Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous,
do not plunder their dwelling place;
for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,
but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes. (Proverbs 24:15-16, NIV)
Good golfers—that is, those who figure out how to consistently put a low score on the board in competitive environments—overcome their own weaknesses on days when they just don’t have it.
As in other challenging endeavors, good golf does not happen by accident. Commitment to learning and the development of one’s skills are the foundation of success. You don’t find lackadaisical recreationists on tour!
We can say the same for those whose faith trajectory is rising. Those who walk well with God do so intentionally.
For nearly three months of Mondays, we have been asking the question: Who is a Christian? Our core passage has been Revelation 3:15-16, where Jesus challenged the Laodiceans to not grow stagnant in their faith, but rather to apply themselves with meaning to life in the kingdom. In the setting of modern churches, you may hear this preached this way: “You need to be on fire for Jesus!”
But what does this fire look like? Often, it is not a dramatic blaze. In Jesus’ time, big bonfires were not as important as the glowing ember that could be stoked each morning to prepare the day’s meals. And the care of that ember required the same thing that a healthy faith requires: intentionality. Let that ember die in the night, and you’d be off to beg a friend or need to start again the hard work of obtaining a spark to ignite the kindling.
Such intentional living has its demands. There will be times when prayer is heartless and study inconvenient. Sin will enter the picture with the assertion of your will or the lack thereof. Your strength will flag, your steps will falter, and you’ll fall.
But those whose righteousness is where it belongs—in the arms of Christ—will rise, bent but not broken, ready to serve again.
There are several marks of “true Christianity,” beginning with faith. But if faith is to be measured, we do well to start with intentionality. Am I committed to getting better tomorrow, to pursuing holiness, and to attaining the crowns that come in the judgment of the righteous? Then I am a Christian, one who gladly bears the name of the Savior, come what may.
—
Jeff Hopper
January 13, 2014
Copyright 2014 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.