Scriptures That Bother Me — Luke 15:11-24

Posted by Jim Thornber on February 2, 2009
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Jesus: The Prodigal Son

“The younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. . . .” Luke 15:11-24

When I first studied this passage back in Bible College, it was easy for me to identify the younger son as those people who have taken their God-given gifts and talents and squandered them for their own selfish reasons. I saw them as the heathens among us who didn’t know that God is waiting to welcome them home.

After some reflection (and a few years of maturity), I began to see myself as the prodigal son – wasteful with my own God-given gifts, lavish in my pride, and extravagant in the ways I used my words, even to the point of hurting others. Yes, in many ways I was like the prodigal son.

Seeing myself (and others) as a type of prodigal son is easy. We’re all selfish sinners bent on having our own way at the expense of those who love us. What bothers me (and may bother you) is to consider this: Jesus is the true Prodigal Son. I wish I could say the idea of seeing Jesus as the prodigal son is original, but it has been around for a long time

Give this concept some time to sink in. One day Jesus took His inheritance and His title, left the home of His Father and traveled to a distant, foreign country. He spent all He had to become a human and emptied Himself of all the previous privileges He held in His Father’s house. In the strangest investment scheme in history, Jesus prodigiously squandered His inheritance by hanging around with sinners and harlots, drunkards and lepers, tax collectors and sundry riff-raff.  After spending all He had, Jesus sensed God’s abandonment (Matthew 27:46), only to return to the Father hungry and thirsty (John 19:28), fresh out of prison (1 Peter 3:19), dressed in borrowed clothes fit only for a dead man.

The word prodigal means to be wastefully or recklessly extravagant or lavish. Jesus recklessly invested everything He had so that we could know His eternal love. As I contemplate this, I’m also challenged by how Jesus gave all of Himself while knowing there would not be a 100% return on His investment. Yes, in the omnipotence of God, He knew how many of us would accept His Divine sacrifice. But as a human, Jesus was spending, if not wasting, His entire self on us. True, He loves His creation; but we sure seem to have a funny way of acknowledging His gift.

Another thing that challenges me about this story is that we often call it the Parable of the Prodigal Son, when in reality it should be called the Parable of the Prodigal Father. The entire story centers around the love, compassion, forgiveness, longing and hope the Father showed in reconciling with the son; or with me, for that matter. Whatever else I’ve been wasting my life on, God knows it is Jim who is hurting, Jim who needs to go home, Jim who needs to know there is still a family ring to wear and an expensive robe to cover my nakedness. And in my first effort to return, God makes the next move and runs to meet me. I don’t even make it all the way home (read that, “heaven”) before I sense the forgiving arms of the Father’s embrace. God the Father is prodigal in His love.

The lesson for me is this: love is never a waste. It can never be too extravagant, overly invested or lavishly spent. At the end of my life, I want people to say of me, “Jim spent all he had to love those around him.” I may have gotten a late start in life on that road home to the Father’s heart, but it is never too late to return.

Scriptures That Bother Me — Colossians 1:22

Posted by Jim Thornber on January 28, 2009
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Without A Single Fault

“Now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.” – Colossians 1:22 (NLT)

“Me? I’m standing before God without a single fault?” I’m thinking to myself. “Who’s Paul kidding?” But I’m getting ahead of myself.

I’ve been studying the book of Colossians for a few weeks now. I try to read the book in one sitting a couple of times a week from different translations, and I’ve enjoyed getting familiar with its theme of Christ’s superiority. However, it seems that no matter how many times I’ve read a passage of Scripture, there comes a time when something will appear fresh, new and unexpected. Sometimes those unexpected encounters are a joy, like when you see a good friend after a long absence. Other times, the unexpected takes a more painful turn, like when I read this passage in Colossians.

On about my tenth reading of Colossians, I didn’t even get through chapter one when I had trouble getting wrapping my mind around this idea: I stand before God without a single fault.

I thought to myself, “Not me, baby.” I have so many faults I sometimes wonder why my wife doesn’t change the locks on the door while I’m at work. Besides, if I have no faults, then why am I a forty-seven year old ordained minister with a Master’s degree working in a lumberyard selling plumbing and electrical parts? Why isn’t there a church somewhere that wants my God-given talents and abilities? Why am I still opening my mouth and saying inappropriate things? Why do I still struggle with selfishness, pride, impatience, joy, love and self-control? How on earth or in heaven can Paul tell me I stand before God without a single fault?

