Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Gracious John
St. Andrews MTC
16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such
sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Tis the season! It’s the time when we see decorations, long lines at stores, traffic for no reason, and of course presents. In the middle of all this hustle and bustle, there is often a time of self-reflection. We can regularly see the people re-focus on the idea of doing good (especially on social media), being grateful, enjoying family, and hopefully remembering that the true meaning of the season is the birth of Our King.
In this passage we are urged to continually give praise, but also that the same lips of praise must do good and share with others (fruit). Consider the greeting, “Merry Christmas.” A greeting of praise that sounds great, but often does not bear fruit. The passage is calling for recognition as well as action. The words: praise, do, and share require thinking and then performing a specific function. God recognized the need for salvation and He acted by sending His Son for us. However, we live in a society that constantly tries to replace the Good News of Salvation with the good news of sales or, even more popular, replace Christmas with X-mas. We are racing to Merry Christmas while ignoring the manger! Along with presents, that are fun and spread joy, we must take an active role in spreading the joy of Christ. The passage does not imply a single season of praise and good works, rather a lifestyle.
We must go beyond the comfort zone of our churches and into the world to spread His Love. Christ was sent from all heavenly comforts for the fullness of life and now, we are the responsible bearers of His name. In order to fulfill this, we must follow Christ’s example. We must continually offer a “life song” of praise. We must actively think or meditate on these things so that we can then act upon them. As we wish others a Merry Christmas, let’s use our thoughts, words, and deeds to share the reason for the season, Jesus Christ the King.
Tis the season! It’s the time when we see decorations, long lines at stores, traffic for no reason, and of course presents. In the middle of all this hustle and bustle, there is often a time of self-reflection. We can regularly see the people re-focus on the idea of doing good (especially on social media), being grateful, enjoying family, and hopefully remembering that the true meaning of the season is the birth of Our King.
In this passage we are urged to continually give praise, but also that the same lips of praise must do good and share with others (fruit). Consider the greeting, “Merry Christmas.” A greeting of praise that sounds great, but often does not bear fruit. The passage is calling for recognition as well as action. The words: praise, do, and share require thinking and then performing a specific function. God recognized the need for salvation and He acted by sending His Son for us. However, we live in a society that constantly tries to replace the Good News of Salvation with the good news of sales or, even more popular, replace Christmas with X-mas. We are racing to Merry Christmas while ignoring the manger! Along with presents, that are fun and spread joy, we must take an active role in spreading the joy of Christ. The passage does not imply a single season of praise and good works, rather a lifestyle.
We must go beyond the comfort zone of our churches and into the world to spread His Love. Christ was sent from all heavenly comforts for the fullness of life and now, we are the responsible bearers of His name. In order to fulfill this, we must follow Christ’s example. We must continually offer a “life song” of praise. We must actively think or meditate on these things so that we can then act upon them. As we wish others a Merry Christmas, let’s use our thoughts, words, and deeds to share the reason for the season, Jesus Christ the King.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, we praise You for coming to this earth for our salvation.
Help us to love, heal, and help others as You did. We offer our lives as a
sacrifice of praise and acknowledge that You are our King. In Jesus Name.
Amen
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
"And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love
mercy and to walk humbly with your God". Micah 6:8