This Week’s Chapters: Titus 1 – Hebrews 1
Pastor Claire Morton
On first reading Titus it is easy to see a set of rules. Paul outlines the way elders should live, the kinds of people to look out for in the church that could lead others astray, and rules for various members of the congregation. In Titus 3v 8 he says “… so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.”
So we are to do good and be good. Often we think of this in terms of a child - “he was a good boy” – but this doesn’t convey the depths of this word.
In Strong's Concordance the Greek word used here is kalos which means beautiful, but chiefly good ie valuable or virtuous. The Oxford Dictionary has a number of meanings which include: having the right or desirable qualities; commendable, worthy; morally correct, virtuous; agreeable, enjoyable; suitable, efficient, competent; genuine.
God wants our lives to be good because He wants us to be a reflection of Him. Sometimes we may feel that the way we are is nowhere near perfect but the more we spend time with Him the more we become like Him. The more we listen to Him, the quicker we recognise His voice and the faster we respond to what He is saying.
Whether we like it or not, as Christians, people watch our lives to see how we respond often when we are most unaware. My family is not perfect and just like all small children; mine had their fair share of tantrums and tears. One afternoon, with Joseph as a baby in his pushchair, I went to collect the girls from school; Bex was 4 and Abbey 6. As I picked Bex up from Nursery, on not getting her own way over something, she started to throw a tantrum. The space that the parents could wait in was very confined, so I thought it best to remove myself and my children before addressing this issue. So very calmly (although on the inside I didn’t feel this way), I took Bex hand and walked very purposefully outside the school grounds and into the park next door. I then took Bex to the side and addressed her disobedience.
What I didn’t realise was that the way I had dealt with this whole situation had been watched! The following day, another mum came and asked me how I was able to be so calm and another mum apologised to me for the way she reacted to her child having a tantrum! I was amazed that just simply doing what I felt was right led to these two responses.
This week, I want to exhort you to be good and do good in the true sense of the word so that your life is beautiful, virtuous and of value to others, so that your life reflects God.
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5 Comments So Far
- Julie This is great Claire! Especially on how we treat our family in public and private for that matter. We get going so fast and think we can act any way we want because we are in a hurry. I saw in a cute kids movie the other day a girl who was about to get very angry and she started saying, " Chanel, Gucci, Portibello.... it was great. So the next time I had the opportunity to not BE GOOD (going too fast and stressed) I stopped and started saying...Chanel, Gucci.... The kids started laughing, I just kept saying it. It helped me to be good rather than do the wrong thing. Whatever it takes to be a beautiful reflection of Him!!!
- Rae-Anne Thanks for this Claire, that was a really good example of how the simple things we do, the way we live our lives, can be and is watched by others. I only hope that in stressful situations I might act as well and as gracious as you did then.
- charlene pocock I was in school the other day and i want to see a miracle happen because this girl was on cruchies and now she is slowly recoving from breaking her leg and now i just want to pray for her so i went up to her and said can i pray for your leg so i did do and i turned around and said have you asked god into your life yet and she said no so i said to her why don't you ask god into your life and you will then start to heal you know because god is that great and might that he can do all things like he can do miracles for people and he can also help you in all differant kinds of situation you know so i really wanted her to get to know god so me and her starting to sit down and chat which i felt really good because i never have done that before it was the first time i have ever done that in school and then she has asked god into her life now and she is going to start attending our church and she is going to get prayed for and then she is going to become a christian
- Karen W Way to go Charlene! You are an inspiration, keep up the good work and may God bless you and your friend. BIG hugs!
- Pastor Alan Great stuff Charlene! Keep going!
posted October 13, 2008 at 05:52 PM
It is certainly a hearts desire of mine to be more gracious and live my life in a way that points people to God - to be that beautiful reflection. Thank you for the encouragement you give here that the more time we spend with Him, the more we reflect Him.
Good food for thought!!!!!
posted October 14, 2008 at 12:53 PM
posted October 14, 2008 at 08:25 PM
posted October 15, 2008 at 12:12 PM
Good encouragement Claire. No wonder I'm where I am today. You keep me sharp!
posted October 23, 2008 at 05:11 PM
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