PC3 Devotions

Whether you realize it or not, today is filled with opportunities. Leveraging your life for impact is not just a matter of the heart, but also of the mind. It is a way in which we view all of life so no moment gets wasted. It is through this lens we perceive the world around us.

In today’s passage found in Colossians, we are instructed to be wise and pay attention:

Colossians 4:5

5Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

Make it a point to be aware of what is going on around you—particularly when those around you may not know or understand God. It is in these moments that we have opportunities to influence. The reality is people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

We have been given a chance to represent God’s grace and reflect His character in such a way to impact another human being—who is also made for God. So we must be wise. It is way too easy to move through our days so consumed by our own agenda that we ignore what is occurring in the places where we’ve planted.

It takes a mindset to think of others first and consider ourselves as servants. Don’t let any opportunities slip through the cracks to make Christ’s heart known.

Lord, there are people I come in contact with all the time who do not know You. Help me to be aware of the opportunities that are before me—and make the most of them. May I be used by you for your glory. Amen.

Statistics show that more than 60% of people lose their temper at least once per week. These stats should get you angry because you know the other 40% of respondents are not being honest. Each one of us has buttons that, if pushed correctly, amp up our emotions and cause us to freak out. These triggers have the ability to set us off on a path of destructive words, thoughts, and behaviors if not dealt with properly.

When you are angry, you should take notice. Why? Because anger serves as an indicator of disarray happening within your heart. Our anger is a gauge of what is taking place on the inside. Jesus confirms this point. In Luke 6:45, Jesus says, “For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” Later on in Matthew 15:18-19, Jesus takes it a step further. Take a moment and consider these words found in Matthew:

Matthew 15:18-19

18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

To understand anger, we have to look at our heart. Proverbs 4:23 encourages us to guard our heart because it serves as the “wellspring of life.” What is taking place within our heart when we get angry? There are numerous reasons our emotions get all amped up: feeling our “rights” have been violated, frustrated over our current circumstances, not having control over a situation, our pride getting hurt, feeling misunderstood, being disrespected, or someone blocking what we desire.

At the core of all these reasons is the fact that you wanted something and didn’t get it. James 4 tells us that the source of our quarrels and fights “come from the evil desires at war within you.  You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.” Kill seems like a pretty harsh word. But in Matthew 5:22, Jesus placed the anger you hold towards someone on the same playing field as the sin of murder. The Bible says we shouldn’t take our anger lightly. It is no wonder, then, that scripture also urges to not let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:26) and to put all anger away (Colossians 3:8, Ephesians 4:31).

Selfishness, ungratefulness, and impatience define our anger. We get angry when we don’t get what we want and sometimes think we deserve. This places us on shaky ground because people who feel they are owed something walk around with a chip on their shoulders. The longer we let this anger fester the more it clouds our judgments. Proverbs 27:4 compares anger to a flood in its power to destroy and harm.

Other parts of scripture go as far as saying anger kills the foolish man (Job 5:2). How? By consuming our thoughts and dictating our actions which tend to bring with it all kinds of sin (Proverbs 29:22). Getting angry rarely solves problems and, in fact, tends to produce more conflict and trouble (Proverbs 30:33). Losing our cool only makes things worse because we tend to act like fools (Proverbs 14:7, Ecclesiastes 7:9). The anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires (James 1:20).

Yet, Paul, the writer of Ephesians, expects us to experience anger.  He understood that emotions are God-given. Paul is more concerned that his readers understand how to manage their anger, and from his perspective the key is not allowing it to get wedged inside your heart. In other words, cut it off at its source as quickly as possible.

Instead we are commanded to be slow to anger (James 1:19, Proverbs 16:32). Yes, patience in difficult situations does bring peace and perspective (Proverbs 14:29). But that is not our main purpose for being slow to anger. During those moments of patience, we are reflecting God’s heart (Exodus 34:5, Numbers 14:18). The kindness of God, seen through His being slow to anger, is what allows us to repent. We get rid of anger and bitterness through the difficult act of forgiveness, which is both an event and process. We must forgive just as Christ forgave us (Ephesians 4:32).

Understanding the love God has for us is critical in helping us process through our anger and tense situations. We want so desperately to control our own world and have everything fall into place. We desire to be the one who dictates our path and our direction. In a way, believing we are in control of anything is foolish. God is in complete control and holds everything together by His hand (Psalm 103:19, Romans 8:28). He controls the laws of the universe, the tides of the ocean. Our very existence depends on Him. We can rest in the fact that the one who is in control of everything loves us deeply. This helps us from agonizing over trying to control every situation or fuming with negative anger over our current situation.

