Are you aware that during this Lent season we are posting scripture and prayer on the MCF’s FACEBOOK site? We invite you to join us as we reflect on Jesus’ crucifixion and its impact on the world today. The reflections are meant as a personal journey for us to reflect on our individual walk with Christ. The scripture and reflections remind us that because we are sinners, we needed Jesus to make the sacrifice for so that we can be reconciled with God. 

Take some time daily to read and reflect upon scripture to bring you closer to the God who loves you. 

Many of us start our day standing in front of a mirror, preparing ourselves to face the world. We stand staring, fixing and adjusting this and erroneously believe we are looking at the image that the world will see. However, when we are standing toe-to-toe with the world, they do not see the mirror reflection – they see the reversed image. What do I mean? When we look in the mirror, we will note that our left eye is directly across from the mirror image of our left eye. However, when someone is facing us, our left eye is across from their right eye. They do not see the mirror image precisely us, but they know the image that we take into the world. Does that make a difference? Do they not see the same impression we meant to present? 

Perception is a combination of chemical reactions in our brain and body that transforms whatever is presented to it into an image or idea with which we can connect. Reality is the exact situation; a mirror image should be reality. My right eye is weaker than my left, so I often mess up the right sideburn when I shave, making it longer or shorter than the left. Even though I look at the exact image I shave, my weakness affects my perception, which suggests people will see equal-length sideburns. Depending on how people face me or how I hold my head during the day, the different lengths may not be noticed, but that does not change the reality that there is a difference. My skewed perception of things could change how I present myself, thereby tainting people’s perception of me. 

Sideburn length will not impact our world, but how we share Jesus could. We can share Him by using words or with our actions. Telling people about Jesus is different than showing people Jesus with our actions. Sharing Jesus is also different based on whether we share our perception or experience. Some Christ followers cannot speak to friends or family about God without sounding like they are speaking another language. They struggle to take a basic tenant of our faith and share it with others, possibly because they may never have experienced the truth behind the words. They may not have felt a sense of peace during a family tragedy or gratitude for a blessing. They will have read about these experiences and lovingly try to share their perception of what it would be like. They often can not do so because they have not called on Jesus and found Him. Their perception of Jesus’ love can come across as different from its reality. 

The scripture verse at the start of this article is probably the best-known and quoted verse amongst Christ’s followers – “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believed in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16. This verse tells us that God loves all of us and has offered eternity based on His sacrifice. It has become a slogan or catchphrase of Christianity and is repeated often, but how many people know what it means? If we do not have personal encounters with Jesus, then when we speak words such as these, they won’t come across as we desired or even as God desired. If we speak and live without the power and conviction of the Holy Spirit, those hearing our words will most likely ignore them or deem them confusing and unintelligible. Despite our imperfections that cause us to share our faith based on our perception of scripture, we have the power of the Holy Spirit to make biblical truths a reality. As harsh as it may sound, the truth found in the bible can be the mirror image of the truth we live. 

God can clarify His truth if we desire to live it. Christianity is not a slogan but a relationship with Jesus. It’s a daily interactive journey in which Jesus should be on our minds no matter what is happening around us. When we walk like that, we can share what we experience, not what we have heard or read. 

In the late 1970s, I was part of a peacekeeping force in Ismailia, Egypt. Our camp was not austere, but some basic amenities were unlike home. Our toilets, for example, were an ancient version of a porta-potty. Yet, despite the searing heat, they did not smell as bad as you’d expect. Each day, an elderly Egyptian gentleman would guide his donkey and honey bucket supplies to the different latrines around the camp for cleaning. By anyone’s definition, it was not a dream job, but he performed his duties seemingly without complaint. 

Many assume that work is a product of the fall. Before sin entered the world, humanity was designed to work even in the perfect world. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it”, Genesis 2:15. God created humanity to work from the beginning. Work is a gift from God, not a curse. God told Adam that the ground would be cursed, meaning humanity would no longer have easy access to the provisions they had in the garden. By the sweat of their brow, they would have to work hard to get those provisions. However, we must not forget God still provided the means for Adam and Eve to be successful in their work. They had skills, talents and all the natural resources needed to live in the world, just as He provides us today. Our attitude toward work can be a product of the fall because sin has stained how we view work. 

Instead of viewing it as a gift, we may see it as a punishment that is an unfortunate requirement for survival. Ask the average person on the street what work means, and they will answer in some form that it is a means of survival and provision. It’s how you get a comfortable house, a nice car, and daily essentials like food and clothing. When we view work this way, our motivation is misguided, and everything we do suffers.

The apostle Paul writes in Colossians 3:22-24, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favour, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.“

We work for God, not to please man. We work because our Creator works, and we’re made in his image to reflect him. Our work ethic should point men to God, not us. Any time we attempt to rob God of his glory; we consequently rob ourselves of joy because we make ourselves slaves to the opinions of humanity. Paul encourages us to work “for the Lord and not for men”. Our motivation to work should reflect God’s character and commands. As bearers of his image, we work because our Creator works. We are created to be overseers of God’s creation and worship God when we choose to do so. When we work to serve God, we are aware He is intimately present with us workers, and we are not alone because we are co-labourers with God.

