TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT
You are a reflection of your heavenly Father and He is happy with what He sees in you. Your life is the picture on His refrigerator and He loves to brag about you. Continue to show the family resemblance through your generosity and right spirit.
IN VAIN
As a pastor, I’ve counseled many frustrated parents. While some issues are major and require immediate action, most boil down to junior’s selfishness and lack of self-control. Maturity is a constant battle, even for parents.
However, nearly every time a parent talks to me about their child’s bad behavior, there is an underlying issue – the fear people will think they’re a bad parent because of their kids.
Let me tell you this: they do. However, that doesn’t make it true! I’ve known lots of bad parents with great kids, and great parents who now visit their children in prison. Let me ask you this: Is God the perfect parent? A good Father? An awesome provider who never leaves us nor forsakes us?
The answer is yes. God is the perfect parent, yet look at how His kids act! Our children are not a direct reflection of us any more than we are a perfect picture of our Father God.
God has gotten the worst PR imaginable from His kids. You, I and the rest of His rebellious, unruly children have not represented His goodness well. We’ve actually driven people away from Jesus and the church.
Yes, every one of us has taken His name upon ourselves as “Christ-ians,” then run amok with his reputation. Haven’t our children done the same? And we won’t stand for it, yet we continue to sully Jesus’ name.
There’s a reason why the biblical Fruit of the Spirit begins with love and ends with self-control. Because you can’t have joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness without the other two.
Let’s you and I get some love and self-control. Let’s stop taking His name in vain and begin to reflect the Son so that people can be redeemed. Let’s represent Him well.
Thus says the LORD: “Let now the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let the one who boasts boast in this: that they have the understanding to know Me. That I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. – Jeremiah 9:23-23
TODAY IS A GREAT DAY TO REPENT OF TAKING LORD’S NAME IN VAIN. AS HIS CHILDREN, WE NEED TO MAKE HIS NAME FAMOUS SO OUR FAMILY CAN GROW!
From my book: Good Overcomes Evil