Weekly Thought – January 21, 2014
Fred respected life. He also felt a great responsibility to make his life count. Raised in the home of a Southern Baptist pastor, he learned early on the theological definition of redemption. He expanded it to cover an attitude which he highly regarded. He often quoted the verse which admonished us to “redeem the time.”
The Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute at Palm Beach Atlantic University is soon approaching. Would you please pray for the team members, the steering committee, the faculty, students, and administration at PBA, and the favor of God? Thank you for standing with us.
Redemptive By Choice
I have a responsibility to be redemptive when and where I have the opportunity. To be transformed is not just a personal thing; it is a starting point for the transformation of those around us. We can create redemptive atmospheres and environments for those around us.
The ultimate in redemptive action is to bring God’s power to the people and situations in which we find ourselves.
There is a sense in which redemptive simply means replacing good with evil. That can be done philosophically by men of good will. Bringing God’s power into play is the true definition of redemption.
A friend of mine had a spiritual experience which changed his life. He is constantly amazed at the way the very presence of Christ can exist in his workplace because of his influence. He told me he is taken aback by the impact on his co-workers and friends.
Professor John Goodenough who became a Christian as a professor at MIT said, “The most powerful verse in the Bible, to me, is ‘Now you have the power to become.’” He said he had always had an ethical sense of right and wrong, but had never felt the personal power to accomplish it. The power came with an acceptance of the promise at Pentecost: “You shall have the power when the Spirit is come upon you.”
Being redemptive allows us to live out the Biblical metaphors of salt and light. As light we not only chase away darkness, but we provide an environment which we can see clearly to encourage others and to lead others in the rightness of life. As salt, we are a preservative of a good environment — we don’t gossip, we don’t lie, we don’t avoid doing the hard things that protect the rightness of life. And, as salt we add flavor.
Redemptive people should bring a “tastiness” to others that comes from a constructive, friendly manner.
This week think about: 1) Where do I demonstrate a redemptive attitude? 2) What makes me valuable to others around me? 3) How is the power of God being seen through my life?
Words of Wisdom: “Bringing God’s power into play is the true definition of redemption.”
Wisdom from the Word: “And in this regard we pray for you always, that our God will make you worthy of his calling and fulfill by his power your every desire for goodness and every work of faith.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11 NET Bible)