God, may I not take my angry lightly. Help me to confront the real reasons I freak out and get angry. Enable me to see the deeper issues taking place within my heart. Shine your light on these areas. Expose them for what they are. Amen.

Philippians 4:8-9

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

When we permit our worry or concern to stay longer than it needs to, dangerous behaviors and results can occur. The longer we freak out the more things spiral out of control. Thoughts that initially seemed harmless and we gave little attention to soon become ones that hamper our trust in God and prohibit us from growing. We are paralyzed by our thoughts. As we learned a few days back, a person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls (Proverbs 25:28).

There is hope that in the midst of any uncertainty we face we can walk securely. We are not defenseless to our scrambled brains. It all hinges on what we see because our perspective shapes our actions. The absence of truth doesn’t really matter until you can make sense of what you see. We must have a way of dealing with the world when it doesn’t make sense and all we want to do is worry. This is why renewing our minds and capturing out thoughts is so critical to our spiritual formation and battle over freaking out.

Captive thoughts prepare one to see correctly. When we meditate on His word, we become well attuned to hear those quiet voices inside of us that are quite simply a whisper from God. Scripture spends a great deal of energy focusing on the importance of conquering our mind: setting our mind (Colossians 3:2), renewing our mind (Romans 12:2), submitting our mind (Psalm 26:2), and preparing our mind (1 Peter 1:13).

Our thoughts and what controls our mind determine the way in which we experience God. Yet, the importance of capturing our thoughts and renewing our mind are rarely stressed in Christian circles and even more rarely practiced as a spiritual discipline. We let our thoughts run wild in our mind with little to no self-control. This, in turn, causes us to struggle to experience an intimate relationship with Christ and trust in Him when our world is thrown off kilter. Worry and the push to control fill the vacuum in the absence of truth.

The struggle over our mind is really a struggle over who we are. Beginning to live in the knowledge that we are His beloved will help us in any struggles that we might face in life. What controls our mind often determines our actions. We become what we set our minds on. The first step in renewing our minds is remembering who we are in Christ. It is crucial we align our perspective with what it is true, solid, good and right. Only then will we begin to realize that God is ultimately in control of every situation we face.

God, often when I am freaking out my mind is all over the place. Help me to renew and prepare my mind for those moments when I am tempted to worry or overact. May I see the situation I am facing through a different lens, one that is guided through your love for me. Amen.

Colossians 1:9-12

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

Attention has become the soundtrack of our times. Overreaction is the new reaction. In the age of YouTube videos, Twitter, Facebook, reality television and 24-hour news stations, everything has been given the same sense of urgency. We’ve been fed a steady diet of drama, drama and even more drama. We’re told to worry about this and pay attention to that and as a result we can’t tell the difference between what really matters anymore.

Sadly, attention has become the highest marker that we can hope to achieve. This speaks to the health of our culture. In the absence of love, attention becomes a very, cheap substitute. It is no wonder that very few of us exhibit any self-control. In a weird way, freaking out has become the new “normal.”

Everyone is crazy. Nobody has it all together. We all have issues. But, many of us try to cover our craziness with control. We tend to think that the better we can control our circumstances the less likely people are going to notice what is really going on. If we can just control our circumstances a little bit better than we won’t appear as crazy as we are.

We spend so much time and energy trying to control everyone and everything and no time learning to control what we’ve actually been commanded to control – namely ourselves. We want to control our circumstances more than we desire to control ourselves.  Freaking out is giving up what you can control in an effort to control what you can’t.

Everybody prays when they are freaking out. Unfortunately, if one were to look at the prayers of most Christians during these moments, they would see something surprising. We tend to think that God strengthens us to get what we want. God give me strength to control my kids, my husband, my finances, etc. We want God’s power in our life so we control the things we don’t think God is doing a good enough job controlling. We ask God to change our circumstances rather than change our heart.

Stability and gratitude are markers of spiritual maturity. God never promises for a believer’s life to be easy and free of troubles. The purpose of a walk with God is not status quo. Stability shouldn’t be mistaken for predictability and the absence of difficulty. Rather, we can witness if stability is taking root in our lives by judging how we react, or in some cases overreact, to the circumstances around us. Stability measures the way we walk by faith and not by sight.

