2 Timothy 1:5-7
I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
One recent Sunday as we ate our Burger King lunch, Timothy launched into a presentation of several lines from the vintage film, “Frosty the Snowman”…as in, “When the thermometer turns red, I start to melt. I don’t like red thermometers.” He went on for several minutes. We don’t know what prompted this, but he often quotes movie lines. He is a walking encyclopedia of movie excerpts. Zola has begun to find her “voice,” and often, she mimics Timothy – or the adults around her. For instance, on a recent trip to the playground, she kept saying, “Be careful, Timmy! Be careful!” I know she had heard either Greg or me say that to her big brother. Let me tell you, Timothy and Zola miss virtually NOTHING!
I know I sound like a broken record, but someone is almost always watching. They see when you gripe and complain in the grocery store line. They notice when you smile and say “Hello.” They observe how you interact with your family members and friends…whether you are kind and considerate – or rude and obnoxious. People notice when you speak to them…and when you don’t! People also pay attention to whether your talk matches your actions – or doesn’t. So when you sing in the youth choir – or are front and center at every Bible study and worship service – then speak unkindly about someone or always seem to have an axe to grind…others take note!
When “Christians” talk about their faith and how much God means to them in one breath…and belittle the less fortunate or spew hateful remarks about those who differ in their politics, denomination or religious belief, race, creed, color and/or sexual orientation…all of that “witness” goes out the window. Who will believe you when you say you care, if you have behaved in a manner that indicates anything other than compassion and acceptance?
I realize that all of us say or do things at one time or another that are ungodly…or at best, not very nice. But in general, I was blessed that my upbringing apparently included more examples of tolerance and compassion than those that were undisciplined or exclusive. And I am trying very hard to be a good example to those whom I encounter – of all ages - but especially the younger ones. When I see Timothy and Zola greet others politely and with a smile…when I hear them speak to others and answer, “I’m just fine…how are you?” to those who inquire of them…I am blessed. I see God working in these little children to create a spirit of love and compassion for others…and I am more determined to foster a spirit of power and self-discipline in them, their little brother Nathan, and other youngsters whom we encounter. Perhaps someday they will look back and think of their Uncle Greg and Aunt Debbie as faith-filled Christians who demonstrated God’s love and care to others – and taught them to do the same.
What about you? Regardless of your upbringing, you have the ultimate “Fatherly” example of how to treat others in the life of Jesus Christ. You have God’s word…and if you are in close communication with Him, you have His guidance and understand His will. Essentially, you have no excuse for behaving with a “spirit of fear and timidity”. If you are truly listening to God and following His lead, you can’t help but operate in His power and unconditional love for others. Because of God’s influence, you should be able to exercise self-discipline and keep your words, thoughts and actions in line with His will and Jesus’ example.
It’s time for us to take a personal assessment…time to give our lives a good hard look…to examine what we are showing to others. People are watching and listening…they are looking at us and deciding whether or not we demonstrate Jesus’ love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and compassion.
When others look at you…what do they see? More importantly, what image of Jesus are you sharing with them? Will the faith of those who preceded you continue strongly through you and on to future generations? Will it even be visible at all?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label following Christian examples. Show all posts
Showing posts with label following Christian examples. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for August 6, 2013
Philippians 4:9
Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Today, my nine-year-old cousin Olivia spent the day with us. Olivia’s mom is a kindergarten teacher who has already returned to work for the new school year. So I invited Olivia to come have a “sewing/craft” day with me. When I picked her up at 9:00 a.m., she told me that what she really wanted to do today was cook! I asked, “What would you like to cook?” She decided we should bake cupcakes. So bake cupcakes we did… and Olivia carefully watched every step in the process. I put flour into the sifter… she sifted. I mixed buttermilk and cocoa powder, and she stirred. She scooped the batter into the cupcake papers. We both checked them for doneness as they baked! I told her I was not any good at frosting cakes, and she said, “Don’t worry… I’m great at it…I’ll teach you!” And she truly did show me a few tricks!
We also sewed… I helped her make a little felt purse for her American Girl doll, and she helped me cut out some fabric flowers to enhance a dress that we made for her. Things move quickly with a nine-year-old, so you try a lot of different projects in one day! We even drew a flower and worked with pastels, and I showed Olivia how to blend the colors and smooth them… something she learned to do quickly and really enjoyed. And she taught me how to be a “shark” when playing Monopoly!
