And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. 1 Peter 1:17 KJV
I was reading a devotional in which the judge used a bumper sticker to encourage better driving.
He gave the person being charged with driving intoxicated two options.
The first option was to put this message on their bumper. “This car owned by a convicted drunk driver.”
The second option was to enroll in an alcohol treatment program.
Many of the offenders chose the second option.
They chose it because they cared about what others might think of them.
They wanted to maintain their image.
Their fear of embarrassment played a part in their decision.
This same fear is seen in other kinds of unacceptable behaviors as well.
Let’s face it, none of us would be willing to walk around with a sign on our backs that told the world we say we are a Christian but can’t find the time to pray and study the Bible.
Or one that warned others that we are a child of God who gossips too much.
We want to keep them to ourselves.
Think about it.
How we act says a lot about our sense of shame before the Lord.
No matter what man thinks or does, God will always judge us in a way that is correct in all its details.
He already knows about what we have done.
There is no way to hide it.
Any actions that go against what He has told us are unacceptable and should cause us fear.
It is a blessing to know that we have the opportunity to change our ways.
Our Holy confidence in God as a Father, and our fear of Him as a Judge, should outweigh anything that man thinks about us. Even what we think of ourselves (1 Peter 1:17).
In any situation, “[We can] call out to God for help and he helps—he’s a good Father that way. But don’t forget, he’s also a responsible Father, and won’t let [us] get by with sloppy living (1 Peter 1:17 MSG).
He is always there to help us make the corrections we need in our lives.
No matter what we face in life, remember, we are to live for our Father’s approval and not for man’s approval.
A WORD OF PRAYER
Father, it doesn’t matter what others may think or say about us. We need to maintain and do things according to Your Word. Openly admit what we have done wrong and make the right changes in our lives. So, when we stand before You on that Judgment Day, we can hear You say “Well done.”
In Jesus Name We Pray, Amen