Proverbs 13:20 He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
"You cannot fly with eagles if you are hanging around turkeys" Jay Strack
If you are are not paying attention to who you are hanging around you can quickly find yourself in a place you do not want to be. If you do not believe me than just ask Micheal Vick. Not to bring it up again but who he hung around led him to do things that were regrettable. Many people believe that they are stronger than their friends and can bring them up instead of being pulled down by them. Although we are called to reach out to our friends we have to be careful that we are not influenced by them.
Most of the time we do not pick people we hang around but we gravitate toward them. We are placed in situations where we have to be around them and so we just start this natural bond with them. Solomon is warning us that who we hang around is important because our friends can lead us to do dumb things. THey may lead us away from our own goals and the dreams that God has given to us. They may lead us to simply not reach the potential God has. If you have dreams and aspirations and someone is trying to keep you from reaching those dreams then they are not a true friend.
Have you ever asked yourself, 'Where is this relationship leading me?" Why not?
Are the people you are hanging around looking out for your best interest? Are they the type of people that want you to help them with their success and never help you with yours?
Jay Strack calls it pushing someones wagon up the hill. They are people that will use you to help them get their wagon up a hill but will never be there when you need help getting your wagon up a hill. What Jay Strack is saying is that you have to be leery of people who are always calling you or using you for their benefit but do not have your best interest in mind. They are people that ask and ask and ask always wanting more but are never willing to lend a hand or to even ask what your needs might be. They are selfish people with only their own goals and agendas in mind. Sometimes those people have no goals or agendas and that is also dangerous.
Proverbs 27:12 The wise see danger and take refuge the simple keep going and suffer harm
Do you have a check in your spirit about who you are around? Is God trying to tell you something about them? You can be simple and keep overlooking their faults but one day you will get caught in the same mess they are in. You can suffer simply by who you hang around. The choice today to stop certain relationships will only pay off in the future. The initial pain and separation can lead to ridicule and judgement. Only in the future will you see that those you had to separate from was for your benefit.
The destination isn't always clear. But when we are given an early warning sign, that's our cue to act. To do something. To take refuge. And there will be awkward moments. There will be decisions that even those closest to you will never fully understand. But in the end their will be relief. In the end you will have avoided unnecessary regret. (Andy Stanley, The Principle of the Path, pg 55)
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Ambassador
Ambassador: A diplomatic official of the highest rank sent by a government to represent it on a temporary mission.
2 Corinthians 5:14-21 14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
I love how the verse starts with being compelled by Christ love. We do crazy things for love. We spend money and hang out to all hours of the night because we love people. If you start with being motivated by Christ love you get a whole different perspective of serving God. When you look at God as a task master you serve because you are scared. When you are compelled by love it is a joyous adventure.
John 20:21 21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Have you ever thought that God wanted to speak to your friends through you? That He wanted to use you in the neighborhood, the ball team, the club, job or school you are at? You are where you are at not by accident but because God has planned for you to be there on His behalf to be a mouth piece for Him. (Acts 17:26-27)
Have you ever been mad at someone you did not even know? The only reason you were mad at them was because of things other people said about them. Have you ever done that and then discover that the person you hated was not that bad of a person? This is how it is with God. People do not like Him or have a misperception of who He is based on bad information they received from others. That is why God calls us Ambassadors. We are to go and speak with people about Him and represent Him.
2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
Have you ever been around someone with body odor? I mean you do all you can to not smell their body odor but you can not get away from them. When we do not represent God in the way we should then we are body odor to those around us. As ambassadors our lifestyles should be such that people are drawn to God and not repulsed by the smell we are letting off.
Philippians 2:14-15 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe
Is your life different from those around you? When everyone else is doing wrong are you the one who is doing right? If you are then your life will stick out like a shining star. Not everyone notices that shinning star but some will. When they do notice it will draw them closer to God.
What if you knew one of your friends had 24 hours to live and you had 10 minutes to talk to them. What would you say? Why not say it now?
If you read Mark 2:1-12 you see 4 friends that did all they could to bring their friend to Jesus. What length are you willing to go to for your friends? What is standing in the way of your friend meeting Christ? Whatever it takes just get them to Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:14-21 14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
I love how the verse starts with being compelled by Christ love. We do crazy things for love. We spend money and hang out to all hours of the night because we love people. If you start with being motivated by Christ love you get a whole different perspective of serving God. When you look at God as a task master you serve because you are scared. When you are compelled by love it is a joyous adventure.
John 20:21 21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Have you ever thought that God wanted to speak to your friends through you? That He wanted to use you in the neighborhood, the ball team, the club, job or school you are at? You are where you are at not by accident but because God has planned for you to be there on His behalf to be a mouth piece for Him. (Acts 17:26-27)
Have you ever been mad at someone you did not even know? The only reason you were mad at them was because of things other people said about them. Have you ever done that and then discover that the person you hated was not that bad of a person? This is how it is with God. People do not like Him or have a misperception of who He is based on bad information they received from others. That is why God calls us Ambassadors. We are to go and speak with people about Him and represent Him.
2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
Have you ever been around someone with body odor? I mean you do all you can to not smell their body odor but you can not get away from them. When we do not represent God in the way we should then we are body odor to those around us. As ambassadors our lifestyles should be such that people are drawn to God and not repulsed by the smell we are letting off.
Philippians 2:14-15 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe
Is your life different from those around you? When everyone else is doing wrong are you the one who is doing right? If you are then your life will stick out like a shining star. Not everyone notices that shinning star but some will. When they do notice it will draw them closer to God.
What if you knew one of your friends had 24 hours to live and you had 10 minutes to talk to them. What would you say? Why not say it now?
If you read Mark 2:1-12 you see 4 friends that did all they could to bring their friend to Jesus. What length are you willing to go to for your friends? What is standing in the way of your friend meeting Christ? Whatever it takes just get them to Jesus.
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