I know that at least a few of the things we did today will stick with Olivia. We looked at several of my cooking utensils, and I told her some had come from her great-great-grandmother (my great-aunt). We talked a lot about cooking, and I told her about the women in my life who taught me to cook… especially my grandmother and her great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother. She also told me, “I won’t taste the cupcake batter, because it has raw eggs in it.” She is listening and watching… and putting into practice what she learns and receives from the “teachers” in her own life.
It gets better…Olivia’s mother shared with me that last night at bedtime Olivia prayed for me and for our time together. Now that is the perfect example of putting into practice what one has learned! When we reach a point in our faith where we deem it important to pray about something as seemingly trivial as a “play-date” with a friend or relative, we have successfully put into practice what we have learned and received from God and faithful parents and “teachers”. And for such attentiveness and obedience, God gives us His abiding peace.
I often say that we could learn a lot from our children… and Olivia is a great example of this. Before her tenth birthday, she has learned to pay attention to the “lessons” that surround her… and she is busy putting her knowledge into action. Sadly, at some point many of us seem to “catalog” our lessons rather than incorporate them… especially when it comes to Christian discipleship and how we share Jesus with others. You don’t have to look very far to see that often this directly correlates to a spirit of discontentment, fear, disappointment and chaos in our lives.
Wouldn’t you rather operate in God’s peace? Don’t you see that God has given us perfect instruction and models for this through His Holy Word and the discipleship of many in our midst? Are you paying attention and learning from these examples? Are you practicing what you receive and putting this information into action in your daily living? Do you know that it’s never too late to learn something new? Won’t you make this the day you start acting like a true Disciple? Are you ready to experience the peace of God?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Today, my nine-year-old cousin Olivia spent the day with us. Olivia’s mom is a kindergarten teacher who has already returned to work for the new school year. So I invited Olivia to come have a “sewing/craft” day with me. When I picked her up at 9:00 a.m., she told me that what she really wanted to do today was cook! I asked, “What would you like to cook?” She decided we should bake cupcakes. So bake cupcakes we did… and Olivia carefully watched every step in the process. I put flour into the sifter… she sifted. I mixed buttermilk and cocoa powder, and she stirred. She scooped the batter into the cupcake papers. We both checked them for doneness as they baked! I told her I was not any good at frosting cakes, and she said, “Don’t worry… I’m great at it…I’ll teach you!” And she truly did show me a few tricks!
We also sewed… I helped her make a little felt purse for her American Girl doll, and she helped me cut out some fabric flowers to enhance a dress that we made for her. Things move quickly with a nine-year-old, so you try a lot of different projects in one day! We even drew a flower and worked with pastels, and I showed Olivia how to blend the colors and smooth them… something she learned to do quickly and really enjoyed. And she taught me how to be a “shark” when playing Monopoly!
I know that at least a few of the things we did today will stick with Olivia. We looked at several of my cooking utensils, and I told her some had come from her great-great-grandmother (my great-aunt). We talked a lot about cooking, and I told her about the women in my life who taught me to cook… especially my grandmother and her great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother. She also told me, “I won’t taste the cupcake batter, because it has raw eggs in it.” She is listening and watching… and putting into practice what she learns and receives from the “teachers” in her own life.
It gets better…Olivia’s mother shared with me that last night at bedtime Olivia prayed for me and for our time together. Now that is the perfect example of putting into practice what one has learned! When we reach a point in our faith where we deem it important to pray about something as seemingly trivial as a “play-date” with a friend or relative, we have successfully put into practice what we have learned and received from God and faithful parents and “teachers”. And for such attentiveness and obedience, God gives us His abiding peace.
I often say that we could learn a lot from our children… and Olivia is a great example of this. Before her tenth birthday, she has learned to pay attention to the “lessons” that surround her… and she is busy putting her knowledge into action. Sadly, at some point many of us seem to “catalog” our lessons rather than incorporate them… especially when it comes to Christian discipleship and how we share Jesus with others. You don’t have to look very far to see that often this directly correlates to a spirit of discontentment, fear, disappointment and chaos in our lives.
