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Scripture for the day: 1 Peter 2:21-24 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed.
Thought for the day: Yesterday we spoke of the need to love the Lord our God with all our soul, mind, and strength. Today we’ll move on to the next aspect of a healthy relationship with Him. We must – I – Imitate the Lord. I know, I know; Jesus is much more than a good example. There have been thousands through the ages who have set for us a good example of what it means to be a decent human being. If that were all Jesus came to do, then the cross and the resurrection mean nothing. When Jesus spoke of the servant being like the Master, He was presenting His hearers with the choice of a lifetime. 
 We really have but two choices; we can choose to follow Satan or we can choose to follow Jesus. If we choose to follow the way of rebellion, Paul reminds us, the result is lust, hatred, envy, strife and countless other sins that will certainly overcome and condemn us. He took great pains to remind the Galatians and the Corinthians and us that those who practice these things will certainly not inherit the Kingdom of God.  
 We can follow in the footsteps of the enemy of our souls, or we can choose to follow Jesus, the One who suffered and died to procure our freedom. Jesus said to those whom He chose, “Come, follow Me.” By that He meant so much more than claiming the name of Jesus. He spent three years and more teaching the disciples to walk the walk and not just to claim the name. He said, in illustration of the humble act of washing the disciples’ feet, “I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” Paul said, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (Ephesians 5:1-2).
 The third step in walking in the LIGHT is to – G – Glorify the Lord. 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells we are to “Do all to the glory of God.” Now, we can do countless word studies, pick apart each syllable and search for hidden meanings in Paul’s admonition to the Corinthian church folks, but when every argument is said and done, ‘all’ still means ‘all’. 
 When Peter heard that the sons of thunder, James and John, had asked to be seated with Jesus when He came into His kingdom, he was furious with them. Why? Because he believed he was more qualified and the most logical choice to sit at the right hand of the Master. After all, hadn’t he been the first to speak up for Him? Wasn’t it Peter the Lord always seemed to look to for answers to His questions regarding the kingdom? When Peter stood on a balcony overlooking a sea of faces and began to preach repentance to all who would hear, his focus had completely changed. He’d been disgraced, restored and filled with the Spirit and there was no thought of who might get the credit for anything he did. His only desire was that, through it all, the Lord would be glorified. 
 To glorify God means we are to be Christlike in our homes, not just at church. Our children and grandchildren must see Jesus in us, in our attitudes and actions alike. To glorify God is to be Christlike at our place of business. We are to display honesty in our dealings and in our work ethics. Whether those with whom we do business are associates or rivals, they should see Jesus in us. Period. To glorify God is to be above board with all our social relationships as well. To glorify God is to share the Good News with a lost and dying world, not out of selfish ambition but because sharing with the lost is to bring glory to the One who has given us everything worthwhile in our own lives. More on this tomorrow. In the meantime,
Go take on your world.  -  Bill