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He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. I John 2:6 (NKJV)
Jesus walked with purpose. When one walks with purpose, they neither jog or saunter. They are not wandering around, but have a purpose in mind, a destination to get to and a mission to accomplish. Those who walk with purpose are seldom distracted by their surroundings. Throughout the gospels, especially in the book of Mark, verbs define Jesus’ life.
Jesus also walked with passion. His purpose was fueled by the passion he had for his mission. And people were his mission. His passion for people empowered him to love them. His passion attracted those who lived a lifestyle completely opposite of what he stood for. His passion for others rose above politics, ethnicity, and gender.
Jesus walked with wisdom. He knew what he stood for. He knew what his father, Jehovah God, wanted from him. He did what needed to be done, while at the same time taking care of himself physically, spiritually and emotionally.
Abiding in Christ means that we walk with passion, purpose, and wisdom through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11
Remember the “Where’s Waldo” pictures? It was quite a fad for a while. You would be looking for Waldo, in the midst of a bunch of other very similar looking people or backgrounds. Sometimes it is almost impossible to find Waldo.
When the apostle Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, he had a few things to talk to them about. While they were very strong in some areas. They were very weak in others.
One of the ways that they had become weak was in taking on the attitudes, and sometimes actions of the surrounding culture. In fact, sometimes the church in Corinth was actually worse in their morality than the culture around them!
Paul reminds them of two things. First of all, he reminds them of the life that they used to live. Lives marked by immorality, partying, and lies. Then he reminds them of how life should be different for those who follow Christ.
We are called to be different than the world. To stick out, to stand alone, to rise above the chaos. We are not called to be chameleons, camouflaged by current trends.
The Old Testament tells the story of three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were their names, who were commanded to bow down to an idol when the trumpets blew.
Everyone bowed down to the idol except these three guys. Imagine how they stuck out from the crowd. It may be hard to find Waldo in some pictures, but it was easy to find those three!
Yet they took a stand and God delivered them. The same is true for us. Don’t be a chameleon. Stand above the rest. Be excellent in your words, actions and attitudes. Be Jesus in skin. That way, when people say, ‘where is Jesus’, they will be able to look to you and know exactly where he is.
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Psalms 91:5
Remember when we were young how we would be afraid of the dark? You’d hear a noise and be sure a monster was under your bed. As you grew older, you knew there wasn’t a monster under your bed. Your mind told you to go back to sleep, your body sent off all kinds of alarms. You may have even gotten up, turned on the lights and walked through the house just to be sure there wasn’t anything awry.
Darkness is, by nature, scary because darkness hides the unknown. Physically that may be a chair or toy on the floor, or an intruder. Spiritually the terrors of the night could be worry, fear or anxiety over relationships, work issues, or the condition of our society. What we don’t know can scare us the most at times. The Psalmist reminds us that we can rest assured that whatever lurks in the darkness has already been seen by a loving Father who protects us from things we don’t know and walks through the things that affect us.
The Psalmist also assures us that we will be protected by the arrows that fly in the daylight. Today, arrows have been perfected as to accuracy and distance. But when the Psalmist wrote this, the archer was fairly close to his intended victim.
For us, arrows can symbolize attacks that happen in broad daylight. The enemy can’t be seen in darkness, and he can’t shoot an arrow at you. But in the daylight that’s a different story! Arrows come from those you see and, perhaps, even know. These ‘arrows’ can be the criticism and rejection you endure from a close friend. They can be the accusations of those who disagree with you or your opinions. They can be the arrows of misunderstanding.
The Father’s promise is this. Whether the things attacking you are out of the darkness, meaning you didn’t have a clue they were there, or you saw the attacks coming, you can know this. He is aware of your situation. It doesn’t matter how you got where you are, He is there to see you through it. Faith conquers fear. Light conquers darkness. God’s protection covers all.
So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:11
I am a friend of God.
Let that sink in. The creator/sustainer of the universe calls me his friend.
Friends enjoy each others company.
Friends may not talk for a season for whatever the reason. But when they reconnect it’s as if they were never apart.
Friends know each others likes and dislikes.
Friends are patient with each other and their strange quirks.
Friends defend each other.
Friends don’t measure the depth of their friendship by expectations.
I am a friend of God! I have nothing to offer Him, but through Jesus He gives me more than I can imagine.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 