How can we make a difference? What are we doing in our daily lives that speaks about our walk with God? Are we speaking different? Acting different? Are we showing the light and love of God in our actions and words?
Titus 1:16 says, "They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, and worthless for any good deed."
Wow, that is a pretty strong verse. I for one do not want to be detestable or worthless! So how are we as believers showing Gods love to others? In order to show Gods love to others, and to be adorned by the gospel, we need to show it in our actions and deeds. We can't just say we follow God, and then our actions show something else. How are you treating your family? Your neighbors? Your friends? What about the people you don't know? What about the person who cut you off at the stoplight? What about the person spreading gossip and lies about you? What about someone who's cheated on you? How are we supposed to show kindness to others? How can we expect to lead people to the truth if we don't behave any differently than they? I love what Rabbi Zelig Pliskin says in his book Kindness. "A valuable principle to keep in mind is: Leave people feeling better about themselves as a result of having met you. Some people take pleasure in putting others down. It makes them feel more powerful to make others feel lower. In reality, the perpetration of such a crime, lowers and demeans the perpetrator rather than the victim. The person who leaves others feeling better about themselves elevates himself." (Pliskin 115).
We always have a choice of how to treat people. We always have a choice in what actions to take. And as actions speak louder than words, what actions are we taking that are "different"? Speaking of being different, there is a holiday that just passed that believers should not mix with. Halloween, or "All-Hallows-Eve". I know a lot of people who say they are Christian, or believers, yet still choose to take their kids "trick-or-treat-ing" and dress up in costumes, and attend Halloween parties. But what are you partaking in? What are you having your children partake in? Do you really know about the true origins of Halloween? Please read this brief article on the history of the day of the dead to find out more. https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween
I also encourage you to read more on the ancient pagan practices of this day, and to enlighten and educate yourself if you think it is just a harmless day to dress up and get candy.
As believers, God has called us to be separate from the world, to be different. The word for that in Hebrew is Kadosh, which can be translated as set-apart or, holy. To be holy we have to be set-apart. Titus 2:7 says, "In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified..." And in Titus 2:12, "Instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age." God doesn't want us mixing death with life. God wants us to be different, to set a good example to others, to be kind, to show love, to be a light in darkness, and to lead others to the fullness, beauty, love, and holiness of Messiah Yeshua.
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