March 4th

We are not to isolate ourselves, we are to reach out. We cannot love the THINGS of this world and love Jesus, but we CAN love PEOPLE with the love of Jesus. So, how do we reach people with this message of love? We remember we are the light. We live like we are a mirror reflecting Jesus.

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

We have to remember that our job is to reflect the love of Jesus. To do that we have to be winsome. That is kind, full of character, integrity, doing our best in everything we do, trying to make a difference everywhere we go and caring about others rather than just living for ourselves. If we live this way, it WILL get noticed. Do your very best at whatever job you hold and it will get noticed. Be kind and caring, and it will get noticed. If you live this way, others will pay attention to your actions and they will eventually ASK YOU what makes you so different from everyone else. Because of your character and integrity, people will listen to you, and you will be in a position to have a greater impact on them. So, how do you witness to others? Live in such a way that they will find themselves asking you to tell them.

A few things to keep in mind. Paul said he was all things to all people so that he could win some to Jesus. What did he mean by that?

1 Corinthians 9:23-24 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

He is not saying that you need to pretend to be something that you are not. Let’s consider an example that may help our understanding. If you have a coworker going through a rough season in his life, you wouldn’t flaunt your success to him. Instead, you would come alongside him and pull some things from a rough season in your life to be able to give him some comfort that you understand. In that, you may have an opportunity to share Christ with him, or you may just establish a relationship of understanding that will yield future fruitful conversations. To someone weak you would not flaunt your strength, instead you would become meek and humble. The opposite is true as well. The point is, you can pull from your experiences (failures and victories) to be able to comfort and identify with those you are to reach.

If we see people through the eyes of Christ, as slaves behind enemy lines needing a rescue but skeptical to trust us because they are deceived, we can approach them with winsome attitudes that will allow us to build trust so that we can speak truth to them. People won’t want to come along with us to be rescued if we don’t seem free ourselves. But if the freedom that we have in Jesus is displayed in us then they will have a reason to want to come along.

Jesus, thank you freeing me. Holy Spirit thank you for continuing to make me free and transforming me into who I was created to be. Help me to stay surrendered so that I am always walking in that freedom. Help me to live so that my freedom is evident to those around me. Help me to see others in the light of their need for freedom.

They were all Ordinary Men. -God has a plan for each of us to be a part of his plan! Today’s verse to remind us that He has called us (the ordinary) to do the extraordinary:

2 Timothy 1:9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,