Ask for advise and you’ll get a barrage of ideas. Some may only be
“something I heard” tips but others might actually be proven ways that work. When
it comes to living our lives, asking for and trusting advice given can be tricky.
There are many out there that are more than happy to tell you what to do but
don’t follow their own advice. The “do as I sayers”. Jesus had a special name for these people
- hypocrites.
These people angered Jesus because they were Jewish leaders giving instructions to God’s people which was mis-leading and not according to God’s word. They had no personal knowledge of the suffering of the people and had no love for them either. Feeling they were excempt from having to worship or give sacrifices at all, they dispensed atonement requirements for their personal gain. It was certainly not Godly advice.
Most of us aren’t pastors but we
do go to work or go to school, belong to Sunday Schools classes, church Bible
study groups, families, facebook, twitter, community clubs, fitness clubs, PTA,
etc… At these places there are people that could one day ask for advise. When
they do we don’t need to have our lives all together, but we will need to have
practiced what we preach.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:19 “Therefore anyone who sets aside even the
least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in
the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be
called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
When I was gathering up stories for this blog years ago I found a card in
my Bible with a note reading, “If it doesn’t work at home –don’t export
it”. Then these three words:
study/practice/teach.
Studying the word of God takes effort.
The vast majority of people would also say its not very exciting. For some it
can even be overwhelming however (I’ve learned) the more you do it, the easier and
more rewarding it becomes.
Practicing the Christian Life takes
time. The disciples spent three years with Jesus in His every waking moment and
still some got it wrong. Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied knowing Him,
Thomas doubted Him and the others never thought He’d come back at all. However,
they were all used of God to spread the gospel and the good news of Jesus.
Teaching the Word of God and telling
others how to apply it to life takes guts. The word of God tells us that we
will be persecuted in the name of Jesus, some of us even unto death. Remember,
death can take many forms and doesn’t have to be the loss of life. It can also be the loss of a job, loss of a
friendship, ending of a marriage, or even death of a lifestyle you thought you
wanted. Teaching about Jesus puts us out there and subject to evaluation by
others. Our home life better be up to the scrutiny. This is why the Word also tells us to “live
above reproach”. (1 Tim 3:2)
God
wants us to share with others the work He is doing in our lives. This is our story or testimony. When we preach, teach or give advice He wants
us to have studied and practiced His ways at home first.
**
Lord, I want to be called by your name. I want others to know who you are
through my life. Help me to know when it’s the right time to share my story and
when to give Godly advice. Help me be more diligent in studying the Bible and
putting into practice the wisdom you reveal. Forgive me for those times I have opened my
mouth only to build myself up instead of really helping someone get closer to
you. I love you.**
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