In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might.
Ephesians 6:10 AMP
The Lord spoke to me the other day. He said, “Be strong in the Lord.”
So I had to look it up. It’s the preface to putting on the full armor of God. God wants us to be fully clothed in Christ.
Think about this. God is love. Put on Christ. He is the Spirit of Truth. The Spirit of Love. Christ made a way for us to be reconciled with God. He has given us the ministry of reconciliation. What does that mean?
I believe that means He wants us to share the Good News. A friend of mine challenged me to share the bad news because it convicted her to live for God. That’s good. It shows the Holy Spirit does indeed convict our hearts. It also shows that God’s kindness leads us to repentance.
The bad news is that we’re sinners. As an evangelist, my heart is to share the Good News that God knows this and yet has offered us a way of salvation. What does that mean? Read Romans chapter 4. We’re saved by faith. But salvation is just the beginning. God wants us to live by faith.
God wants us to be disciples. He wants us to learn from Him. He wants the Holy Spirit to be our guide. He wants us to represent Him in this fallen world.
I believe my friend was encouraging me to share the message that we must live by faith. If you walk with me, you’ll soon discover that I have no idea what I’m doing. All I want to do is follow Jesus. He is our Teacher and Lord. And I believe that we should walk with Him day by day.
There is freedom in surrender. You don’t have to have it all together. You don’t have to have it all figured out. And that would be the opposite of walking by faith.
I feel like such a beginner. And my elders in the faith assure me that’s okay. We’re always beginners. Christ died on a cross. That’s our example.
Crucify your flesh. What does that mean? It means don’t live for yourself. See the bigger picture. We’re here to serve. We’re here to make a difference. We’re here to be the good people.
God is love. That’s my message. Live the message. Be a messenger. Be an example of God’s love in action. For me, that means being an ambassador of hope to the homeless community.
I’ve been homeless. I’ve slept on concrete. I’ve wondered how such a prosperous nation has so many castaways. I think it’s our selfishness that betrays us. God doesn’t want us to be selfish. He wants us to love our neighbors. He wants us to see our common humanity. He wants us to love one another.
Everything that God said in the Bible is a call to action. Love one another. If you love God, you will love people. God is the author of love. If you love God, you will become like Him.
Love your neighbor.
Amen.