The Relational Church

Galatians 6:1-10 

     When you read the Bible you will find a reoccurring theme:  love and obey the Lord.    It is one thing to declare yourself for the Lord with your mouth and yet another to think and behave so all that you do reflects His character.

     How can we instruct or encourage others to do what is right in the Lord’s eyes when we ourselves continue to sin?  People are watching.  The best way to lead others is not with words but with the faithful actions of a believer who is striving for spiritual maturity.

     There are several keys to maturing.  First, we are to “keep our eyes on the prize” which means that our focus should be on the eternal and not so much on the world.  The “prize” is not only getting to the eternal kingdom to be with the Lord but also hearing God pronounce us a “good and faithful servant when all are judged.  “Running the good race” is, that while we living in these times and within a wicked world, that we live a life that brings all the glory and praise to our Lord.  Thus, our lives are not about ourselves but about the Lord. 

     In the next several weeks we’ll explore the attributes that make us “Christ-like” in our behavior.  By seeing what God wants within us we can then move to repentance and then to a life of fruitfully abundant service and blessed Christian living.

- Michael Zerkich

Image by viima (flickr)