Faithfully Unimpressive

ALL – Psalm 45:1-17
ALL – Proverbs 22:14
OT – Job 40:1-42:17
NT – 2 Corinthians 5:12-21

Interesting passage for the day: He died for all so that all who live—having received eternal life from him—might live no longer for themselves, to please themselves, but to spend their lives pleasing Christ who died and rose again for them. So stop evaluating Christians by what the world thinks about them or by what they seem to be like on the outside. – 2 Corinthians 5:15-16, The Living Bible

Thought: Christians aren’t designed to be impressive. They’re designed to be faithful. They’re designed to live real life—even when it looks boring. They’re designed to thank God—even for simple, “unexciting” blessings like bread and water. They’re designed to persevere—even when the rest of the world would decide “it’s not worth it.” They’re designed to please God, even when they seem to get no benefit.

Don’t misunderstand me. Some Christians are impressive and will do impressive things. Some are talented musicians, playwrights, actors, technicians. Some are gifted intellectuals, architects, athletes, speakers. For them, being faithful means using their impressive array of gifts to the glory of God. But they’re still designed first and foremost to be faithful, to please Christ rather than themselves.

And so the Christian life is not designed to be impressive. Which is a good thing, or most of us would be considered failures, not only by the world, but by Jesus Christ. As believers, we’re designed simply to be faithful to give ourselves wholly—heart, soul, mind, and strength—to loving and pleasing Jesus. And He’s given us life precisely so that we can all do exactly that.

Question: What does faithfully living to love and please Jesus Christ with your entire being look like for you right now? Where could you see yourself growing as you walk with Jesus through the years ahead?

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