After wrestling with this idea for a few days, I finally began to understand that we must all know the difference between our position in Christ and our experience with Christ.

Because God sees me “reconciled…through the death of Christ,” my position in Christ is without fault. By faith, Christ’s blood has cleansed me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). However, my experience in life is far from righteous. But this, too, is part of God’s way.

If you’ll recall, the experience of the Israelites in Egypt was one of imprisonment, slavery, and separation from God. Nevertheless, on the evening of the first Passover, even though God knew of their experience, their position under the blood allowed death to pass over. God said, “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13). God did not judge them on their experience of slavery and sin, but upon their position under the blood. And so it is with all who position themselves under the sin-cleansing blood of Christ.

It is still hard to wrap my brain around it. My experience in life is one of triumph and defeat, success and failures, living up to God’s standards and failing miserably. But since I do not stand before God based on my own merits, but upon the gift of God through Christ Jesus, I find myself breathing a little easier. God, in His infinite mercy, has decided to see me – and you if you choose – through rose-colored glasses tinted red by the blood of Christ, declaring that what He sees is good and without fault.

This passage continued to be a mystery to me until I read Colossians 1:27, that is, the mystery of Christ living in me. (Colossians 1:27). Perhaps if I just kept reading I wouldn’t have been so bothered! It goes like this: God approves of Christ; Christ lives in me; therefore, God approves of me.

And who am I to argue with God?

The ENTIRE Message

Posted by Jim Thornber on January 27, 2009
Posted in: Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

I don’t usually blog like this, but I’d like to share a passage that bothers me and ask your opinion. Colossians 1:25 says, “God has given me [Paul] the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.“

I’m bothered by how many preachers I’ve heard who tend to focus on one primary theme. Some preach mostly on faith, others on healing, or missions, or poverty, etc. I wonder: Is every preacher of the Word commissioned to proclaim God’s “entire message”? Or, are there some preachers who are commissioned to preach on a single theme? Furthermore, could it be that the accumulated messages of all God’s preachers meant to be an accurate representation of His message? The jury is still out in my mind, but I’d like to hear what others think.

Blessings,

Jim

Permission Granted

Posted by Jim Thornber on January 26, 2009
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This is another excerpt from my hopefully-soon-to-be-released book Taking Off My Comfortable Clothes. The book is about the lessons I learned as an Assemblies of God minister living as a monk with the Brothers and Sisters of Charity at the Little Portion Hermitage. This excerpt is from my chapter Embracing My Illusions (Calling).

When I was a pastor in Tahlequah, OK, I used to tell my congregation that I wanted to be known as “Pastor Permission Giver.” I wanted to give people permission to use their gifts, talents and passions for God, regardless of what they were. I figured if God gave a person the gift to paint pictures, then there was some way for that person to glorify God through those paintings. Others might have the gift to learn languages, or enjoy working with mentally handicapped adults (my mom has that gift), or write music. Whatever gift you have, it has not been given to you by mistake, and the Creator of your gifts has granted you permission to use your gifts and passions in His Church. And if your church can’t find a place for you and your passions, THEN GO FIND ONE THAT WILL!  I did.

The Church has too often become a place where amateurs and beginners have no place to practice their gifts and talents. That’s a shame, because the Church should be the safest place in the world to practice our gifts, make a mistake, know you are safe, and try again. There are no unique talents and gifts in the Church. Whatever is on your heart, you can find someone to mentor you in that area of your heart’s desire. I may have been the world’s only Assemblies of God monk, but I was not the only monk in the world, and I was surrounded by people who knew my heart and understood my passions.  Furthermore, God was not treating me special because I was the only Protestant in a Catholic community. His goal for me at the Little Portion is the same as it is for you today — He wants you to become the best you can be by putting Jesus first in every part of your life.

So what is my purpose for including this chapter? I want to give you permission to follow your dreams, express your passion for living and do what you know God has called you to do. I want you shed the baggage of your illusions, find someone who has who has traveled a similar path and learn from their wisdom, and then go out and change your world because you have been changed by Christ.