The emotions we feel towards the circumstances we face are very important. They can serve as markers towards our growth. This in no way undermines the legitimate emotions of sorry, grief, anger or disappointment, but instead helps us measure the condition of our hearts in response to the circumstances that often damage our hearts.

We think self-control happens as a result of sheer will power and is not a fruit of the spirit. But, today’s scripture reminds us that sober mindedness and self-control are needed for our prayers. There needs to be a level of endurance in the situations we face. Controlling yourself is critical for surrendering yourself.

God, I want my life to be marked by stability and gratitude. Do the work on my heart in order to get me there. Help me to realize I sometimes cannot control my circumstances, but I can take ownership in regards to my response to those circumstances. Amen.

Colossians 1:9-12

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

Philemon 1:6

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.

Throughout the Bible, we see story after story of God using ordinary people to do extraordinary things in the lives of others. Yet, the idea of picking up the pieces of another’s shattered life makes you second-guess your decision of entering someone’s world. If you boil down this fear down to its’ root cause, you notice it is driven from an incorrect view of how change takes place inside an individual and our role in producing that change. Coming along someone does not mean you are a problem fixer.

The responsibility to solve the problem isn’t up to us. When we feel that change only happens through our hands, the relationship changes. First, you begin to lose sight of the individual and instead see them as a “project.” The relationship is no longer strictly loving, but one where manipulation exists in that your actions are driven solely to change, show, fix and convince the individual about the “truth” of your side.

This leads you to bank on the person changing, which causes frustration and disillusionment if the person continues making the same mistakes and little change appears evident in their life. Eventually we will waive the white flag and give up on engaging the individual. What we have to understand is that God is not asking us to be repairmen by feeling the burden to solve every problem. The fact is humans cannot fix human problems.

Change takes an act of God. We are tasked with coming alongside others through their problem as they walk with God. We have to believe that the problem cannot get bigger than God. If we focus on solving the problem and not the walk with God, we are reducing God to something smaller than the struggle at hand. When we can understand this, the load is lifted from our shoulders as we are no longer responsible to solve others problems, just come alongside them through them. What we have to learn is how to shine this light into the dark places of people’s lives and then walk with them through the process of transformation.

The word gospel actually means “Good News.” Our mindset needs to change from TEACHING salvation to SHARING the good news. We need to move in a direction that allows us to reveal to others how to have a relationship with God. This begins by expressing what He has done in our own lives and pointing to the hope that we have found in Christ.

The news we are expressing is the impact of a changed life. Salvation is not a system or formula. It is not about doing the “Christian thing” by conforming to a religious lifestyle. Instead, salvation is a conversion experience that produces change in one’s life. True change causes people to take notice of God working in your life. The message that speaks volumes to family and friends is your life impacted by God’s love.

There is another key element that is relevant when sharing the gospel with someone that is often taken for granted. It is the issue of relationship. When you have a relationship with someone, you know whether person has placed their hope on a shaky foundation and can speak truth into these areas. Realizing you have their best interest at heart, they trust that your words are coming out of a place of love. Over time you will have multiple opportunities to share your faith.

Yet, a surprise twist comes at the end of our efforts to impact others and affect change in their lives. God uses our obedience in moving into other people’s lives to produce change in our own. This is where He stretches you and molds you into His image. The truth is God doesn’t need you to produce change. He could do this on His own. Instead, He allows us the opportunity to share the love of Christ to others so we will grow.

It is odd to think that these interactions with others are just as much about God forming us then it is about giving hope to others. The active sharing of your life, your faith and your mission is precisely how you gain full understanding of every good thing you have in Christ. This is why the mission to “reach people and help them walk with God” must be a personal mission.

God, may I be an agent of change in this world. Use me in the live of those around me. Give me the eyes to see the opportunities you present to make your name known. Amen.

Yesterday we learned that God is omniscient, which means he knows everything and that His understanding is infinite. His perfect knowledge means that he knows you intimately, more than you can ever understand or fathom. Today we continue our task of taking the fear out of big theological words in order to get a glimpse into God’s heart. We turn our attention how God is all-powerful and present and the security this provides us when we trust these aspects of His Character.