I do not know what motivated that Egyptian gentleman to clean latrines, but he seemed to reconcile the work conditions with the reality that chores needed to be done by someone. We, however, should be motivated by the truth that we are image bearers created to rule, to partner with God to draw out the earth’s potential and unleash it for human flourishing. We should work in cooperation with God to build a civilization where his people can thrive in his presence.

“I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story because I know it is true;
It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.

(Christian Hymn “I love to tell the story”
     by Katherin Katherine Hankey 1866)

Do you know any follower of Christ who struggle to talk with others about their faith? The number is probably much higher than we can imagine, which is very sad considering we have been “given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 13: 11). There are common reasons people cite as the cause of their struggle but mostly it is linked to the uncertainty about what to say. When Jesus discussed sharing scripture, He quoted Isaiah saying, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn”. This is a key statement because He told the disciples and us that God chooses who and when the truth will be revealed. If we forget this, it is God’s message that we are sharing, not our own, and He must be involved in the sharing. 

So, if God allows those around us to get the message, do we have any role? The answer, of course, is yes, as outlined in our great commission (Matthew 28:16-20). Someone must share, as Paul suggests, “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? (Romans 10:14). Jesus told us to go out and share His truth, and He told us that the Holy Spirit would be given to us to help us. God will create circumstances that will put us in a position to tell someone about our faith, and we should be prepared. 

It need not be a struggle to talk about our faith if we approach it remembering that God is preparing people to hear. Millions of people know about God because a handful of disciples obeyed the Holy Spirit’s nudge and shared the stories they knew about Jesus. Millions are prepared to hear about Jesus, especially at this time of the year when Christmas is in the air. We can be part of this tradition of telling the story. 

Pray our family, friends, neighbours, and colleagues are open to hearing the Christmas story and our own story of faith. We can share about our life before becoming followers, the events that led to our becoming followers of Jesus, and our lives after accepting Jesus. All believers should know their own story, which Jesus wants us to share. We should recall, recognize, and rehearse our story to recite it to those who Jesus prepared to listen. The only struggle we genuinely face is between us and the evil one. He wants us to keep the truth to ourselves because our story includes him as the defeated enemy of God. 

Galatians says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). The Holy Spirit lives in followers and wants us to share God’s news. Let’s work with Him.    

“I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” 
John 10:10b

Does how you spend today concern you? What does God want you to do today? Asking God that question is not the wrong way to start your day. Questions make us think. They help us connect, and they are the building stones to wisdom. 

Jesus asked His followers questions all the time.

Questions such as:
Did you never read the scriptures? (Matt 21:42)
Can any of you, by worrying, add a single moment to your lifespan? Matt 6:27:
Do you love me? (John 21:16):
If I am telling you the truth, why do you not believe me? (John 8:46).

He asked these questions because he was concerned about how people would spend their day, the day to follow, the next, and even how they would spend eternity. He wanted them to ask simple questions about life to make their days meaningful. He wanted them to realize their purpose.  

When we pray, read scripture or talk with others about God, we can understand what our days can be like. How can we spend our day is a question often asked of God, and Jesus answered. He wants us to love Him with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and love our neighbour as we love ourselves (Luke 10:27). Is it that simple?

How would we do that? We begin with a prayer of gratitude for being given today, offer encouragement and love to those we encounter, and look for God’s presence in all we see and do. When the day ends, we thank Him for the blessings and ask if we can do it again tomorrow. 

“If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”  (James 4:17 NIV).

Humanly speaking, procrastination is understandable and likely. However, procrastination is not part of God’s best plan for our lives. We don’t often view procrastination as a sin, but it is. Sin is not merely doing wrong. It is failing to do what you know you should do when you know you should do it. Knowledge equals responsibility. Procrastination and disobedience are just opposite sides of the same coin.
 
Procrastination helps us avoid doing the things we don’t want to, which require personal discipline and a commitment to godly goals. Wasting time often creates a restless feeling that produces a sense of failure. When the deadline we were supposed to meet has come and gone, or the dreaded task we keep putting off spirals out of control, guilt sets in. We try to rationalize it away when the simple truth is that we have sinned.
 
Do you realize that it takes as much energy to avoid a task as it does to do it? Procrastination drains energy, while action produces power. God empowers us to do what He calls us to do. Truth is for now. God is not impressed with good intentions. Obedience today is the most significant preparation for tomorrow. So do what you know to do today!
 
Procrastination is about loving oneself and pleasing oneself above others. In Romans 12:10, Paul says we should love each other profoundly and honour others more than we love and honour ourselves—the moments God gives us matter now and eternally. We are responsible for how we spend them. Each moment in time represents an eternal opportunity. Evaluate your life in light of these truths. 
 
How well do you invest your time? What one change can you make this week to overcome procrastination? Ask a friend or family member to hold you accountable to make that change.