Scriptures That Bother Me — Genesis 22:9

Posted by Jim Thornber on January 23, 2009
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“Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.”  — Mark Twain

Preparing for our Promise

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Genesis 22:9

If you are at all like me (and I like to think you are!), you can look back over your lives and see how God gave you an assignment that necessitated the learning of new skill. As those skills grew, you might have concluded, “Now I know the reason God is doing this in my life.” But as you look back over the years, you see that God had a completely other reason for making you proficient in a certain area.

Scripture records that Abraham built many altars, so he was obviously efficient at gathering stones and arranging wood. When God told him to build an altar and sacrifice his only son, Abraham repeated an action he had been practicing for years. He did what he was accomplished at doing. Only now he did it in a new and challenging way. He had been preparing for years for just this event, but its purpose was now beyond his imagination.

Like Abraham, I too have found myself moving from place to place, and sacrificing my hopes and dreams that I built around the location or the job I had. I have never lived in only one town, had only one job, or been a member of only one church or denomination.

Each place I have gone to I went with the intention of staying. But I’ve found only two commitments in my life are forever: My relationship to God and my marriage to my wife. Where I live, what denomination I’m a part of, my place and type of ministry, my job and even the amount of hair on my head are all subject to change, but that doesn’t stop me from committing and putting down roots.

We are to give our all to whatever God has called us to do, but always with the understanding that all we have is a gift from the Lord, and that for all we oversee, we never truly own. Everything is a gift from God, and as Abraham discovered, God may require us to sacrifice our “things” to Him.

Scripture says Abraham laid Isaac “on top of the wood.” Over and above all our foundational works and years of church work, we must obey God’s word and place upon the altar all our accomplishments as “living sacrifices” (Rom 12:1). God will allow us to hold nothing as our own.  “You are not your own; you were bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:20). “Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord” (Rom 14:8).

The problem I have with this passage is the fact that Abraham was directed to sacrifice his promise, because it reminds me of the many times I have had to lay down the things I love for the sake of the One who loves me. But in sacrificing my promises, I’ve always found this to be true: God never wants me to substitute His best for something that is merely good. Abraham could have Isaac, or Abraham could have God, but he could not have them both.

But isn’t this the conclusion that God came to at the creation of the world? He could have His Son forever safe in heaven, or He could have “whosoever will” saved. He could not have both. But like Abraham, the Lord knew that by sacrificing the One He could have the other.

Somehow, in ways I don’t yet to fully understand, living in the Kingdom of God means that the only way that we can become first is to become last, the only way we can live is to die, and the only way we can see His promises fulfilled is by arranging our lives in preparation to sacrifice our dreams. It’s not my favorite part of being a Christian, but the Lord has never failed to replace “my” dreams and hopes with something better.  When I think about it that way, it isn’t so hard to arrange the wood when He calls, because I know His plans for me are always better than the dreams I have for myself.

Scriptures That Bother Me — Numbers 20:1-13

Posted by Jim Thornber on January 19, 2009
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“Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.” – Mark Twain

I’m Just Like Moses. . . .On a Bad Day!

This is one of those passages that gets under my skin because it reads “Jim” all over it. It speaks of someone who doesn’t trust God, but must make a show before the assembled crowd in order to legitimize their ministry. Yep, that’s me. I wore that hat like a noose yesterday, but I’ll get to that story in a minute. Let’s talk about Moses first. Don’t you always feel better when you compare your foibles  to others? (Some holier-than-thou people actually call them SINS!). I know I do.

Moses had, by the direction of God, guided the grumbling Israelites into the Desert of Zin, where they camped at Kadesh. In other words, they were exactly where God wanted them. Upon finding themselves without water, they did the natural thing – they yelled at Moses. Moses in turn turns to God, who tells Moses, “Speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water.” You noticed, of course, that God said, “Speak to the rock.” Did you also notice that Moses turned and struck the rock not once, but twice?

God the All-Knowing was not at all surprised by the action of Moses and says, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” (NLT). God, of course, isn’t in the habit of sharing His glory with mere mortals (Isaiah 48:11).

