Regardless of how a person begins their relationship with God, the goal of the relationship is the same for all Christians: To become like Christ. I believe one of the most essential qualities of the life in Christ is having a good sense of awareness. Our sense of awareness reminds us of both the goal – to become like Christ and an honest appraisal of where we are in our journey – what yet remains to be transformed in our life to become like Christ?
I believe one of the most essential qualities of a good sense of awareness is perspective. Are you looking at yourself, others and the world through the eyes of Jesus? Or, is your perspective on life more like the ways of our world?
The reading for today offers many opportunities to examine your perspective:
Are you controlled by Christ’s love or some other love?
Is your Christian life something that you place alongside the rest of your life? Or have you died to your old life and no longer live for yourself? Do you now live for Christ?
Are you trying to fit the life in Christ over your regular life? Or do you see yourself as a new person? Is your old life gone and has a new life begun?
Is your new life in Christ something you have earned, or deserve? Or is it a gift from God?
Whose responsibility is it to share the Good News about Jesus -- the ‘church’ or the ‘pastor’? Or, are you an ambassador for Christ?
When is the time to put your heart and energy into fulfilling God’s will for your life? When you retire, or when you know more or when you feel like it? Or, is the right time now? Is today the day of salvation?
Do you live the way you want to live? Or, do you live in a way that no one will stumble and no one will find fault in the way you serve Christ?
Are you relying on your wisdom, your abilities, and your power to live the Christ life? Or, are you relying on God’s power working in you?
Are you still measuring your worth and value by what you own and possess? Or, have you allowed God to bring you to the wonderful place where you own nothing, yet have everything?
Becoming like Christ requires awareness – being aware of both where you are going and where you are. Awareness requires perspective. Are you seeing yourself through the eyes of Jesus or through the ways of the world?
What does today’s reading reveal to you about God?
What does it reveal to you about yourself?
Think about what God wants you to do or remember about this passage.
Does God want you to change anything in your life?
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