One Component of Quality as a Child of God

Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me - John 20:20,21

We live in a very odd time. A week or so ago I wrote about the simplicity of life in past centuries. There was a time when we had fairly high agreement from the masses about what was right and wrong and that actions were quite black and white from a moral perspective. A man of character is one that can observe but not be attracted to the idolatry of our time; an idolatry that simply takes anything, good or bad, right or wrong and attempts to have it serve self. Those who do not bow their knee to the culture are people who have declared their allegiance to the one true and eternal King, Jesus Christ. These are people who have humbled themselves in the sight of God and, even when that sight is not within the sight of man.

There was a time when only the great and the gloriously gifted would face the challenge of vanity. It's not so any longer. A nation that has since resigned the concept of greatness has also embraced an immodest version of individuality. We're all special and ergo, we all have the right to elevate self and consider our desires as supreme. In the process of your personal development, you will find great temptation to make a name for yourself, to, by man's account, become "something;" to gain public notoriety, to get the a personal version of the concept of "glory," to increase your fees, to demand your rights, and to anticipate red carpet treatment. You're in authority now! People are standing up and taking notice of your exploits! The temptation is great to consider self first and view others in terms of how they view you rather than caring for them; being considerate and gracious to others first.

To this subject my friend Chuck Swindoll said this, "Let me remind you that if you're in life only for yourself, you'll have no endurance. On that precarious top of the ladder, you'll always have to maintain your balance by maneuvering and manipulating, lying, deceiving, and scheming. But if you're committed to kingdom-related excellence, when you go through times of testing, you can count on kingdom endurance to get you through."

I like that.

If you have the kind of faith that demands to deeply understand the whole purpose of God, then you dare not leave out a personal commitment to the Kingdom of God! This means you spend time alone and apart and that your meditation allows the Holy Spirit to work in you God's good pleasure and a personal definition of His will; which normally translates into His uncovering place His mercy and grace have not 'til then uncovered.

It means that your personal stewardship of time, talents, relationships, assets and finances usually will go through a process of dialogue between you and the great God of the universe. In the end your love for Him translates into His glory in you! It makes a reality of, "Christ in you the hope of (the) glory." It means things will change and your peace and joy will be increased and devotion multiplied.

I'm not suggesting I know what the Holy Spirit and you will come to in these conversations. There will or should be more than one. It should mean that ownership goes back to the original owner and your care for them return to one that honors His faith and confidence in you. The following of me part of that little verse at the top implies much. What it does not imply is that anything more than you should be a concern. You follow as you are led. You do with the stuff that makes up this life as you are instructed. It's a component of a life full of depth and breadth of quality; the kind of quality an eternal King gains honor through and by.

Simple...(smiles) right? I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~