OMNIPOTENT

Colossians 1:16-17

16 FOR IN HIM ALL THINGS WERE CREATED: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; ALL THINGS HAVE BEEN CREATED THROUGH HIM AND FOR HIM. 17 HE IS BEFORE ALL THINGS IS BEFORE ALL THNGS, AND IN HIM ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER.

Mark 10:27

27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD.”

Jeremiah 32:27

27 “I am the LORD, THE GOD OF ALL MANKIND. Is anything too hard for me?

Psalm 33:8-9

8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. 
9 FOR HE SPOKE, AND IT CAME TO BE; HE COMMANDED, AND IT STOOD FIRM.

Imagine the amount of power required to speak a universe into existence. How much force was needed to stack up the mountains, carve out the sea and scatter the stars? The only force able to accomplish such a feat is the creator himself. God is all-powerful. He can do anything! He parted the Red Sea, He fed people with manna, He healed and He raised people from the dead.

If God can do all of this, it seems foolish we would ever doubt that He could transform our character. God is great and powerful, but we must invite Him to be powerful in our lives. His strength is always there, but it is up to us to be receptive towards allowing His power to reside in our heart. At times, we can feel utter hopeless in our attempts to produce change and conquer sin. Yet, we can have hope knowing Christ was powerful enough to defeat sin on the cross. On top of needing God’s power to have victory over our struggles, we also need it to fulfill the charge we’ve been given to make disciples and being light to a dark world.

 OMNIPRESENT

Jeremiah 23:24

24 Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “DO NOT I FILL THE HEAVEN AND EARTH?” declares the Lord.

Psalm 139:7-12

 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 
8 If I go up to the heavens, YOU ARE THERE; if I make my bed in the depths, YOU ARE THERE. 
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 
10 EVEN THERE your hand will guide me, 
your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 
12 EVEN THE DARKNESS WILL NOT BE DARK TO YOU; the night will shine like the day, FOR DARKNESS IS AS LIGHT TO YOU. 
   

John 4:24

24 God is SPIRIT, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.

Psalm 34:18

18 The Lord is CLOSE to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

God is everywhere at once. From the depths of the sea to deep in space, God is there. Because we are Christians, He is always with each of us. Nothing is hidden from God. Though we can’t see Him with our eyes, we can experience His presence.

This brings us great comfort, knowing that we will never be alone. Wherever you are, God is present. God wired us as relational beings because in His essence He is relational. What makes Christianity different than other religions is God doesn’t just exist. He desires to be in an intimate relationship with His creation.

God, thank you being with me always. Even in the midst of those moments when I feel alone and helpless, you are there. God with you all things are possible. Amen.

Having painted a picture of the person you want to be at the end of 2012, your natural tendency will be to haphazardly hang the still-wet canvas on the wall and start along the path of transformation. Yet, this reaction will have you running in a thousand different directions because numerous godly characteristics make up the person you desire to become. By attempting to instill each virtue all at once, the likelihood is you’ll quickly burnout and be frustrated when all of them do not take root.

Instead of letting the wet paint run and blur your vision for change, you must take the time to narrow your focus. When you invest time and energy into developing a certain aspect of yourself, it will positively effect and spill over to other areas of your character.

To help refine your search, today we want you to meditate on a few scriptures that speak of virtues that have the potential to become your One Word. Read the scripture passages found below.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away

Colossians 3:12-17

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Galatians 5:22-23

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

What are some words found in these passages that resonate with you? Why do you seem to be drawn to these words? Don’t rush to pick your One Word. It is critical you trust the process. Study Scripture, pray and seek counsel. Allow God to put your One Word upon your heart.

God, I’m so prone to rush the process. Instead of taking the time necessary to reflect on the work you are doing within me, I set off in a direction and hope I am going the right way. May I seek your face first and foremost. Allow me to quiet my heart in order to hear to your voice. Amen.

Colossians 3:12-14

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

The likelihood of ever hearing someone say, “I do not need forgiveness” are pretty slim. Yet, this is exactly what each of us is saying when we withhold our forgiveness from someone, including our spouse. For a moment, think of a situation where you currently find it challenging to forgive and extend grace to your spouse. What was one of your initial thoughts when your spouse sinned against you? How could they do that to me? I would never do that to them!

Having taken for granted our need for grace daily, we become the one who judges the weight of each sin. The ruling we have handed down is that our small sins seem minuscule and insignificant compared to the injustice we have encountered from our spouse.  Since the scales come out on our side we are free to go along and hardened our heart towards the one who caused us pain. With our eyes blinded with planks, we measure another’s sin based on the damage done to us and judge it far too great or painful to merit our forgiveness.

