Reflections from February 22, 2010

Today we have Acts 23:1, "Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, 'Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.'"

Paul stood before the Jewish council and determined he had the freedom to speak his mind and be bold in his witness. The foundation of a believer's witness must be honesty. If we can be open with God about our own sinfulness, we won't be prone to mislead others about sin and faith. God knows we aren't sinless, and He calls us to be honest. Honesty and a clear conscience are not the same as perfection. Paul was by no means perfect, just honest about his failures. He didn't cover up in an attempt to look good as a Christian witness. Jesus does not ask us to project an impossible perfect image. That would be a lie. Instead, He challenges us to admit our failures. He also delights in forgiving us when we do. If we can be honest about ourselves with others, it can give them hope for their own failings and turn them toward our gracious God.

From Proverbs 21:3 we have, "To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice."

"I've given it up for Lent." How many times have you heard that? People think that God wants them to sacrifice some small thing to become more valuable or likable to God. But that's not what He wants! He wants us to become like Him and to show justice to all. By following His word for our life, we will find an acceptance from God that is unwavering, and we'll know His love more abundantly in our life as well.

Proverbs 22:29 tells us, "Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men."

Solomon tells us that trying our best at our job will be noticed. When we give it our all, which is what God wants us to do, we will stand before people that have an impact on our life. Our good work will not go unnoticed, but will gather the attention of many people, and we will see an earthly reward for that. It kind of boils down to hard work, clean living, and good sleep, you'll be successful with this.

Blessings to all