I Serve At the Pleasure of....

I haven’t done a post in a while that lives up the original premise of this blog…meaning the phrase “living with a servant’s heart”…but I was inspired the other day to write this, so here it goes! :)

When I was in high school, I took AP Government.  Looking back, that seems so NOT me, but nevertheless, I took the course.  I remember that one of our assignments was to watch an episode of the TV show “The West Wing” and report on how it related to what we were studying.  I don’t remember anything about the episode, but I do remember thinking, “This is the most boring-ist show ever.  Why would I want to waste my time watching this?  I don’t understand politics.  Where’s the remote?  I want to change the channel!”

You know what’s funny about growing up?  You come to find out that things you didn’t like/appreciate as a kid, you begin to pick up/enjoy as an adult.  Think about it…vegetables, exercise, politics, etc… Well, now that the show is on Netflix, I now find myself watching episodes of “The West Wing.”  My…how time changes things :)

I am not a political junkie by any means and a bunch of stuff on that show still doesn’t make sense to me, but I was struck the other day with a phrase that I hear quite often on the show - “I serve at the pleasure of the president.”  All of the president’s staff and cabinet are found quoting that phrase when they are asked by the president to do something.  What an interesting phrase that I think we could most definitely relate to our service to Christ.

As believers, isn’t Christ our commander in chief?  Yes.  As believers, shouldn’t we live our lives in service to Him?  Yes.  In fact, God created us to serve Him – Ephesians 2:10, “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  God, through Christ, has given us more than we ever deserve – the best of which is eternal life through Christ – and so living our lives in service to Him is the very least we can do as believers.

In fact, God has gifted His children in many different ways so that they can serve Him through many different avenues.  Romans 12 speaks of the different gifts that God has given His children and says “even if we do have different gifts, use ‘em!” (that was APV – Allison Paraphrased Version).  Maybe you’re good at singing, computers, teaching, sports, driving…the list could go on and on.  GOD HAS A PLACE OF SERVICE JUST FOR YOU!  Christian ministries upon ministries exist in churches and communities today that could most definitely use the gifts and talents that God has given you.  Don’t waste them!  Use them to serve your commander in chief – your Creator – your Sustainer – your Redeemer!

Serving Him may take us out of our comfort zone, it may require sacrifice, and it may require more-than-normal trust in God.  No matter what the cost, He will bless you for your service to Him.  The binder that I use for all of our screen media information has a verse clearly displayed on the front cover that I pray is an inspiration to the volunteers for that ministry and I pray will be an encouragement to you.  It’s from John 12:26, where Jesus says, “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also.  If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”

So…next time God asks you to do something just for Him, what will your response be?  May our hearts cry out – “I serve at the pleasure...of the King of Kings.”

It's Noisy in Here!

In the noise and confusion of day-to-day living, do we really stop and listen to what God is trying to tell us?  This noise and confusion doesn’t necessarily have to be audible commotion; it can be continuous thinking or even uncontrollable worrying.  I know for me personally, my mind is constantly wrapped up in thoughts of the day or thoughts about my future.  What words from the Lord have I missed out on because my mind was wrapped up in the noise and confusion of the hour?

This thought recalls to my mind the story of how God spoke to Samuel.  1 Samuel 3:4 says that one night before he had gone to sleep, the “Lord called Samuel.”  Thinking it was his teacher, Eli, Samuel ran to him and said, “You called.  I’m here.”  Eli must’ve said, “Um, sorry Sammy, but it wasn’t me.  Go back to bed.”  So Samuel went back to bed, but he heard his name again!  So again he goes to Eli, thinking it was him.  Eli says, “Sam, I didn’t call you.  You sure your hearing is okay?  Go back to bed.”  Samuel goes back to bed and again hears his name.  He goes to Eli once more, and by this time, Eli realizes that Samuel isn’t crazy and that God is the one who is calling Samuel’s name.  Eli says to Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if He [God] calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9).  Samuel followed Eli’s instructions and when he heard God call his name for the fourth time he said, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10).  God then proceeded to tell Samuel some important news.  We find out later that as Samuel grew, God “revealed Himself to Samuel through His word” (1 Samuel 3:21).

