Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NLT)

11 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.

12 Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

One of the greatest things I can achieve from God’s Word is to find ways to correct my walk and my lifestyle so that I might be more in line with God’s Word and His ideals for my life. Until something bad happens, we often will not stop to question whether we are living and doing everything in accordance with God’s will. In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians he was looking at them from a heart of deep love and godly concern. He looked at them as his children in the Lord because he was primarily responsible for birthing the church there. He saw what was happening to them and how there was self-destruction going on. In his letter he shared with them what God expects from His children and also highlighted some of the ungodly habits they had developed and what it would take for them to get back on track in their Christian/Christ-like walk. I believe that in our churches today, we could honestly stop and think about all the wrong/sin that is going on, but often we do a much better job at pointing out the wrong/sin in the church around the corner. I believe that it would behoove us to take the board out of our own eyes first, before trying to help that church around the corner correct the small ‘splinter’ of a problem that we may nitpick about. In verse 12 we are reminded that non-Christians should see something different about us; more pleasing in us; a character that makes them think about Jesus; a lifestyle that they desire, not one that they despise or see just as bad, or worse than theirs. Christians, let’s look at the inside today. Let’s be sure that our walk and our talk is having a positive godly impact on the unsaved, and not being a stumbling block to them and their desire for a better life.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord, as I walk the pathways of this life and seek to serve You in every way, I pray that You would continue to point out my flaws, like You have through this passage today, and give me a desire and the wisdom to live a life closely in tuned with You and the written instructions given through Your Word.

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
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