Show yourself as an example…

We are living in a show off world where hardly we find any reality.  Sadly, show off business of the world entered the churches and diluted the spiritual quality of the believers today. We give importance to quantity of services and gatherings more than the quality. Meetings are focused on certain people more than on His glory and the extension of His Kingdom.

Apostle Paul writes to Titus while giving instruction about how to set up the Churches in Crete that, “In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds” Titus 2:7. There are four streams of thoughts conveyed in this verse. 1) In ALL things 2) show yourself 3) be an example 4) good deeds.

Let’s examine ourselves, am I an example in ALL things? Yes, we may say that we are an example in certain things and we are proud of those things. We also believe that those few things are the right things and all others must follow them. We sometimes think that we are the standard and others must follow us. This is not a Christ-like attitude.

How about our good deeds? Let’s evaluate our deeds if they are an example for others to follow. Apostle Paul was an example to the believers in Ephesus and he writes “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. Acts 20:19-21.

 

Let’s be an example.

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Prayer of the highest level… by Watchman Nee

How many of our prayers truly express the will of God? How often in our prayers is ‘self’ completely forgotten and the will of the Lord completely sought? We often think of prayer as an outlet for expressing what we need – as our cry to God for help. What we do not see is that prayer is the asking of God to fulfill His needs or purpose.

When a believer is in need, he should first enquire: Will such lack affect God? Does He want me to be in need? Or is it His will to supply my need? We should pray that God fulfills His will. Then it no longer becomes a question of whether our needs are met, but rather, whether God’s will is done.

To ask the Lord to supply our needs, whatever such needs may be, cannot be considered prayer of the highest level. God’s purpose is for us to be so filled with His will that we forget our own interests. He calls us to work together with Him to accomplish His will.

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 1John5:14.

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