Most times, I feel like Samuel, in that I can’t hear beyond the noise of the day.  So many thoughts consume me that I don’t take time to truly stop and listen to what God wants to tell me.  I’m so thankful God is a patient and forgiving God who waits for me to shut off all the commotion so that I can focus on Him.  In His presence is knowledge, wisdom, understanding, life, peace, joy, love, strength, and the list goes on and on.  I love Psalm 16:11 that says if I go into His presence, He “will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of His presence and the pleasures of living with [Him] forever.”  In this season of my life, I am learning patience and “waiting upon the Lord.”  How can I “wait upon Him” if I don’t stop and listen?  Hmm…makes ‘ya think, doesn’t it!?!

Turning off the noise depends on me.  When that happens, like Samuel, I can truly say “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

2012 in Retrospect

2012.  When I sit here and look at this combination of numbers, my mind rolls through with countless memories and thoughts of the things I experienced and encountered throughout the year.  Each year, I like to take a little time to reflect on the year as I see what God did and how He brought me through.  These blog posts are probably some of the longest of the year…and I’m warning you about that now…but I’ll try not to make this one as long as last year. (Note the word try) :)

School
“Stick a fork in me, I’m done!”  This May, I graduated with my Master of Arts in Discipleship Ministries from Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary.  What a fantastic program that I was privileged to be a part of!  The last semester of my program, I had some awesome classes with the children’s ministry professor, Dr. Michael Mitchell.  He was an excellent teacher!  He had such great advice and was one of the most helpful professors I have ever had.  I absolutely loved his book, Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples…definitely a must-read for people who work with and teach kids – both spiritually and academically.  One of the funny things about the last semester was that I had some of the longest and most challenging projects that were like 20-25 pages each and I actually enjoyed doing them!

I decided to walk at graduation.  I knew from the get-go that there was going to be an insane amount of people and I wasn’t wrong.  Good thing I used to live in Hong Kong, ‘cause I would’ve been overwhelmed at the amount of graduates that there were.  We had quite an interesting commencement speaker for our graduation…Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney.  It was a bit controversial that he was speaking at a Baptist school’s graduation ceremony, but I thought he did a great job…spoke to duty to faith and career, but didn’t push his beliefs at all.  Not many people can say they heard a potential presidential candidate speak at their graduation, so that was neat to be able to say that (would’ve been neater to say the future president spoke at my graduation…but alas…).  I actually didn’t officially graduate from the program until later that afternoon when I had to attend another ceremony for the seminary.  It was a long day, but it was an awesome and unforgettable experience….AND I get to experience it from the other side in 2013 as I go back to Liberty to watch my sister graduate! :)

The graduate!  Not crazy about the long sleeves, but apparently, that's especially for Masters grads...

Our special commencement speaker - Mitt Romney.

The Liberty University & Seminary Class of 2012 plus the onlookers...I didn't take the picture, but I'm  in it!

I learned so much from seminary and I am SO thankful for the experience!  The knowledge and insight I gained about the Bible, ministry, and teaching children has been so helpful and useful and I am excited to see where all of my education will take me next!

Job
Work this year has been a whirlwind!  There has been so much go on in the form of design/screen stuff for the church as well as catering with Megan’s Corner.  I’m so blessed to have these jobs and use my gifts and talents for both.  Highlights of the year: running screens for the Annie Moses Band (one of my favorite music groups) and catering for an event featuring Elizabeth Smart.  God’s really blessing both places that I work and I am excited to see what He is going to do at First Baptist and Megan’s Corner in the coming year!

Church
This was my first full year as children’s missions leader at church.  I had lots of really cool experiences in this capacity this summer!  I got to be associational VBS leader as well as teach missions to children in AWANA, CiA (Children in Action), VBS, and help organize a fall children’s missions conference sponsored by the TN Baptist Convention.  It was so awesome to be able to interact with so many kids and open their eyes to the world of missions.  If you know me, you know that teaching kids missions is my love and passion AND seeing them have a love and passion for missions brings my heart so much happiness that it is literally smiling right now! :)

Teaching missions during VBS

Volunteering in the media department by overseeing the projection screens has also continued full force this year.  From special performances to regular Sunday services...there is never a dull moment!  Seven years ago, I would have never dreamed of myself in this capacity because I never had a background in media, but I am so thankful for two special ladies who saw potential in me and invited me into the ministry - since then, life has never been the same!  The only thing I wish is that I could wear tennis shoes every Sunday morning because it feels like most weeks I am a marathon runner trying to get last minute things done before we go live on air! Ha ha!

