Do you ever wonder just how you are to act in any given situation? Have you wondered how others expect you to act or behave? Ever wonder how God expects you to behave, what attitude He wants you to have, how He wants you to interact with others?
We change our behavior based on who we are with, don’t we? If we are in a corporate meeting with our boss, we act professional and knowledgeable. If we are with friends, we cut up and laugh. If we are with family, we are more relaxed, sometimes too relaxed, meaning we feel comfortable with taking out our bad attitudes on them.
It is part of our nature to change our behavior based on the situation. However, God does not want us to act as though we are a goody two shoes on one occasion and fly off the handle on another. He calls us to be consistent—consistently good.
God desires us to show our love for our fellow human at all times. He desires us to honor one another through actions, speech, and attitude. He wants us to continually look to Him for guidance and follow the example Jesus set for us. He loves when we communicate with Him in prayer. He delights in seeing us share with one another, inviting one another into our homes for fellowship.
We all know this, don’t we? So, why do we misbehave so often? Perhaps it comes down to how much we desire to follow His commands and Jesus’ example. Do we really want to be like Jesus or are we simply giving lip service? Far too often, we do the latter rather than the former.
To change ourselves, we must commit to follow Jesus, His commands, and spend time conversing with Him in prayer. In changing ourselves, we also see the world around us change. By changing ourselves, we have the ability to change the world. As we become more like Jesus, we begin seeing each person we meet as Jesus sees them, our brother or sister, our neighbor. When we see others in this way, we begin to love them, even if we don’t know them.
I pray we all seek to change ourselves in a positive way. I pray we desire to be more like Jesus and follow His example. I pray each one of us asks God to change us into the person He has called us to be. Love one another. Honor one another. Seek to improve your relationship with Jesus. Spend time in prayer. Share with one another.
Romans 12:9-13 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Marty Pressey 