In this new life, it
doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile,
circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
That is a powerful
verse. Far too many people
look at the people around them, the people they encounter and judge them at
first sight. Be
honest. You’ve done that,
and I have too. I dare say
that we are wrong a lot when we chose to judge in ways that don’t come from God
nor do they honor Him.
One of the reasons
that our thinking is flawed is that we put too much weight on things that don’t
matter. When someone is
attractive, they are considered more worthy. When someone comes from a wealthy or
well-known family, they seem more important or to have more value. However we measure, if Christ is not the
mean and the mark, we are headed in the wrong direction.
“Christ is all that
matters.” That is a great
thought each of us must examine. Examine
it honestly making sure that we value what God values, and that we help people
know that they are valuable to God and to us!
“He lives in all of
us.” If Jesus is our
Savior, that is a fact. He
lives in us, and that fact cannot be changed by our choices, and we have a
promise from God that He won’t change that fact. Doesn’t this truth reinforce the fact
that we are valuable to God? Christ
matters most because He will be with us longer than anyone else will be.
Be careful how you
judge. We all should be
careful. Be careful about
where you place the greatest value. We
all need to value what God values.
1 Samuel 16:7 NLT
But the Lord said to
Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The
Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
If we judge on the
same merits that Jesus does, things will be much better. Plus we will have to lean on
God. He is the one who
knows the heart of every person. It
is our job to let people know they are important.
People are valuable
to God and to us. Our
opportunity is remind others that they are valuable and have great God-given
potential. Jesus is what
matters. Jesus is who fills
us with value and potential. Let’s
share that fact!
NOTE: much of this e-devotion
was shared in the fall of 2014.
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