Words from the Rock
I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
John 17:22–23 NLT
Imagine that you just arrived in a new town and you’re really hungry. You spot a nice-looking restaurant with a brightly lit sign that says, “Delicious Food Served Here.” Okay, no one needs to twist your arm. But you’re barely inside when a foul odor hits you. You glance in the kitchen and see the cook pick a hamburger off the floor and slap it on a plate. The waitress, wearing a stained apron, makes a hacking cough as she points you to a dirty table. Then suddenly a green-faced guy leaves his half-eaten meal behind, and as he races for the bathroom, he hurls right there on the filthy linoleum floor. Still hungry?
What if that’s how nonbelievers feel about the church? What if someone is spiritually hungry and sees a cheerful sign that lures him into some kind of fellowship group, but once he’s inside, he observes bickering and fighting and hatred and jealousy? Would he stick around? Or would he have raced (like you would have from the creepy restaurant) in the opposite direction?
Jesus knows that when his followers truly love each other, it naturally draws outsiders in. Believers who forgive each other, practice kindness, and want to help others can attract a positive kind of attention that reflects well on Jesus. In other words, people recognize that Jesus is loving and forgiving when believers practice love and forgiveness on a regular basis. His reputation is established by us. It seems simple enough, but sometimes Christians lose sight of this.
What kind of reputation are you giving Jesus? What do others see when they look at you?
My Prayer
Dear God,
I want to reflect your goodness by the way I live. I want my actions to point others toward you. Please show me practical ways to express your love.
Amen.
Final Word
May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
Philippians 1:11 NLT
Stone for the Journey
God’s love is reflected in me.