“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Do you ever find yourself paying “lip service” to God? We are diligent to attend bible classes, worship assemblies, and even gospel meetings and vacation bible school; yet even in such outward appearances of “faithfulness,” is it ever the case that we’re merely going through the motions? In Acts 8:4 we read that, when the Jerusalem disciples were being hounded out of town by hardcore Jews, they “went everywhere preaching the word.” Notice that the Christians who did what WE usually think of as mission work were not the apostles, nor the elders, deacons, or preachers; they were the church (vv. 1 & 3) — “just” ordinary Christians!
In Proverbs 3:5-6, Solomon advises us to “trust in the Lord” – but are we trusting in God if we keep silent while someone opines as “fact” something we know is not biblically right? Are we trusting God when we avoid conversations with folks we know are interested in spiritual things simply because they might choose to argue rather than let the bible direct their thoughts? Am I trusting in God when I fall short in my stewardship responsibilities because, “Well, I have bills to pay!”? (By the way, are you setting yourself up to “rob God,” Malachi 3:8, in order to pay for Christmas gifts?) All too often, our own understanding leads us to that old saying about never discussing politics or religion when trust in the Lord should help us see that the very thing our sin-filled world needs is a frank and honest discussion of the gospel! The wisdom of God says we should speak boldly, like the prophets and saints of old (cf. Jeremiah 20:7-9 and Acts 4:20)!
Brethren, the point in writing these things is not to anger or shame anyone – it is to simply emphasize very strongly that genuine Christian commitment CANNOT be anything “less” that complete dedication to the Lord and His way! “Less” does not exalt Him in any way, and we shouldn’t expect Him to “lift us up” if we aren’t willing to do the same for Him. When the Holy Spirit inspired Solomon to write that we should exalt God in ALL our ways, that instruction covers every facet of our lives; we should lift Him up in our homes, in our daily behavior in the workplace and in public, in our dealings with each other as brethren, and especially in our words to those who are outside the “ark of safety” that is the body of Christ. Anytime we step over the boundary of God’s will – whether it’s in a “small” matter or a “huge” one – we’re exalting ourselves in place of God. Therefore, let’s “examine [ourselves] as to whether [we] are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5), and make the firm decision to “…humble [ourselves] under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt [us] in due time” (1 Peter 5:6)!
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