Jesus.

There are many children today who are making (or have made) bad
decisions, and some of them can be a result of parents who failed to
show them how important God is to them. Some drop their kids off
at church but don’t attend themselves.

Others don’t even take their kids to church or encourage them to love
the Lord and enjoy His blessings as they fellowship with other believers.
Raising a child in a Christian environment is no guarantee that they will
not make some bad decisions, but it might lessen the probability that they
will; and it could increase the chances of their surrendering their life to Him.

As followers of Jesus, our actions (or inactions) can also cause others to
doubt the validity of our faith, even if we don’t know of their doubts. We
can have a negative impact on the lives of others when we are not in close
fellowship with the Lord. God saved us and He has a desire and plan for
using us to have a positive influence on the lives of others. Through us He
can prepare the hearts of others for listening to the Holy Spirit and being
led to surrender their lives to the Lord.
    For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus
    to do good works, which God prepared in advance
    for us to do.
    (Ephesians 2:10)

When we cause others to be disinterested in Him, we are not only
letting God down and not fulfilling our purpose as a believer, but
we are also causing harm to God’s earthly ministry, and the work
of others He has called.

We have a responsibility to influence others in the right way and we
can’t do that if they fail to see us enjoying our faith and belief in the
Lord. Some followers of Jesus may wonder how God wants them to
serve the Lord; if we are unsure, we should understand that showing
how important God is to us, is a great starting point to serving Him.

ACTION:
Questions to consider:
    – Do others know how important the Lord is to me?
    – Can others see the joy and enthusiasm I have in worshipping Him,
       or do they see a casual faith that looks more like a fulfillment of an
       obligation?
    – Would others describe me as a believer who is excited about
       attending God’s house, or would they say that I look like I
       would rather not be there?
    – How do I feel about my own faith and worship?
    – Do I allow other things to take a higher priority than worshipping God?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for saving me. Forgive me if I
have caused others to think that a relationship with You is dull
and only a duty to fulfill. Help me to change my attitude and
habits so that others will see how appreciative I am for what
You did for me, and how much joy I have in my relationship
with You. I pray that others will see that I have given You top
priority in my life. Help me to live so close to You that those
around me will see Your joy in and through me.”

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