"But as for you . . . "

Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

The story is told about a new pastor at a church in a small town in the Mid-west.  The pastor got on a bus, gave the driver some money for the fare, but then received more change back from the driver than he should have received.  He looked at the change and realized the driver’s mistake.  The pastor pointed out the mistake to the driver and gave him back the extra money.  The driver told the pastor, “That wasn’t a mistake.  I’m a member of the congregation where you are newly pastor.  Most other people would have just kept the extra change.  I just wanted to see if you lived what you preached.” 

 

God has a plan for how His children should live, and it is not always like the rest of the world lives.  God expects His people to be different because we are His children and follow His direction.  Recently my personal devotions have taken me through the book of Deuteronomy and into Joshua.  There was one phrase in Deuteronomy that caught my attention for the first time, and that phrase has stuck with me.  Please look at Deuteronomy 18:14 to see this short phrase of four small words.  “The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.”

 

“But as for you.”  God knows that others in the world might live by different standards.  God’s people are expected to be different.  God’s people are called to live with honesty and righteousness, with faith and love.  The rest of the world around us may live for what feels good today.  They may live for what they want, no matter what God says.  “But as for you,”  and as for me, God calls us to a different standard.

 

The problem is that God’s people face the same desires and temptations to selfishness that everyone else faces.  The Israelites in the Old Testament were supposed to holy, separated for the Lord.  But they often failed to live according to God’s standard.  We face temptations when everyone else acts selfishly to act in selfish ways rather than to act in righteousness.  How can we be different? 

 

The thing in life that makes God’s children different is that we know God’s love and that love changes our hearts.  On the night He was betrayed Jesus told His disciples, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)

 

When we know that we deserve punishment because of our selfishness and sin, but God instead loved us by sending His Son to die and rise for us, that changes our hearts.  When we know God’s love, we want to serve God rather than act in selfishness.  When we know God’s love, we want to act differently than the rest of the world around us, and we want to act differently than our sinful desires would cause us to act.

 

The pastor in the story above was not always perfect, he was forgiven. The pastor in the story above did not act differently because he knew this was a critical test of his leadership, but His heart had been changed by God’s love in Jesus.

 

I pray that God’s children today know God’s call.  “But as for you” who know God gave His Son for you, seek God’s help to live in honor and righteousness, in faith and in love.

 

A Child of God, Seeking to be different from the world around me,

Pastor Jonathan

 

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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ -   I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have.  (I am always adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for the first time.)  However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this message. . . Or, if you know someone who would like to receive one of these e-mails, please send me their e-mail address.

 

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