Mark 9:42 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."
Sitting in my office this morning I was looking at the people outside that would walk by our office and just stare in at us. I remarked to my assistant, "ever feel like you were in a glass fish tank"? She started laughing and I heard the Lord say, "You are". I just sat there for a few minutes realizing what He told me. I am sitting in a virtual glass house. So are you.
Do we take into consideration that the very way we live our lives, the way we conduct ourselves, is an important method of witnessing to others. Especially to young Christians, those that are new in the church and have just began to trust the Lord. They are watching us, to see how we act as a child of God. That is an awesome responsibility, but one that is expected of us. Our walk with the Lord will be watched by Christians and non-Christians alike. There is an assumption by so many of how Christians are to act. This assumption use to bother me a lot, as I always try to act the way I should but some folks feel Christians should be somber, quiet, and a little, well you know what I mean, all the time. They do not realize that we, also, are human with human qualities that are not always perfect. Well, that are never perfect but they want to perceive us that way. Thank You, Lord, for Your grace and mercy.
But I am off track, you notice, I tend to go that way sometimes; forgive me. We are to live the way the Lord tells us to. He will lead and guide us in His righteousness, in the way that He walked this earth. Do you think the Lord never laughted and teased with His disciples? I can see the Lord just loving to fun with them and laughing with them as they walked along the road, or sat around a table enjoying a meal together. Joy of the Lord, His joy is fun and free. But never once did He do anything that would have made His Father wince, or be ashamed of Him. He always did the will of His Father.
Such is the example for our lives. Jesus knew everyone was watching Him, those to emulate Him, and those to ridicule and condemn Him. The same holds true for us today. There are those that watch us and want to be like us; I don't care for this as I chose that they want to be like my Lord, all should be encouraged to keep their eyes on Him alone, not us. There are also those who watch us to criticize us and find fault in something we do so they can condemn us in our Lord. Holy Spirit, guide me, keep me in my Lord at all times, letting me only live to bring Him glory. But we are watched. If we can strive to live as our Lord Jesus did, to always live our lives to bring glory to Him, careful not to do things that would grieve Him, then we are where we should be.
We cannot live to man's standard, and should not want to. Sometimes the standard is extreme and sometimes so low it is shameful. The Lord's standard for our lives is just and fair. He only expects us to live our lives totally in love with Him, worshiping Him with our lives. When we walk in the Light, we stay out of the dark areas of this world that would harm us and grieve the Father. When we walk in the Lord, in prayer and service to Him, we are living our lives as He would have us to.
Glass houses, we do live in them, there is nothing we can do about people watching our lives. They will do so.....we can, however, give them an example of living in the Lord, and showing the peaceful and joyful lives that life with Him brings to each of us. I love my glass house, as the walls are decorated with mercy and grace, joy and peace, with blessing after blessing dripping off the roof. I pray that anyone who looks at my glass house, sees it as a temple of praise, a sanctuary of worship and the Guest of honor, my Lord Jesus, always residing there.
01-21-12
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