Unforgettable Summer
So much happened this summer and it’s really crazy to sit here and process it all, but I’ll try.

In May, my sister Meredith left for Thailand to be a summer missionary.  She got to use her gifts and talents in accounting to make a difference on the mission field!  So awesome!  Meredith got to experience many new and exciting things throughout the summer.  She even was gracious enough to Skype my VBS and CiA kids – they definitely thought that was cool!  God really used her and she has so many neat stories about her time there.  The experience in Thailand was definitely God-affirming that this is what He wants her to do for a career.

In June, I was asked for the fifth year to page for the Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans, LA.  This year, my entire family went (minus Meredith who was in Thailand) and so my other sister, Lauren paged as well.  I know I say this every year, but this was my favorite year to page!  I had such an incredible experience working for the convention this year.  I was copier page and I also had the honor of working on the platform this year which was very cool.  Over the past few years, I have gotten to know some of the executive staff and so it has been neat in these last couple of years to see people who I recognize and vice-versa.  I have so much respect for the men and women who run the annual Southern Baptist Conventions as these events are intricately organized, staffed, and assembled – it is definitely a team effort.  Hands-down, my favorite part of this paging experience was meeting and being a part of the nomination/election of the new SBC president, Dr. Fred Luter.  He is the first African-American president to preside over the Southern Baptist Convention which made his nomination and subsequent election the most historic in SBC history AND I got to experience it all from the very stage where it was happening!  Talk about cool!  The day after his election, I got the opportunity to meet him and get my picture taken with him.  It was definitely an unforgettable experience!

View of the 2012 Southern Baptist Convention from my perch on the platform

Myself and Dr. Fred Luter, president of the Southern Baptist Convention

On the Fourth of July, the lives of two of my friends were turned completely upside down when they lost their boys in a lake accident.  It was a tragedy that rocked not only their lives, but the lives of our church and community.  I shared my feelings about this time on my blog (see A Prayer from My Heart and Flooded with Peace and A Calm After the Storm), but suffice it to say, it was a very difficult time.  This is a valley that these families are still walking through and I absolutely hate that for them.  I don't understand why this happened and we'll never understand why this happened this side of heaven - but I do know that God has been with us through every single moment and I can't imagine how this experience would have gone without that knowledge.  Through this, however, the boys have made a lasting impact on our community as many have come to Christ or have recommitted their lives to Christ through inspirational stories involving the boys.  I had the honor of knowing both of them and feel so blessed that I was able to interact with the two of them.  Not that I didn't before...but since July 4th when a kid runs up to me with huge, open arms...I hug a little tighter, listen a little closer, and love a lot deeper.

Nate & Noah - Two awesome young men of God who have made eternal impacts on the Kingdom!  Miss them, but rejoicing that I will see them again one day!

In the middle of July, I boarded and airplane and for the fourth time traveled to my heart city of Hong Kong to teach VBS to my heart church, Clearwater Bay International Baptist Church.  This year, I had the blessing of leading the music as well as the 4 yr-Kindergarten class.  It was such a joy to interact with the children through music this year; to watch how they responded to the songs and really took them to their heart warmed my heart deeply.  This year was the largest group of children and the smallest leadership team that CBIBC has ever had for VBS!  It was interesting to see how God worked everything out for His glory during this week as there was a low teacher to student ratio as well as unexpected things happen during the week!  I blogged all about my trip and you can find all those posts underneath August 2012.  During my time there, Meredith joined me and we got to spend some time together in "the" Hong Kong...it was definitely memorable!  I'm SO thankful I got the opportunity to go back to Hong Kong this year.  This place, through some extraordinary people who I am privileged to call dear friends, has made such an impact on my life and I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to give back!!!

My adorably-cute 4 yr old/Kindergarten class!

