Let’s be honest. God’s Kingdom growth over the last two thousand years is amazing. When God’s people love Him wholeheartedly and act in unity and harmony, there is nothing better. We are unbeatable.
God in His infinite wisdom decided that each of us is personally accountable to Him (2 Corinthians 5:9-10, Revelation 22:12, and Romans 14:12). I will give an account for my life, and you for yours. We are in fact one body with many parts; we do indeed belong to each other (Romans 12:5), but we are individually gifted by God. God has a good, pleasing, and perfect will for each of our lives.
We are able to trust God and stop following the patterns of this world and let God transform us as we learn His will. Our job is to conquer evil by doing good (Romans 12:21). And to repeat, we will be held accountable to God for what we do with the gifting He’s given us. Your gifting is truly a miracle. It may be speaking the Truth in faith, serving others, teaching, encouraging others, giving generously, leadership ability, showing kindness, and loving with genuine affection. It may very well be a combination of God's creative giftings.
My encouragement to you this morning is to be motivated by how exciting it is to be part of God’s body, conquering evil, and building with God. God is the Master Builder. His Cathedral has no equal. I’m encouraged this morning because Scripture reminds me that God loves everyone and He has a plan for every person (Romans 11:32).
We are God’s prized possession because we accept His gift, believe in, and follow Christ (Romans 11:19). The Bible shows us God’s character. It’s true, He is both kind and severe. As branches in God’s family tree, we know that “if you stop trusting, you will be cut off” (Romans 11:22). Keep trusting God! And, by God’s great mercy, we know that anyone who turns from unbelief and trusts Jesus will be grafted into the people of God. Only God has the power to transform lives, to give new life, and He uses it as He pleases in His way. God's way is faith in Christ (Romans 11:17-36).
I love Joshua’s words of encouragement as he commended the three tribes from East of the Jordan River for their faithfulness. That Scripture passage is a wonderful example of the power of unity and harmony in the Body of God. Joshua said, “But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul” (Joshua 22:5).
Like the people of that promised land, we too have a tendency to claim God loves some people and hates others, no matter how much Scripture says that God loves all people and desires that none be lost (2 Peter 3:9). Be confident beyond measure that God loves you. But also remember that God’s grace is free and undeserved and that we are part of the family of God because we believe in Christ.
Every person is responsible. We all have the moral ability to accept God. Not everyone will accept God’s offer of salvation. Many will, in fact, turn down God’s offer. But the good news is that many will accept God and join in the Body of Christ.
Last thought. Don’t covet other people’s stuff (Exodus 20:17). Yes, that includes their house and anything that belongs to them. But it also includes their gifting from God. Rejoice with them that they have such a wonderful gifting from God, nay, fan the flames of that gifting and help them grow. The Bible says, “Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot, but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit” (Proverbs 12:12). That’s right. We are all accountable to God for bearing fruit with the gifts the Holy Spirit gives us.
Men, as the leaders of our homes, let’s seek rewards that last. It ain’t trophies or twelve-page resumes. God help us if we waste time on useless pursuits. Pray for your wife. Pray for your kids. And encourage them with how amazingly gifted they are by Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Lord Jesus, please lead us today. We need Your voice, and we trust You as needy sheep trust their shepherd. Help us today to love discipline, pray boldly, and love each other with genuine affection, always telling the truth. Amen.
Meghan, Tyler, and the boys (our grandkids).
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