Moses struck the Rock (Christ was the Rock – 1 Corinthians 10:4) and said, “Must WE bring you water out of this rock?” (vs. 10, emphasis mine). Bringing water out of the rock was the Lord’s doing, not Moses’. But Moses wanted the people to see how powerful he was, how effective he was in producing miracles, how central he was to God’s plan. But God’s plan didn’t include Moses in the center of anything but obedience to the Lord’s instructions. Moses promoted himself over the goodness and provision of God, and it cost him his passport into the Promised Land.

And therein lies the sting. God is working mightily in our lives, performing miracles when we simply obey, and we can’t seem to get ourselves out of His way. At every opportunity we find ways to prove to people that we have a legitimate reason for breathing air and taking up space and we want to shout, “Look at everything God is doing through ME!” Okay, maybe I’m the only one who thinks this way, but it happened yesterday and God took me over His knee for it.

I was leaving a store when I saw a man who had left our church a few months earlier. Not long after he left I merged our fellowship with another church in town, and we’ve been remodeling our facility every since. As I happily explained to this former member all the good things that were taking place, I was also thinking, “Aren’t you just a bit jealous that your leaving didn’t cause our church to fold? Aren’t you envious that we’re doing better since you left? Don’t you want to come see our progress and tell me just how fine a pastor I am?”

I wasn’t in my truck two seconds when the Lord told me what a selfish fool I’d just been. Like Moses, I wanted to strike out and prove my worth. I wanted people to see me and be impressed. Maybe that man was impressed with me, but God wasn’t. My power wants to strike out, but God’s power speaks, creates, provides and guides His people in ways that are best for them, regardless of the perceived ego needs of the leaders.

Fortunately, God didn’t take away my ticket to the Promised Land. But He did remind me to keep my ego out of the way of His grace. Where God guides He will provide, and He doesn’t need me to promote my agenda to see His miracles take place.

An Audience of One

Posted by Jim Thornber on January 16, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion, Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

This is another excerpt from my hopefully-soon-to-be-released book Taking Off My Comfortable Clothes. The book is about the lessons I learned as an Assemblies of God minister living as a monk with the Brothers and Sisters of Charity at the Little Portion Hermitage. This excerpt is from my chapter, When God Alone is Enough (Isolation).

Many times throughout the year, men and women would spend a week at the community to see if the monastic lifestyle was something they felt called to embrace. One time a young man came to the community who played the guitar. That wasn’t unusual. We had many guitar players visit the community, often because they were attracted to John Michael‘s music. What was unusual was what John said about this young man. John and I were discussing the possibility that he might join the community, and John observed, “He is one of the best guitar players I’ve seen, but I cannot tell him that.” Some egos are better left unwatered until the proper time.

Later that week this man and I had a conversation. He was going on and on about how he wanted to use his guitar playing as a ministry, and I remembered what John had said about his talent.

“How do you feel about playing just for God?” I asked.

“What do you mean?” he said.

“Are you content to just sit in a room and play for God with nobody else listening?” I said.

“But I want to play for people,” he said.

“Until God alone is a big enough audience,” I said, “then you aren’t ready to play for people.”

At the time, I didn’t realize how many times that statement would come back and bite me. Even during this current period of isolation, I must continually ask, “Is God alone a big enough audience? If it is just God and me alone in the room, can I still bring pleasure to God without teaching in front of an audience? What if this book never sells? Are my thoughts and processes alone enough to please God? Or, is it only me who needs the applause of men to believe that I’ve done my best for the Kingdom?”

The answers to those questions often make me squirm, but I take comfort by contemplating the lowly Loriciferans. Discovered in 1983, scientists think these tiny marine animals live in the mud between grains of sand, feeding on other microscopic animals. Since they are only about one-quarter of a millimeter in size, it is no wonder they’ve stayed hidden for so long. Since an inch is approximately 25.5 millimeters, you could line one hundred cooperative Loriciferans end to end within the space of an inch. That’s small.

So what am I getting at? On the fifth day of creation, God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life” (Gen. 1:20, New Living Translation). God then surveyed what He created (today we call that an evaluation) and proclaimed it “good,” and that included the elusive Loriciferans. Just because man didn’t discover them until 1983 doesn’t mean their “unknown” existence didn’t bring God pleasure. Likewise, just because my current existence remains largely unknown doesn’t mean I can’t bring pleasure to God. But only if an audience of One is enough for Jim.