Leading music

Favorite place in the entire world - hands-down

SO thankful to be able to serve in my heart city of Hong Kong

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Good news...I held to my word and this year's retrospective was MUCH shorter than last year!  Aren't you proud of me?  Ok, maybe not, but I'm proud of myself. :)

Through all of the experiences of 2012, God has shown me that He wants me to spend my life's career serving Him.  School is officially over and now it's time for life to begin.   I'll admit, I've been getting a little antsy as of late, waiting for God to show His plans for me....but you want to know what He's been teaching me?  Patience.  Wait upon Me.  I will not forsake you.  I have it all under control.  TRUST ME!

God knows the desires of my heart and I am following and trusting Him, day by day, knowing that in His perfect time He will provide.  Jeremiah 29:11 promises me that.  Psalm 37:4 promises me that.  And my favorite verse, Proverbs 3:5-6, promises that truth as well.  I appreciate and covet your prayers as I enter 2013 with a willing and ready heart - ready to go where God wants me to go and do what He wants me to do.

I encapsulated 2010 & 2011 with words, but this year, I’m encapsulating 2012 with a song.  This song is 2012 personified to me and I know this truth will hold true in 2013 as well.

Not for a moment will God forsake me.  He loves me...He's with me...He's got 2013 all under control.

Terrified....at the First Christmas?

I am scared of Santa.  There.  I admitted it.  This isn’t a new phobia …I have been afraid of Santa from the time I was 2 years old.  And the Santa Cow at Chick-fil-a…don’t even go there, I get chills just thinking about it! :)  Some people fear spiders, others fear snakes, but for me….Santa (and the Chick-fil-a cow).

To inhibit my Santa-phobia when we were little, my parents came up with a way to give those “special” presents to us, hence the creation of the Christmas angels.  We would call the Christmas angels a few days before Christmas and then on Christmas Day, the angels would drop off our presents attached with a special letter telling about how proud they and God were of us and all we had accomplished during the year.  It’s a special tradition that I hold close to my heart and plan to continue with my own family one day.

Ironically, just as Santa scares me, the real Christmas angels caused a bit of fright to some of the various characters in the Christmas story.  Imagine it…a strange figure appearing to you out of nowhere.  That would definitely cause quite a bit of fear!  The characters of the Christmas story had no reason to fear, however, because these angels were bringing good news!

The first angel to appear out of thin air was Gabriel, who appeared to Zechariah (Mary’s cousin-in-law).  Luke 1: 12 says that “when Zechariah saw him (Gabriel), he was startled and gripped with fear.”  There was no reason to fear, however, because Gabriel told Zechariah that he was going to be the father of the man who would prepare the world for Jesus.  Unfortunately, Zechariah wasn’t so sure of what Gabriel was telling him and as a result of his unbelief, Gabriel silenced Zechariah until the birth of his son, John (aka John the Baptist).

Gabriel appears once again…but this time to Mary.  She had to have been scared out of her wits because the first thing Gabriel says to her is, “Do not be afraid, Mary (Luke 1:30).”  Gabriel then proceeds to tell her that God had found favor with her and that she is going to be the mother of His most precious gift to mankind – His Son.  While I’m sure she was still a little frightened, she listened and responded to Gabriel’s annunciation by saying, “I am the Lord’s servant…may your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38).

An angel then appeared to Joseph in a dream, but there is no record of whether or not he was startled because of this appearance…I have a feeling he might have been, though.  I mean, come on, how would you feel if an angel appeared to you in a dream?  You’d probably wake up in a cold sweat!  Through the dream, the angel brought good news to Joseph, “Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save the people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).

Finally, a whole company of angels appeared to the shepherds who were out in the fields watching over the sheep.  Luke 2:9 says that when that first angel appeared, “they were terrified.”  Um…I’m sure they were.  Case in point #1: It’s nighttime.  How would you feel if the heavenly host appeared to you in the pitch black of night?  Case in point #2: The shepherds didn’t get many visitors because they were the lowliest of all the people of that day.  A bunch of shining figures had to have been an overwhelming sight for them!  The angel calmed the shepherds down, though, by bringing good news about a Savior who had been born…a Savior for all people.  And “suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests'" (Luke 2:13-14).  After finding baby Jesus, the shepherds shared this good news that the angels had brought them with all who would listen.

