Doing it with dignity and grace

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”

Our Bible verse for today: “My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all courage, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death.” Philippians 1:20

Our thought for today: “Doing it with dignity and grace”

One of the great honors that comes with being a pastor is that I get to see people at their worst. That statement might sound odd but it’s true. Being welcomed into people’s worst times in life is something I do not take lightly. Such moments are also often inspiring because for spiritually mature Christians, their worst moments are also often their best moments. During the worst of times such people are often at their best. They deal with their difficult and even tragic circumstances with dignity, grace, and strong faith that brings honor to Jesus.

That’s what Paul was writing about in Philippians 1:20. Paul said that he had an eager expectation that he would conduct himself well as he dealt with his bad circumstances. And please note that Paul was not denying the difficulty of his situation. He wasn’t pretending that everything was fine and that he was unaffected by any of the hardships he faced. He was old, he was tired, his body was broken, he was chained to his guards, his future was uncertain, and all of that made his circumstances difficult. He wasn’t denying any of that and he wasn’t pretending it was different than it really was. He was just saying that he wanted to be found faithful in the middle of it all and he wanted to use his circumstances to bring honor to Jesus.

That should be true of us as well. You don’t have to pretend you’re not sick when you really are. You don’t have to pretend that being unemployed and not being sure of how you’re going to pay the rent doesn’t bother you when it obviously does and it should. You don’t have to paste a phony smile on your face and pretend that the sun is shining and the birds are singing when in reality the sky is black, the wind is howling, and a storm is raging in your life. The circumstances are real, they are bad, and it’s silly to deny it.

But we can still resolve to trust the Lord to get us through it. We can acknowledge that Romans 8:28 is always true and we can therefore look for opportunities in the middle of the crisis. And we can resolve that we want to honor the Lord and find ways to bless and encourage others as we navigate the choppy waters of these difficult times. That’s what Paul was modeling for us in this passage.

The thought I want to leave you with this morning is that because you have the Holy Spirit of God living within you, you have the potential to overcome any problems, any mistakes, any misfortunes, and any obstacles. You can be one of those strong, spiritually mature Christians who handles tough times in a manner that truly does bring honor to Jesus.

You can do this, and you can do it with dignity and grace.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Share this:

Related

Leave a comment Cancel reply