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There was also a post from January 17th... weeklything.blogspot.com
Luke 12:35-37
Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.
Colossians 4:2-6
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
1 Peter 1:13-16
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Hello!
How are you? I hope that this Weekly Thing finds you well and learning from the Lord. Just the other day - when I started writing this - I learned an important lesson in watchfulness: don’t go to the other room to do something else when you’re boiling eggs on the stove because you WILL forget for much longer than what eggs should boil for. And then your foot falls asleep so you make quite a scene trying to run to the kitchen to turn off the stove. (I’m sure it would have been hilarious to watch!)
Now that I’m thinking about my little egg tragedy, it actually ties into what I was going to write about today. Many times in the New Testament - either by Jesus’ exhortations or in the Epistles - we are told to be “watchful.” This is an awareness of what’s going on around us, and an eager expectation for the second coming of Christ. I would also wager to say that we are to be watchful of where God is working and how, so that when we see those things we can turn around and praise the Lord for His works. And by all means, those moments are all around us but we don’t always see them.
Having self-awareness is another important point… a self-watchfulness that is sensitive to sin; a watchfulness that stays on the right path and is careful not to trip over sinful snags. We are to watch our speech and interactions with non-believers so that our actions do not hinder the Gospel. How can I make sure that what I say won’t cause someone to stumble or be hindered in their faith if I’m not being mindful of it? And how can I be mindful of it, if I don’t know how a follower of Christ should act because I’m not reading the Bible?
If we aren’t watchful we end up like the egg: cracked, dry, and unappealing. It might also note that I did not eat the eggs because they were no longer any good to me. When we allow our sinfulness sit and go unchecked it is difficult to be a representative of God.
So my encouragement to you, and the reminder to myself, is to be watchful. Read and study Scripture. Pray. Allow others to observe the in your life so that they can help you be watchful of your behavior.
I pray that we can be watchful of our actions and careful not to stumble into sin by relying on God’s mercy, and following whole heartedly after Him. I also pray that we would be people who eagerly anticipate and rejoice that our Lord Jesus Christ will return one day, and that our hearts would draw ever nearer to Him. May the Holy Spirit be working in us continually while giving us the words and ambition to share our faith with those who don’t know Christ.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne
Luke 12:35-37
Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.
Colossians 4:2-6
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
1 Peter 1:13-16
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Hello!
How are you? I hope that this Weekly Thing finds you well and learning from the Lord. Just the other day - when I started writing this - I learned an important lesson in watchfulness: don’t go to the other room to do something else when you’re boiling eggs on the stove because you WILL forget for much longer than what eggs should boil for. And then your foot falls asleep so you make quite a scene trying to run to the kitchen to turn off the stove. (I’m sure it would have been hilarious to watch!)
Now that I’m thinking about my little egg tragedy, it actually ties into what I was going to write about today. Many times in the New Testament - either by Jesus’ exhortations or in the Epistles - we are told to be “watchful.” This is an awareness of what’s going on around us, and an eager expectation for the second coming of Christ. I would also wager to say that we are to be watchful of where God is working and how, so that when we see those things we can turn around and praise the Lord for His works. And by all means, those moments are all around us but we don’t always see them.
Having self-awareness is another important point… a self-watchfulness that is sensitive to sin; a watchfulness that stays on the right path and is careful not to trip over sinful snags. We are to watch our speech and interactions with non-believers so that our actions do not hinder the Gospel. How can I make sure that what I say won’t cause someone to stumble or be hindered in their faith if I’m not being mindful of it? And how can I be mindful of it, if I don’t know how a follower of Christ should act because I’m not reading the Bible?
If we aren’t watchful we end up like the egg: cracked, dry, and unappealing. It might also note that I did not eat the eggs because they were no longer any good to me. When we allow our sinfulness sit and go unchecked it is difficult to be a representative of God.
So my encouragement to you, and the reminder to myself, is to be watchful. Read and study Scripture. Pray. Allow others to observe the in your life so that they can help you be watchful of your behavior.
I pray that we can be watchful of our actions and careful not to stumble into sin by relying on God’s mercy, and following whole heartedly after Him. I also pray that we would be people who eagerly anticipate and rejoice that our Lord Jesus Christ will return one day, and that our hearts would draw ever nearer to Him. May the Holy Spirit be working in us continually while giving us the words and ambition to share our faith with those who don’t know Christ.
In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne