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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion February 24, 2006 “Do all things without murmuring and arguing…” |
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Frontline Devotion for Friday February 24, 2006 by Mike Martine
It’s hard not to murmur and argue. Truthfully, sometimes we need to blow off steam and murmuring and arguing just might keep us sane…
Paul was a hard man. He was a great champion of the idea of God’s grace, but he also had strict ideas on how we should act. At the same time, he had no problem letting others know when they had done something he considered inappropriate.
Sometimes, I think, we can argue that Paul was guilty of something some of us remember in our parents—living life in a “do as I say and not as I do” kind of way. Truthfully, Paul was aware of this, and admits that he is as much a victim of sin as anyone.
But even though we might have trouble keeping our tongues still, it is good to remind ourselves that, in order to shine like stars for God, we must watch what we say. We must seek to speak in love and not hatred. We must seek to speak in words of reconciliation and not division. We must seek to imitate the mercy of Christ.
None of this is “instant.” One thing I’m fond of saying as a Christian is this—salvation is the easy part. Salvation is a gift. We get it via Christ’s mercy even though we never can truly deserve it. But…to become a “shining star” for God means engaging in a life of growth. To live out our salvation in the here and now, in this life, means development. In other words—there is something for us to achieve in this world beyond salvation—there is the chance to grow in grace, mercy, and the love of God.
Good luck not murmuring and arguing—we will all need it! But even though we all have to blow off steam sometimes, try not to…try to remember that we can grow. That God wants us to grow, and that the closer we come to the heart of God, the more we will shine like stars for Christ.
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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