HOW DO YOU FEEL? (part-12)

HOW DO YOU REALLY FEEL ABOUT THOSE AROUND YOU?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
Honor one another above yourselves.
(Romans 12:10)

MEDITATION:
Something unique happens whenever people are saved and surrender
their lives to the Lord. God has a major impact on their character and
their perspective on life. Instead of being focused primarily on what
they want, they suddenly have an unusual concern for others. In fact,
they often think about the needs of others more than they think about
themselves.

We can think that having a concern for others ahead of ourselves is not
a natural feeling, but God changes the hearts of those who belong to Him.
It is awesome when we stop and think about it, isn’t it? God can (and will)
change us from who we are, to who He wants us to be.

God has a plan for every believer, and in order for us to ‘fit’ into His plan,
and be useful in His efforts to ‘save’ the lost, we need to be transformed by
Him. When we realize we need to care about others, at the top of our list is
the Lord, Himself. When we are concerned about the Lord and His mission,
we will welcome His efforts to ‘sanctify’ us (even if it means we will have to
leave our ‘comfort zone’).

Imagine, the God of the universe wants us to be part of His world mission
to reach very lost person. We may not have any idea how and where He will
use us, but we will find ways to shift our priorities so we will have more time
for worshipping and serving the God who saved us. It is not something easily
understood by those who are ‘unsaved’ and are still living for themselves.

Living creatively for Christ, in the home and around extended family
members, is the acid test for any Christian woman or man. It is far
easier to live an excellent life among our friends and others, because
we are aware of how to influence public opinion by putting our best
foot forward. Living for Christ in our home and around our family
is much more challenging. Why? Because we have to be ‘real’.

Our own family circle knows whether Christ lives in us and
through us. We can post things on social media that implies
to those who barely know us, or don’t know us at all, that
Christ lives in our heart, but those who are close to us, know
if He really does live in us. They know the depth and sincerity
of our faith.

They can see through our smoke screens because they know
who we really are. They know if we are making sacrifices for
others and for the Lord. They know of the things we are doing
to serve the Lord and to encourage others. They know when we
have sacrificed time and/or resources in order to help others.

If we are true Christians, we will life a life at home that does not
‘give in’ to a bad temper, impatience, fault-finding, gossip, being
unkind, causing problems, suspicion, selfishness, infidelity, being
a drama king or queen, laziness, etc.

Instead, we will reveal through our daily life the fruit of the Spirit,
which is love, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), and all the other
Christian virtues, which round out a Christ-like personality. When
others observe us, they should get a glimpse of the qualities of Jesus.

ACTION:
As believers, there are a few questions worth asking ourselves:
    – “Does the Lord truly live in my heart?”
    – “If the Lord lives within me, how do others know?”
    – “If the Lord lives within my heart, does my family know it?”
    – “Can God, and others, see a dramatic shift in my attitudes and priorities?”
    – “Am I willing to make personal sacrifices
        in order to do things for others, and for God?”
    – “What are some things I am doing to serve the Lord?”
    – “Do I constantly look for faults in others,
        and especially members of my own family?”
    – “Do I make any efforts to be understanding and encouraging to
        others, even if their actions are having an impact on my own life?”
    – “Do I encourage others who are going through a difficult time?”
    – “Am I more focused on myself and my wants, than I am of others?”

In the book of Philippians we are given a means of measuring
how much we are being transformed to become more like Jesus.
    Therefore if you have any encouragement from being
    united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any
    common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and
    compassion, then make my joy complete by being
    like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit
    and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or
    vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above
    yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each
    of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships
    with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.
    (Philippians 2:1-5)

When God saves us, we enter His sanctification process which
transforms us to become more like Jesus. How does He change
us? First of all, He starts purging us of unrighteousness, and
then He fills the void with righteousness.

With that in mind, we should ask ourselves these questions:
    – Can I identify any unrighteousness God has purged from me?
    – Can I identify any righteousness God has added to my life?
    – When comparing who I was five (or more) years ago, to who
       I am today, what positive characteristics can I identify?
    – How have my attitudes, thoughts, actions, and words changed
       during the last five (or more) years?
    – Can I identify any instances where I have sacrificed my time
       or resources in order to benefit someone else?
    – Can I identify any instances where I have sacrificed my time
       or resources to serve the Lord?
    – Has my prayer time, bible reading, worship, or serving God
       and others, increased or decreased in the past five (or more) years?
    – Can anyone else identify instances when I have dedicated or
       sacrificed time to serve God, or others?
    – How much effort do I make to show love to others (including
       family members, friends, and even strangers)?
    – How much concern do I have for the salvation of others; do
       I ‘write off’ any as a ‘lost cause’, or do I continue to pray for
       them?
    – Do I have a tendency to blame others for my problems and
       failures, or do I assume responsibility for not allowing the
       Lord to change me, my heart, my focus, and my priorities?
    – Regardless of whether others can detect how God
       has changed me, can God see how much I have changed?

When we are ‘saved’, we become a ‘work in progress’ as God
continues to sanctify us. It is not a ‘one and done’ process, but
a lifelong transformation. In other words, we should continue
to see changes in our lives until we see Jesus and look forward
to hearing Him say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

If we are not seeing a continuation of God changing our
lives, what does that say about our relationship with Him?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for saving me and giving me
a new heart. Change me from the inside out so that I will
have new attitudes and a greater respect for others, and
for You. Make me aware of the areas of my life that are
still self-centered, and help me to replace my selfishness
with selflessness. Instill in me a desire to worship You in
a way I never have before. I have a yearning for others to
know that I belong to You by what they see in me. May I
live so close to You that Your love will flow through me to
them. Thank You, Jesus for going to the cross and making
this change in me possible.”

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