What Does God Think of Me?: A Question of the Ages

Having a good reputation is important to many. Some live their lives trying to impress others that their perception of them may be favorable. Even if we do not admit it openly, many of our activities and conversations are motivated by the desire to be accepted and well thought of. Much time is spent wondering, “What do people think of me?”

Though we should strive to have a good reputation as Christians, it cannot dominate our motivation for how we live. The opinion of others will change according to circumstance, situation, and other invariables. Thus, their perception of you cannot always be trusted. This shows us that the Christian has to judge his lifestyle by this question, “What does God think of Me?” God’s view of us should challenge the Christian’s character development.

And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Job 1:8 (KJV)

We find in the scriptures that God thought and spoke well of Job. Have you ever thought that if God held a conversation about you, what would it consist of? From the Job account, we discover four things that God thought and spoke of with Job. The desire of the Christian should be that God could say the same of us.

None like him – God said that there was none like Job in the earth. This speaks to the Christians individuality. Are you a person who goes with the crowd? Can you only function by feeling accepted? Job stood out from everyone else. In your walk with Christ, you should strive to stand out, not for personal glory, but that all may be able to behold His presence in your life.

Perfect and Upright – God said that Job was perfect and upright. This speaks to the Christian’s maturity and integrity. Like Job, one should strive to grow and mature in the faith. Your life should be an example to others of the conduct of those who know Christ.

Fears God – Job feared God. This implies Job’s reverence and respect for God. He understood that God was good, gracious, and all powerful. His conduct reflected his fear of God. Do you respect and appreciate God? Does your lifestyle reflect His goodness, graciousness, and awesome power?

Eschews evil – Job shunned evil. This demonstrates Job’s zeal for righteous living that he actively avoid sinful practices. Christ came to save us from sin. As Christians, we should, like Job, avoid the very appearance of evil that the testimony of Christ be not hindered.

What does God think of You? This is the question that every Christian should ask. In doing so, the Christian’s character can be perfected in Him.

Comments

The Committed Christian

Am I Committed? Self-examination is a vital component to the Christian life. Without it, the Christian will not experience personal growth and spiritual maturity. Paul challenged his readers to examine themselves… Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. 2 Cor 13:5 (KJV) Self-examination in the life of the Christian serves a two-fold purpose. The first is to ensure that the individual is walking as a true Christian (characterized by the words “in the faith”). The second purpose is to propel the Christian to a greater expression of Christ’s character and nature in their daily walk. From this, we can see the importance of self-examination. Self-examination always leads to questions. These questions should challenge you to look at yourself in a candid fashion. One important question that should arise through self-evaluation is “Am I Committed?” Commitment keeps you focused during difficult times. It helps bring stability to your life when things around you ar

What Is Your Reason for Living?: Motivated by Love for Christ

What is your reason for living? Is it your spouse, family, job, ministry, friends, or even yourself? For the Christian, the reason for our existence should be Christ. When Christ is not at the center of our being, we will struggle internally to continue to serve Him. We must remember that He gave His life that we would have eternal life. On the shores of the beach, Jesus came to the disciples and ate with them. He asked Peter: “Lovest thou Me more than these? Or, do you love Me more than these?” (John 21:15) We must consider this question and our answer presently. Whatever you love will become your reason for living. It will become the “these” in your life. There have been many speculations of what is the subject of “these” in Jesus’ question to Peter. There are two popular viewpoints. First, they represented the fish. Peter and some of the others had returned to their former profession of fishing. Second, they represented the other disciples. Since Peter denied the Lord on the nig

The Art of Endurance in the Christian Life

In athletics, there are events that measure success by the speed, strength, and ability. However, there are events, which are a matter of endurance, rather than pure skill or ability. In many of the strongman competitions, certain events not only require skill, but endurance. Not only must the competitor be able to lift or carry the weight, but also they have to do it for a sustained amount of time. Thus, their ability to lift or carry becomes secondary to being able to endure the weight. The same applies to the Christian today. We learn the scriptures and spiritual truth, but many do not know how to endure hardships and challenges. We gain skill, knowledge, and understanding, but in the time of testing do not last. Every Christian has to learn The Art of Endurance as they grow in God's grace and knowledge. Without endurance, the Christian can possess spiritual insight and knowledge, but cannot last long enough to see the fruits of it flourish in life. There are six aspects to the

On D.E.C.K. with Roderick...

Search This Blog