Monday December 12, 2011

Read 2 Timothy 3:1-9

 

I counselled a young man who had been abusive towards his wife and children. Unfortunately this had been a pattern of behaviour for several years. What astounded me was the claim he continued to make as we sat and chatted in my office. Over and over again he said these words,

‘I love my wife’. Would you feel loved if someone were bashing you or ridiculing you or hurting your children? The claim ‘I love you’ is meaningless unless it is backed up by actions and words and conduct. Otherwise it’s a lie. Love cannot exist in our minds and hearts in isolation from our actions and words and conduct.

 

As I look at the world I see a world that does not love God. On the contrary, it shows its utter hatred of God by the way it conducts itself. It’s not hard to find examples of the kind of conduct that Paul talks about in 1 Timothy 3 - self love, pleasure seeking, a lack of gratitude, treachery, disobedience to parents, a total abandon to physical desires and so on. What is really sad is the self inflicted blindness of the world towards God and His raised right hand of judgement.

 

But the church (not the building), the people of God are to be markedly opposite to what you see in this list. If you were to put a list of complete opposites you’d start seeing that Christians by their actions and lifestyle show that they love God more than anything else in the world. “By their fruit you shall know them” said our Lord and Saviour.

 

In many parts of the world the Christian church is growing because believers are letting their love for God flow out in their words, their actions, their conduct and their treatment of others. Africa once had about 4% Christians and has rapidly grown to 46% because of such love and lifestyle. India is following a similar trend. South America and China are on the same track.

 

What a joy to think that our lifestyle speaks volumes to a lost world about our Saviour’s love and grace. What a blessing to know that the way we live can be used by the Lord as a magnet to draw others to Christ. How fulfilling to know that my conduct, my words, my treatment of others can be and is a testimony to the awesome God I worship.

 

Make a covenant or pact with God to live out your faith no matter what the cost.

 

 

 

Prayer:

¨ Ask God to continue to bless the new Teen Challenge Girls Facility.

¨ Pray that the girls in the programme will come to a saving knowledge of Christ  early and have this time to grow in His grace.