Thursday, March 22, 2012

HE put HIS reputation on the line…

there are some questions in this world i’m never going to get them answered.  i’m just not smart enough to figure out everything in this world.  i might get them answered when i get to heaven but even if i don’t GOD is still great.  and GOD is still loving.  and GOD still has a plan for my life. 

there’s a prayer i’d encourage you to pray in recognizing GOD’s greatness.  it’s from psalm 61.1-2 (niv), hear my cry, o GOD.  listen to my prayer.  from the ends of the earth i call to YOU.  i call as my heart grows faint.  lead me to the rock that is higher than i.  GOD is bigger, greater than even your greatest problem. 

honoring GOD’s name means i acknowledge that GOD is greater than my biggest problem and it also means i acknowledge that GOD calls me to be part of HIS family.  GOD calls me and here’s the amazing thing.  GOD has invited us to share HIS great and holy name.  and GOD’s name is GOD’s reputation. 

now there’s a difference between reputation and character.  character is what you are.  reputation is what other people think you are.  the amazing thing to me is that GOD has put a good deal of HIS reputation in our hands.  we’re called by HIS name.  we’re HIS family. 

the bible tells us in ephesians 2.19, (nlt) you are members of GOD’s family.  we’re called CHRISTian after CHRIST.  we are called by HIS name.

if you don’t believe GOD puts HIS reputation on the line by giving us HIS name just talk to some friends, maybe some friends of yours who would tell you, the reason i’m not a CHRISTian is because i’ve met some hypocritical CHRISTians and i don’t want to be like that.  if you don’t believe GOD puts HIS reputation on the line, just listen to what ghandi said during his life, “i might have become a CHRISTian if it were not for the CHRISTians i’ve met.”  GOD’s reputation is on the line in our lives.

just a thought from the front porch… 

2 comments:

Daria Prendergast said...

I have an older brother who is an atheist. He bases his idea of God on the actions of his former brother-in-law and sister-in-law who were loudly proclaiming their Christianity but he considered them hypocrites in their actions. I have asked him "Do you think I am like them? Do you think I am a hypocrite?" No, he says to me. I have taken him with me when I pick up food for the food banks and deliver it. I have introduced him to my friends. I have taken him to my church. But, I have not been able to overcome God's reputation in his mind based on these two people's actions and words. But, I also think that it is a cop out. He is allowing these two people, who are not in his life any longer, to continue to influence his view of God. As long as he dwells on them, he does not have to change his view of God.

Bill Williams said...

thanks for sharing that, daria. it reinforces the risk that God took in letting us take His Son's name but it was worth the risk to Him. yes it hurts in some situations but also helped in so many others. for every bad example there are hundreds of good ones. i pray that i will be one of the good ones! again thanks for sharing, daria.