I have a feeling that if I saw the Christmas angels live and in person, I’d probably be just as (if not more) terrified as the characters in the Christmas story (and probably more frightened than I am of Santa)!  Thankfully, the angels’ presence and message was incredibly positive – they were bringing good news about a coming Savior…a Savior who would save all of mankind.  Including me.

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Heartbroken

Today a precious little girl stopped me in the sanctuary and said, “Miss Allison, I have something for you.”  I smiled and she reached out her hand to give me a little offering envelope with writing on the back that said, “Love I You” written in her sweet kindergarten handwriting.   I know I say this often, but I am SO blessed to have the opportunity to work with children.  I pray that I never take my time with them for granted.  I pray that I always make sure they know that that I care about them.  I pray that they always know that Jesus loves them and is with them every step of their lives.

I can’t begin to understand the senseless act that took place in Newtown, Connecticut yesterday.  Knowing that children saw horrific scenes, heard terrible sounds, and endured such tragedy tears my heart to pieces. 

As I poured over the names of the victims of the shooting, seeing the ages of 6 and 7 made me so sad.  Little ones with big dreams…ready to begin their educational careers.  Emerging readers, intrigued minds, children who were probably really excited to go to school just so they could learn something new.  Precious lives taken too quickly...now safe in the arms of Jesus.

Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”  I don’t understand why this happened, but I know that God is here in our midst.  He is the refuge and strength for the families who have lost loved ones.  He is the refuge and strength for the children who witnessed this gruesome scene.  He is the refuge and strength for community of Newtown.  And He is also the refuge and strength for America and the world as we struggle to come to grips with such evil.

All I have left to say is that I can’t wait for Jesus to come back.  We won’t ever have to worry about evil, sadness, or pain again.  Revelation 21:4: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

“I thank my God every time I remember you…” Philippians 1:3

So a bunch of people have been doing day-by-day thankful posts and it’s been really neat to read them and see what is so meaningful in people’s lives.  I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on this “day of thanks.”

Here’s what I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving:

