BE AN EXAMPLE

PRAYER JOURNAL 2/25/19

1 Timothy 4:12 Let no one despise your youth but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. (NKJV)

I would say that most of us think we are “pretty good” people…just ask us.  Oh we may fake a little humility and say, “I’m not all that” or “I fail often” or “I would never be like them or do that.” 

Luke 18:11:12 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men; extortioners, unjust, adulterers or even this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.”

Yes, take some time and listen to your self-justification to your friends and even to God… “I may do…Well at least I don’t…” OR “Can you believe that she said…or did or went?”  And to God…”God I am so thankful you have saved me from being like the sinner next door.  And God about that request I have laid before you, don’t you think you kind of owe me?  After all I pray semi-regular, I went to church last Sunday…braved the ice and snow when many stayed home and I gave $20 to that Missionary that spoke.  That’s right, God, I’ll be looking for that blessing as soon as I get home.”

YEP, WE ALL THINK WE ARE PRETTY GOOD…BUT ARE WE AN EXAMPLE TO BE FOLLOWED?

Look behind you, see the footprints you are leaving; someone is following your trail; trying to fit their fit into your prints and match your stride.  It may be a beloved child, a new convert, a neighbor or a coworker but someone is looking to you as AN EXAMPLE OF A BELIEVER.

Your children may hear you pray before you take your first bite of dinner but what do they hear when you stub your toe or someone cuts you off in traffic or when you’ve just heard a piece of juicy gossip regarding a brother or sister.

Your neighbor may be able to know its Sunday without checking the calendar just by watching you back out of the driveway at 9:30 and head toward church but where do they see you going the other 6 days of the week.

What about the new convert that you prayed with last Sunday?  Have you shown the Love of Jesus this Sunday?  What about Monday or Tuesday?  A phone call, a cup of coffee, a word of encouragement or did you just give them a hug and hand shake during the Sunday “Meet and Greet.”

Or maybe it's your coworker...the one you've been inviting to church. You wonder why they have not yet accepted your persistent invitation...could it be they saw the time card you fudged or heard your complaints about the boss or know about the time you called in sick when you really just wanted an early tee time on a beautiful day.

Now, to God, He is not impressed with your dutiful prayers or Sunday Morning Church attendance or even that $20 you dug out of your wallet...such meagerness, when God calls “giving your body as a living sacrifice” merely reasonable service.  No God adds faith and purity on top of everything else, If you want to be a TRUE EXAMPLE TO THE BELIEVERS.

1 Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. (KJV)

How can we hope to achieve such a HIGH STANDARD?  No one would ever MEASURE UP! But there is ONE who DOES MEASURE UP and we can only leave the proper footprints for others to follow if we first step into the footprints left by Jesus Christ.

None of us is “worthy” of being followed but we can all be an EXAMPLE TO THE BELIEVER if they follow us as we follow Christ.

REMEMBER….WE ARE ALL FOLLOWING SOMEONE OR SOMETHING AND WE ALL HAVE SOMEONE FOLLOWING IN OUR FOOTSTEPS…BE AN EXAMPLE!