As children, most of us played the game "Simon Says". The objective of the contest was not to achieve anything spectacular, or even to finish ahead of anyone else, but rather to listen closely and only execute instructions preceded by the words "Simons says". The winner was usually the most patient and disciplined participant, as one by one the other contestants were eliminated for responding to instructions issued without the required "Simon says".
The Christian journey is somewhat like "Simon Says", in that we are to listen carefully and diligently for God's direction while shutting out the temptations and distractions of the world. However, unlike "Simon Says", we're not to stand completely motionless until instructions are received, but instead are to move through life with godly intent and perseverance. (Philippians 3:7-14)
The call to Christian service is not reserved only for those carrying out grand and extraordinary works for the Kingdom of God, but also to the saints who live, and work, and have their being every day in Christ Jesus, wherever they are called. The simplest acts of patience, kindness, and compassion shown to those whom God has placed in our path are what He desires of us each day. Is there anything more loving and caring than sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with those who will hear it?
Onward Christian soldiers!
Bob Benson
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November 16
Still Human!
In the Scriptures, the great miracle of the incarnation slips into the ordinary life of a child; the great miracle of the transfiguration fades into the demon-possessed valley below; the glory of the resurrection descends into a breakfast on the seashore. This is not an anticlimax, but a great revelation of God.
We have a tendency to look for wonder in our experience, and we mistake heroic actions for real heroes. It’s one thing to go through a crisis grandly, yet quite another to go through every day glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, and no one paying even the remotest attention to us. If we are not looking for halos, we at least want something that will make people say, "What a wonderful man of prayer he is!" or, "What a great woman of devotion she is!" If you are properly devoted to the Lord Jesus, you have reached the lofty height where no one would ever notice you personally. All that is noticed is the power of God coming through you all the time.
We want to be able to say, "Oh, I have had a wonderful call from God!" But to do even the most humbling tasks to the glory of God takes the Almighty God Incarnate working in us. To be utterly unnoticeable requires God’s Spirit in us making us absolutely humanly His. The true test of a saint’s life is not successfulness but faithfulness on the human level of life. We tend to set up success in Christian work as our purpose, but our purpose should be to display the glory of God in human life, to live a life "hidden with Christ in God" in our everyday human conditions ( Colossians 3:3 ). Our human relationships are the very conditions in which the ideal life of God should be exhibited.
Amen!
"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." Matthew 16:24
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