Wouldn’t you rather operate in God’s peace? Don’t you see that God has given us perfect instruction and models for this through His Holy Word and the discipleship of many in our midst? Are you paying attention and learning from these examples? Are you practicing what you receive and putting this information into action in your daily living? Do you know that it’s never too late to learn something new? Won’t you make this the day you start acting like a true Disciple? Are you ready to experience the peace of God?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 8, 2013
April 8 ~ 2 Timothy 3:13-16
But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Years ago, I attended a gala dinner at a posh hotel in Little Rock. I was handling public relations for a company whose president was an honoree at this event, so several employees were brought along as guests. Most of us were in our late twenties and early thirties at the time, and as we sat around this beautifully appointed dinner table, we whispered, “Do you know what fork we use? What is that spoon for? Are we supposed to use this glass or that one?” Most of us had grown up dining at a table in or near the kitchen… serving our meals “family-style” from community bowls placed in the center. We had one fork, a napkin, and maybe a knife - if roast beef or pork chops were on the menu!
At this dinner, we could have easily been intimidated and embarrassed… particularly if someone seated at our table had actually known what was what and decided to show us and treat us like we were ignorant! They might have even persuaded us to do something that was socially inappropriate or convinced us to do something improper… like using our soup spoon to eat our dessert. I know… pretty small potatoes in the scheme of things! Still, we were glad this did not happen. When we got home, I looked up information on formal table settings and studied what the utensils and dishes were for… in case I ever found myself in that situation again!
In our daily living, there are plenty of people who are ready to persuade us to speak or behave in a particular manner… to believe certain things because, “He/she said it was true!” It’s somewhat the “If-someone-told-you-to-jump-off-a-cliff-would-you-do-it?” syndrome. We often try to use the excuse that “everyone else is doing it,” or “So-and-so said this would be okay.” Paul is reminding us in this scripture passage that we have the ultimate “rule book” on this… God’s Holy Bible. We can live by the world’s rules… or we can study scripture and see what God has to say about the situations and challenges of our daily lives. We can listen to the media, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, or even the cashier in the check-out line at the store who wants to tell us that he/she just heard that the world is flat and the lunar landings were fabricated on a movie set in Hollywood! OR… we can listen to the word of God… hear His answers whispered to us in prayer… study the examples of Godly people in our midst… and we can choose to do what is right.
God may not tell you which spoon or fork to use at a fancy dinner. But when it comes to the important stuff, He will always give you the right answers. Who are you listening to these days?
©2013 Debbie Robus
But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Years ago, I attended a gala dinner at a posh hotel in Little Rock. I was handling public relations for a company whose president was an honoree at this event, so several employees were brought along as guests. Most of us were in our late twenties and early thirties at the time, and as we sat around this beautifully appointed dinner table, we whispered, “Do you know what fork we use? What is that spoon for? Are we supposed to use this glass or that one?” Most of us had grown up dining at a table in or near the kitchen… serving our meals “family-style” from community bowls placed in the center. We had one fork, a napkin, and maybe a knife - if roast beef or pork chops were on the menu!
At this dinner, we could have easily been intimidated and embarrassed… particularly if someone seated at our table had actually known what was what and decided to show us and treat us like we were ignorant! They might have even persuaded us to do something that was socially inappropriate or convinced us to do something improper… like using our soup spoon to eat our dessert. I know… pretty small potatoes in the scheme of things! Still, we were glad this did not happen. When we got home, I looked up information on formal table settings and studied what the utensils and dishes were for… in case I ever found myself in that situation again!
In our daily living, there are plenty of people who are ready to persuade us to speak or behave in a particular manner… to believe certain things because, “He/she said it was true!” It’s somewhat the “If-someone-told-you-to-jump-off-a-cliff-would-you-do-it?” syndrome. We often try to use the excuse that “everyone else is doing it,” or “So-and-so said this would be okay.” Paul is reminding us in this scripture passage that we have the ultimate “rule book” on this… God’s Holy Bible. We can live by the world’s rules… or we can study scripture and see what God has to say about the situations and challenges of our daily lives. We can listen to the media, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, or even the cashier in the check-out line at the store who wants to tell us that he/she just heard that the world is flat and the lunar landings were fabricated on a movie set in Hollywood! OR… we can listen to the word of God… hear His answers whispered to us in prayer… study the examples of Godly people in our midst… and we can choose to do what is right.
God may not tell you which spoon or fork to use at a fancy dinner. But when it comes to the important stuff, He will always give you the right answers. Who are you listening to these days?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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