Daily Devotional for August 7, 2012

Revelation 2:2-3
I know everything you have done, including your hard work and how you have endured. I know you won’t put up with anyone who is evil. When some people pretended to be apostles, you tested them and found out that they were liars. You have endured and gone through hard times because of me, and you have not given up.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

I am not sure there are more people who pretend to be someone or something they are not in this day and time than any other era… perhaps we just know more about them. With today’s technology, we have little problem finding out virtually anything and everything about another person… particularly if he/she has elected to take a spot center stage in the public eye. So we at least know and hear a lot more about those who “fall from grace,” so to speak… or whose claims are overstated.

We also live in a time where any one of us can be brought into public view on any given day and criticized for what we say or do… even if we are innocent of the charges. There is plenty of room for misinterpretation. This is a slippery slope… do we remain silent and have people conclude that we agree with the opinions of others? Or do we voice our own sentiments and risk ridicule and attack from those who disagree? I have a few friends who have expressed their viewpoint on social media outlets and suffered greatly via responses (and downright attacks) from other “friends” - many who claim that their own viewpoints represent the “Christian” perspective. I have to wonder how they think some of the unkind and disrespectful comments these responders post help their case – or truly represent a life modeled after the teachings of Jesus!

I don’t want to be guilty of using this scripture passage – or any other – out of context… and you may be asking how these two verses from Revelation are relevant for us today. There are three things I believe we can take away from this passage…

1. God can use these verses to show us that what we say and do matters. We must be tolerant of the other guy and his opinions… but we must also be careful and alert. We must weigh carefully all comments and actions - and prayerfully consider how they line up with what God is showing us through His word and our daily communication with Him.
2. Many good bakers will tell you to “sift twice” when you are measuring dry ingredients. In Spiritual terms, we would also do well to vigilantly sift what we assimilate. We must be very careful to speak fairly… to treat all comments with kindness and respect… and to always sift through the nonsense and concisely state the facts. And when unkind and disrespectful comments are wielded in our direction, we must not waver… nor retaliate.
3. People are watching. More importantly, GOD is watching. He knows our heart… and our motives. He takes notice of how we treat others… and how we react to their treatment of us.

Someday, I plan to stand before God as He welcomes me into Heaven. I want to know that I have done all that He expected of me. I hope to hear Him say, “I know everything you have done, including your hard work and how you have endured… You have gone through hard times because of me, and you have not given up.” I know that our tolerance of others … our love through Christ for each of His children… will all be worth it. In fact, it already is. Wouldn’t you agree?

©2012 Debbie Robus