Weekly Thought – January 28, 2014
Fred never preached. His Christian witness was one of bringing scriptural principles to bear in every situation. The evidence of Biblical truth was strong in his conversations, but he never sought to artificially impose “chapter and verse” on anyone. Buttons showing a duck crossed out by a black stripe were handed out to all the men at a retreat in California after one attendee heard Fred’s comment on living the Christian life — “Don’t duck!”
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Redemption Lived Out
Redemptive living requires discipline:
1) Prayer – Personally, I don’t pray for miracles. I pray for a willingness to join God in His process of working out matters. Prayer isn’t to change God, nor inform Him, nor to convince Him to make me an exception to His process — it isn’t a negotiation process. It is to make me conscious that He is, that He is present, that He Cares, and that His Spirit is available to dedicate us to the rightness of what we are doing.
2) Biblical principles – We bring redemption when we bring the principles of the Bible to whatever situation we are involved in, whether it is business, church, family, or social life. Too often the Bible is used for its stories and its promises, while avoiding and neglecting the principles and commands. We need to be clear in the fundamental principle, not just the story. For example, if we decide the controlling principle as seen in Daniel is “obey God and you won’t get hurt” the story of Stephen invalidates that. The principle is: “Decide to do the right thing and let the consequences follow, whatever they are.” The principle is obedience, not escape.
3) Face day to day opportunities – I am not a lapel grabber. In fact, I don’t believe I have the spiritual gift of evangelism. But, I do have the responsibility to be truthfully involved with others. Here is my system. Each morning as I get ready I say, “Smith, don’t duck!” This is my code for reminding myself if opportunities come to share my faith, then I will with God’s help say what I can. I will discuss spiritual matters easily and naturally. I learned a long time ago ducking one daytime opportunity cannot be made up by making six nighttime visitation calls for the church.
Redemptive living is a mood I create through prayer, thinking Biblically, and seeing natural opportunities to talk about spiritual matters.
This week think carefully about: 1) When do I duck? 2) Which of the three disciplines is the most difficult for me? 3) How can I strengthen my redemptive mood each day?
Words of Wisdom – “Don’t Duck!”
Wisdom from the Word: “But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess.” (1 Peter 3:15 NET Bible)