Hey All,
How often do we ask ourselves: Am I living a life worth imitating? Maybe not to often or maybe once a week? For me I feel that when we are bold and identify ourselves as a christian in the work place or with anyone we interact, it raises the bar on our actions. Our friends will always understand some lapses in behavior but honestly, I appreciate the one’s that aren’t afraid to hold me accountable to a higher standard in life. Life is a journey and how we go about our daily business confirms our reputation. A reputation of a person of integrity or a person of questionable values. You see words mean nothing as compared to our actions. Let’s dig a little deeper into Psalm 26 to see what David has to say about this subject.
Psalm 26:1-3 Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Examine me, O Lord, and try me; test my mind and my heart. For Your loving kindness is before my eyes. I wish I was as confident and bold as David to ask the Lord to Examine Me, Test my Mind and My heart! There are days that I do not waver and overall I would give a passing grade on living a life that shows integrity, trusting in the Lord and not wavering. Has my life always been this way? Absolutely NOT! I thank God for his grace and the men and women that have been placed in my life over the years to help my grow in my relationship with the Lord. It is only because of this growth that we fill up on Christ and leave our old life behind. Paul said this well in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold new things have come. I had someone explain this to me once as the same as a caterpillar going out on a limb and spinning his cocoon on a branch. After weeks of being in the cocoon what comes out but a beautiful butterfly. A butterfly cannot ever be a caterpillar again. So once we accept Christ we are a new creature, a beautiful butterfly that everyone wants to watch the life that we live for Him. David continues to talk about how life is not perfect.
Psalm 26:4-7 And I have walked in Your truth. I do not sit with deceitful men, nor will I go with pretenders. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked. I shall wash my hands in innocence, and I will go about Your alter O Lord, That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving and declare all your wonders. I appreciate that David can simply not sit with evil men, pretenders or deceitful men, but let’s face it life doesn’t always give us that choice. God warns us that we should be careful interacting with non-believers as it can change our view on life if we are not strong in faith, but we are called to be disciples. Who did Jesus seek? Tax collectors, Gentiles, and anyone who needed help. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Living a life of integrity, a life that is worth imitating is showing our light into the world. Finally David reminds us where we get our strength to do this work.
Psalm 26:8-12 O Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where your glory dwells. Do not take my soul away along with the sinners, Nor my life with men of bloodshed, In whose hands is a wicked scheme, and whose right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I shall walk in integrity; Redeem me and be gracious to me. My foot stands on a level place; in the congregations I shall bless the Lord. Yes Lord all of our strength comes from You! Whether we are in worship with others or prayer we seek Your direction for our lives so that we can fulfill His will for our lives.
So to wrap up
Father God help us to be a light in the community living a life worth imitating. Lord give us strength and wisdom to handle to work that you call us to do on a daily basis. Finally Lord give us the opportunities and make us bold in our faith to be disciples for You. Amen? AMEN!
images sourced from google images
Amen Karl! My pray is that God would search my heart and remove anything that is not of Him. BUT I am not sure I always want my comforts and security removed. God is teaching me that the Only security and assurance I have in this life is through HIM! I cannot rely on my spouse, family, friends, my stuff or even myself…I can only rely on Him AND HE IS ENOUGH 🙌🏻
In response to 2 Cor. 5:17 and the caterpillar’s death within its chrysalis as it morphs into the butterfly:
” . . . mere improvement is not redemption, though redemption always improves people even here and now and will, in the end, improve them to a degree we cannot yet imagine. God became man to turn creatures into sons: not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man. It is not like teaching a horse to jump better and better but like turning a horse into a winged creature” (C.S. Lewis, from ‘Mere Christianity’).