Scriptures That Bother Me — Galatians 1:10

Posted by Jim Thornber on January 14, 2009
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“Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.” — Mark Twain

PLEASING MEN, SERVING CHRIST

“Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ” Galatians 1:10

I’ll confess this right up front: I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to please people. However, I’m not really a people pleaser. Let me explain.

A people pleaser is one who does everything they can to make those around them feel comfortable and accepted. They go out of their way to serve others, smooth over difficulties and meet the expectations of those around them, even if those expectations are unwarranted, selfish or just plain silly. They habitually give in to those around them in fear of upsetting them, and constantly put their own needs aside to meet the needs of others, even if the others never show gratitude for the sacrifice.

No, I’m not a people pleaser.

However, I do try to please people. How? Through my writing and teaching. Let me try to explain what God has been trying to explain to me.

About a year ago, I found myself hanging out in church after I finished preaching. As I was picking up my Bible and notes, I felt God speak to my heart. “Jim, the only reason you are lingering is so you may hear somebody compliment you on your sermon.”

Okay. That hurt. But God was right. I wasn’t teaching the Word primarily to bring God glory and see lives changed. I was preaching because I wanted to feel the ego buzz I got when somebody complimented me about my sermon.

I’ve found the same thing to be true since I starting blogging. I’m constantly checking my blog stats to see how many people have visited my site. I’m anxious to see who left comments and what they had to say. Even when I’ve written an article for my denominational magazine, I could hardly wait for friends to tell me how much they enjoyed it.

Even though I understand why I seek the approval of men, it doesn’t make it any easier. A few years ago, my wife and I read The Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman. He says that everyone has a particular way they know they are loved, and he calls this a love language. The five love languages Dr. Chapman has observed are Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service and Physical Touch. My wife’s love language is Quality Time. Can you guess mine? Yep. Words of Affirmation. Mark Twain must have had the same love language, for he said, “I can live two months on a good compliment.” I can go about two days.

Now you know why this Scripture bothers me. Unlike Paul, I’m still trying to please men, and this sometimes comes at the expense of being a servant of Christ. Now, Paul wasn’t saying he was never concerned about pleasing people, for at times he did his best to do just that (1 Corinthians 9:19-22). He was saying he did not try to please men as opposed to pleasing God. Given the choice between pleasing men and pleasing God, Paul chose God every time. I haven’t always been so successful.

I’m not a people pleaser; I’m a Jim pleaser, and I think that is worse. However, the good news is I only have one person I need to disappoint in order to focus my attentions on God. But that’s okay. I’ll get over it.

Scriptures That Bother Me — Hebrews 10:32-34

Posted by Jim Thornber on January 12, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion, Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

Caught In The Good ‘Ol Days

“Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. . . .because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.” Hebrews 10:32-34

When I was in high school, I played soccer, which was a strange sport for a guy who didn’t like to run long distances. Being vertically challenged (I’m 5’3″ in two pair of thick socks), I was constantly falling behind the taller guys in the long runs. Because my legs were (well, still are) short, I was quick and usually the first one to the ten-yard line but most always last in the mile. My coach would yell at me for not running fast enough, and I would yell back, “I’m running twice as far as anybody else ’cause I’m taking twice as many steps!” For some reason, he never bought that excuse.

We had to be in excellent shape because in the average soccer game, a player could run up to six miles, and soccer continues to be among the world’s most physically enduring sports. I’m sad to report that I have not maintained that level of conditioning since I left high school. But it was great while it lasted.

Christians also need to be in shape to stay in the “contest” (vs. 32). The Greek word for contest in this verse is athlesis. It refers to an athletic competition and is the source of our English word “athlete.” As Christians, we must not just remember when we were at our best, but we must keep at it and stay that way. We are not to be like the athlete I turned out to be – one who keeps in shape and maintains a peak performance for only a few years, only to grow old and spend time reminiscing about the good ‘ol days when we were on top of our game and the best in the league. Rather, we are commissioned not only to stay in the race, but to run it better and win it grander as our years mature and our love for God and His people expands. We should be the only athletic team in the universe who grows stronger in mind and spirit as the years mature us, so that the enemy knows without a doubt that the toughest players in the game are the “seniors.”

