REFLECTIONS
July 12, 2009
 
 
For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
1 Peter 2:15-16
 
 
What We Have
 
Years of service had earned Ron a position of leadership. It was a position with authority over a large number of employees. It was the job he had dreamed of—one where those above him entrusted him with important responsibilities. But with the job, the responsibility, and the authority came high levels of stress. The job pressure often tested Ron’s patience and his intellectual limits. It was sometimes difficult to maintain his composure, to allow time for those in need of his guidance, and patience with those who failed to meet expectations. But he did.
One day as Ron worked head down at his desk, he heard someone say “I want what you have.” He looked up to see a young subordinate standing in his doorway. Offering a gesture that invited the subordinate to a chair in his office, Ron inquired, “And what might that be?”
“You seem so happy, so secure, so confident,” the subordinate explained, “and I want those qualities in my life too.” Ron could only smile. He knew what he had and he was more than willing to share it with his young subordinate.
“There is no secret to those things and I am glad you asked about it,” Ron began. “I have Jesus in my life and He fills me with peace and joy. Would you like to know more?” So began Ron’s time with his young subordinate. But it really didn’t begin there.
It all really began with the way Ron conducted his life. It was simple. He was not evangelistic. That was not his gift. He extended few invitations to Bible study. That was not his nature. He simply tried to live as Jesus would have him live as a servant of God. That’s how he kept his composure, and found time and patience with those in need of his help. Ron lived as a light in the world and an inquiring subordinate was drawn to it.
Our lives can also be lights in the world. It’s a simple thing. We need not seek to convert anyone or even speak a word about our faith if those are not our gifts. We only need to let the love of Jesus shine through our lives by living as servants of God.
And if we do, who knows who we might find standing at our door asking us about what we have.
                                                
“You are the light of the world.”
RichardÌ

www.reflectingthesavior.org.


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