The other mindset of “you don’t think you are forgivable” follows the same prideful train of thought. Even though it gives the appearance of humility, this statement is one of the most arrogant statements one could make. Is one humble or prideful if they feel the issues in their marriage are too big for God to handle? This is only a hop, skip and jump away from trying to repay your debt through good works instead of resting in God’s mercy.  Your actions are driven by the inability to forgive yourself for the things you have done. Due to the blood of Christ, God has pronounced you not guilty. Rather than living from this freedom, you grab the gavel, pronounce yourself guilty then proceed to place the chains back on, shut the prison door and live the rest of your life riddled with guilt. Without knowing it, you have overruled a decision handed down by the ultimate judge: God himself.

These viewpoints develop when we allow the joy of His forgiveness to grow dim. After the initial shock of how much God loves us wears off, we go on with our daily lives where we tend to focus on our present struggles and temptations. If we do not saturate ourselves in Him, God quickly becomes compartmentalized and over time the influence of His grace on our life and marriage is a thing of the past. The way we handle the things life throws our way, including the hurt caused by others, is eerily similar to our pre-Christian days. We live in the flesh by drawing on sheer will power to muster the strength to forgive others for their wrongdoings or proving we are worthy of grace through our actions. Our lives are no longer centered on grace and living for God, but living under the law and imposing the weight of it on others (Romans 8:5-8).

When we do not understand that who we are in Christ is due solely to God’s grace, forgiving our spouse will never take root as a habit in our lives. Failing to recognize the hand that has been extended to us by God will keep us from offering our hand to others after they fall down. Our ability to forgive is simply an extension of the grace we have received. If we do not extend grace, it demonstrates our lack of understanding God’s forgiveness, which stands as the crux of the gospel. Our message of love and mercy then falls on deaf ears. Forgiven people are to be forgiving people.

God, help me to forgive to the extent I’ve been forgiven. May I trust that your forgiveness is big enough to cover my transgressions. Allow me to walk in the freedom of your grace and mercy. Amen.

Matthew 18: 21-35

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. ²⁵ Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

²⁹ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

In Colossians 2:13-14, Isaiah 53:1-7). Our concern should now focus on how our actions will advance the kingdom of God and not on our personal well-being or selfish desires.

God, thank you for the amazing forgiveness you extend to me. May I grasp the depths of this forgiveness in order to forgive those who have hurt me. Enable me to trust you with my hurt and pain. Thank you for being my comforter. Amen.

As we are committing Proverbs 3:3-4 to memory, we have a command and a result.  The command: Keep kindness and truth around your neck.  The result:  You will find favor.  Let’s read:

Proverbs 3:3-4
3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So that you will find favor and good repute
In the sight of God and man.

We will find favor and good repute with God and man.  This passage speaks of having a good reputation- that those who know you hold you in high esteem.  The implication is that the way we live our lives affects the way people see us.  And this is a result of keeping God’s kindness and truth around our necks and living accordingly.

Our good reputation that comes with God’s favor has a purpose.  God wants our lives to reflect Him image and express His love.  Certainly our actions should speak for themselves, but we are also called to use our influence with a sense of intentionality.

Colossians 4:5-6
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Pay attention to the way you act.  Pay attention to the favor God’s granted.  Use it.  Take advantage of it.  Not so you can gain the upper hand, as we are so prone to do.  But we are to seize the opportunities provided by God’s favor by extending and articulating God’s grace.  This requires being mindful of His favor and being a great steward of the influence it brings.

The Scriptures remind us that this is not just a by-product, but something we pursue…

Proverbs 22:1
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.

This verse addresses the tension we face when we find favor.  We can use our favor to get a favor or to leverage our influence for impact.  Riches might buy us a reputation, but a good name will grant us influence.  God’s favor comes with responsibility.

Lord, help me to be mindful of my reputation for the sake of Your purposes.  Give me the wisdom to make the most of the opportunities I will have today and give me the courage to seize them.  Help me to notice when I take advantage for my own gain in order to replace this tendency with Your call to extend grace.  Speak to me and speak through me today…  and help me to use my influence for Your purposes.  Amen.

Take a moment and think about the people who think well of you.  How can you seize the responsibility that comes with God’s favor?