Perseverance is of great necessity here. I had soccer practice five days a week, three hours a day when I was in school. What bothers me is I spent more time conditioning my body for a game than I did conditioning my spirit for life and eternity. Unfortunately, that remains true for most Christians, who tend to spend more time in the shower and in front of the T.V. than they do in the Word and on their knees. It is by our actions that we prove where our priorities are.

I wonder why the author of Hebrews found it necessary to warn his readers against throwing away their faith and confidence in God, and in so doing lose their reward. Were they tired of the constant battle? Were they growing weary in the fight? This would certainly be true of some. Others had probably become complacent in their faith. Rich, fat, lazy, and lacking challenges in their life, perhaps they no longer perceived Christianity as a need in their lives. Like many of us today, they turned to God when life was beyond their control. But what about now? Have we stopped exercising our faith muscles because we don’t like the direction the contest had taken? Is our faith a fine thing when everyone can see it, but a cumbersome bother if it means being loyal to God on a daily basis when nobody was watching?

So what is my point? I don’t want to be an old Christian athlete who is caught up in the good ‘ol days with nothing more to offer than fond memories of the way I used to be. I want everyone to know that the best of my spiritual life is still yet to come.

A Change of Habit

Posted by Jim Thornber on January 10, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 6 Comments

Another excerpt from my hopefully-soon-to-be-published book Taking Off My Comfortable Clothes.

After I moved to the Little Portion Hermitage and made my three-year commitment to poverty, chastity, and obedience, I put on the clothing of a monk-a brown, one-piece hooded robe called a “habit.”  That habit was a concrete reminder that the way I walked, worked and worshiped was about to change.

Having grown up in Southern California wearing either shorts or Levi’s most of the year, learning to walk in a long, dress-like garment that nearly touched the floor took some practice. John Michael gave me detailed instructions on how walk up and down stairs, get in and out of cars gracefully, and even ride a camel. Moreover, the way I carried myself did not go unnoticed by those I went to church with at Berryville First Assembly of God in Arkansas.

Not long after I left the community, our church had a ceremony for the Honor Stars – those girls around twelve years old who have completed the Missionettes program (Missionettes is the Christian version of the Girl Scouts.) They all came to church one night in long gowns, and had to walk up a couple of stairs in order to reach the platform. While I was standing in the back talking to one of the mothers, her daughter came up to me, and in a hushed tone said, “Jim, how do you walk up stairs in a long dress?” Without words, I showed her how to maneuver her dress modestly, and she imitated the feat perfectly, climbing onto the platform without a hitch. I’m still amused that she asked me and not her mother! The scene begs the question: Are people asking your advice on how to walk in Christ? It was obvious that this girl had never seen her mother in a floor-length gown, but she had seen me in something similar. Therefore, she sought the advice of one whose walk and behavior was something she needed to emulate. If people are not asking our advice in areas of our faith, we need to wonder if we are showing them enough of our life for them to want to imitate it.

1 John 2:6 says,

“Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”

When we first become Christians, we may spend time asking “What would Jesus do?” because walking like Jesus is not something we are used to doing. When I first attempted to walk up a flight of stairs in my new habit, I had to think about my moves so that I didn’t fall on my face. But after a while walking like Jesus, like walking up stairs in a habit, becomes our first nature. Our spirit knows what Jesus would do and does it.

The Greek word for “walk” in 1 John 2:6 is peripateo, which means “a designation for conduct of life.”  Peripatetic is a philosophy or the teaching method of Aristotle, who would teach while walking about the Lyceum in Athens. Therefore, a better translation of this passage might be, “Whoever claims to live in him must designate the conduct of his life as Jesus did.”

Are we conducting our lives as Jesus did, and by doing so, living a life that is worthy of imitation (1 Cor. 11:1)? A young girl sought my advice because she had seen me handle a situation she was about to encounter. Others have sought my advice because of the way they have heard me handle the Word of God. Is our walk leading people to seek our counsel on how to live for Christ? The hard question we should all ask ourselves is, “What am I teaching in the way I conduct my life?”