The
Christmas season is upon us, and signs of the season are everywhere. The lights seem to be growing and gleaming
brighter each day. Notice the nativity
scenes becoming more prevalent inside and outside. Radio station after radio station are playing
songs of the season that talk about a baby born at Christmas.
Yep. People are talking about Jesus. It is that time of the year when people
listen more and talk more about the reason for life, the way of salvation, the
promise of God and the meaning of Christmas.
That would be the one who is the way, the truth and the life, and His
name is Jesus.
After
Jesus was born there was a group of people who came to see and to worship
Him. I am not talking about the
shepherds. I am talking about the wise
men. Tradition tells us that there were
three wise men, but we are not sure of that.
There were three gifts that the Bible talks about. The Christmas story has so many facets that
take our mind and our hearts to a new land of celebration.
I’d
like to spend another day in the MAN series talking about what a godly man who
has been transformed by God looks like.
There are many different portions of the Bible that points to our
guidance and success. God has a plan for
you and for me.
A
wise man has several things going through his life that were placed there by
God. Galatians 6 opens some of those
windows for us. Read a few verses with
me.
Galatians
6:1-5 NLT
Dear
brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are
godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And
be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and
in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If
you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself.
You are not that important. 4 Pay
careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a
job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for
our own conduct.
The godly man understands that he is his brother’s keeper. It doesn’t say judge or jury. We are called to help others see the goodness
of God. That means we can and must encourage
those we care about to live for God.
The godly further is careful not to fall in to temptation. The best way to avoid this pit it to stay
honest and to make sure we share life with others who care about us. To encourage each other, to be honest with
each other, to hold each other accountable keeps us strong and close to God.
The godly man shares the burdens of those he cares about. To “share a burden” can mean all kinds of
things. This is about meeting
needs. This is about being there when someone
is in pain and dealing with tough situations life throws at us. This means correcting someone when they are
headed the wrong way.
The godly understand the strength of humility. Don't think too high or too low of
yourself. God tells us who we are based
on what He has done and on what He says.
This is another part to listening to other godly people who care about
us.
The godly man examines himself often and seeks to make sure that he is
not trying to compare himself to others.
The power of comparison takes us to places we should not go. Comparison makes us leave real success
behind.
The godly man understands that his actions, his words, his thoughts and
his life are in God’s hands. The godly
man cares more about what God has planned than anything else.
Every person has a choice. We can
live our way or God’s way. The godly man
puts God first. We have a choice.
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