• Jesus – Without Jesus, I would be lonely.  Hopeless.  Worthless.  BUT because of Jesus, I am loved.  Free.  Saved.  And will live eternally with Him in Heaven one day.  He is my friend when I have no other.  He is my Shepherd in this wilderness of life.  He is my healer when I am hurting.  He is my Savior from this dark world.  I could never thank Him enough for what He’s done for me and for what He is going to do through me.  I am thankful that He works everything out for my good.  Trusting Him is a daily process, but it’s when I trust Him that He will direct my paths.  
• Family— I am so thankful for my family.  My parents have truly “trained up” their children in the way of the Lord.  They have shown us how to have servant heart’s in this world and how to use these hearts through ministry and missions.  I am so thankful I have such amazing people as examples for how to live for Christ.  I’m thankful for my sisters as well.  They are so unique in their gifts and talents, but they use those for Christ.  We have moved around a lot as siblings, but we’ve always had one another.  God has new directions for us in the coming years and our holidays together may be fewer, but I’m thankful for technology that will keep us closer even if we are far away (except for maybe Snapchat, Lauren…LOL!).  I’m also thankful for my extended family – grandparents, aunt, uncles, and cousins.  So glad we get to spend time together over the holidays!
• Kids – I am so thankful for each and every child I have the privilege of seeing or teaching at church.  Each “Miss Allison!” or sweet hug or special smile or interesting conversation about Abraham Lincoln or octopuses and chickens means more to me than those kids will ever know.  Since I was in high school, I have known that I want to work with children.  Over the years, my passion for working with kids has developed into more missions education and I am so grateful for that.  Being able to educate kids mission-ly is something I don’t take lightly.  I look forward to continuing to work with kids for the rest of my life.
• Two special little kid-missionaries who are already with Jesus are fresh on my mind today.  I have such sweet memories of these two.  My favorite memory of Nate is when I tailor-made a missions lesson just for him.  With him and his sister in mind, I taught the AWANA kids about artist missionaries and how we could use art to tell people about Jesus.  That was one of my favorite lessons and I remember having him come up to the front to draw on the whiteboard because I knew he was much better than me :)  My favorite memory of Noah is Christmas time last year when I went with him and his family to give Christmas presents to a family who didn’t have any.  He was so excited as we wrapped each present and he said, “MOM!  These kids are gonna love this stuff!”  When we delivered the presents it was pouring the rain, but he carried all the heavy presents into the house with a gigantic smile on his face.  When we were done he took time with each of the kids and was genuinely interested in what they were doing.  He had such a big heart.  I am so thankful I got to know Nate & Noah.
• Hong Kong – I am so thankful for this place that literally changed my life.  It showed me missions and ministry first-hand.  I’ve said it before, but I really don’t think I would be who I am today if I hadn’t been a missionary kid and lived overseas.  Such significant and special people who remain friends today made such an impact on me in this special place.  I wasn’t there for an extremely long period of time, but I was there in the years of my life that mattered most and being able to live missions as a child has molded me into the person I am today.  And for that I am so thankful. I’m also thankful I have been able to give back to this wonderful place by being a part of mission trips teaching VBS at my heart church, Clearwater Bay International Baptist Church.  I watched some videos of the kids singing the VBS songs this past summer and was so thankful that I got to be a part of the team that taught them those songs this year!  It was just a joy to hear them sing praises to Jesus!
• Gifts and Talents – Each day I thank God for what He has gifted me to do and how He lets me use these gifts and talents for Him on a daily basis.  Whether through work or volunteering, these gifts and talents are never wasted.  When I figured out what my gifts and talents were, I remember thinking, “How in the world is God going to use these completely different things for Him?”  Well He did! :)  Kids, design, singing, and teaching...I mean, come on…those are four things that don’t necessarily mesh together, but all of these I use in some capacity to help glorify God.
• Church – I am thankful I have been in the church house since before I was born.  Church is really my second home…and some of you know that is literal :)  It is such a joy to be able to serve at church and help others in their worship of and walk in Christ.  I have been a part of some really fantastic churches and watching them grow has been such a joy.
• Friends – I am so thankful for some fantastic friends.  There was a time in my life where I felt like I had absolutely zero friends and didn’t matter to anyone but my God and my family.  I don’t like to remember those days, but it’s important for me to do so and remember how far God’s brought me.  However, over time, God has placed some extraordinary friends in my life who are just as caring, encouraging…and sometimes sarcastic as I am :)
• You – If you’re reading this blog, you must know me enough to want to read this blog.  Thanks for not being bored yet…ha ha.  I’m thankful for you and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving :)

There’s so much more that I am thankful for that if I listed it all…it would be next Thanksgiving before you finished it all.  Anyways, I wanted to take some time to list what I am thankful for today, I hope you will take time to do that too, if you haven’t already.

I pray each of you have a blessed day and don’t forget to thank God for all He has given you today.

We're Being Watched...

In everything set them an example by doing what is good. – Titus 2:7

This past month my church has sponsored a backyard Bible club called Takin’ it to the Streets that meets on Monday nights in a low-income neighborhood in the community.  My sister and I lead music for the event, and we stick around to sit with and love on the kids throughout the rest of the night.

Last night, after music, I was sitting next to a little girl during the story time and began to notice something oddly familiar.  This little girl was sitting the EXACT same way that I was – legs crossed, hands folded on top of her knees.  I began to laugh to myself as I saw her look at me, mimic the way I was seated, look at herself to make sure she was doing the same thing, and then look back at me again.  This went on for a good couple of minutes.  My sister and her friend noticed too, and they tried to get a picture, but alas…she moved and the “cute” moment was over.

This little “moment in time” got me thinking about how we as believers are examples to those around us.  Eyes are constantly and consistently watching us to see what we say, how we act, and how we live our lives.  Are we living our lives in a way that others will want to follow?  This verse in Titus says that we should set an example by doing what is good.  As Christ followers, doing good is living our lives in a way that is pleasing to God.  Ephesians 5:1 even says we should “Be imitators of God.”  We shouldn’t just live this way in and around church; this should encompass our entire life.  At school, at work, at the gym…everywhere!  In our speech, in our actions, in our desires…everything!  People are watching us; they know we are Christians and they are watching to see if we walk the talk.

Are we walking the same way we are talking?  Are we living a life pleasing to Christ?  Are we setting a good example to others?  Live your life in a way others will want to imitate.  Those eyes are watching…