And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
~ 2 John 1:6 (NIV)
As Christians, we are held to a whole new set of standards, on our daily walk of life. I do not say this to scare off any who are considering the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior. It would behoove people to walk that path of Christ, as His benefits far outweigh anything else.
The first and foremost thing that Jesus wants, is our true love and devotion. He wants our trust, our hopes, our dreams, our fears and pain, and our consultation on all matters. He wants us! It’s just that simple, however, simple can sometimes be problematic. In this age of selfishness and “our” rights, it is a difficult thing to say, “Okay, I give up all that I am, all that I hope to be, and all my dreams and aspirations to you, Lord. I relinquish all my rights to you. I choose to trust you as my Lord and Master.”
If we make that decision, we become new. He cleanses us from all our sins, and makes us worthy to approach God’s throne. Now we are a representation of Him in this world. As a result, we should now have higher standards than we had before we came to know Christ.
So what exactly are God’s standards? God’s standard is love: true, unobstructed, unbiased, limitless love! If we could just love Him back with a small degree of that love, we would automatically strive to live in His will. When we love someone, we want to spend time with them. Reading the Bible, attending church, going to a Bible study, praying, and meditating are ways to get to know Him better. Listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit will help us to know God better.
Spending time with God will motivate us to set our standards on a higher plane. When we hear His gentle whispers, we will begin to aim for obedience. We will be more aware of things, such as: our language, our attitudes, the pride we hold in our heart, intolerance we have for others, our stinginess, our lack of faith, our anger, our impatience, our addictions, and many other things.
This process of setting new standards, is built on love. That is the foundation of our faith. Without love, striving for higher standards is a moot point. We can work tirelessly for the Lord, but if love is absent, we gain no value. God does not want our service, He wants our love. The Bible clearly says of these three: faith, hope, and love; the most important is love. Love trumps all! Our standards will automatically rise out of our increasing love for Christ and others.
Lord Jesus, Help me to love you more each day. Lift me up to a higher plane of standards so that others can see Christ in me. Amen
In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny
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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Devotion shared by Jenny Calvert.
As Christians, we are held to a whole new set of standards, on our daily walk of life.
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