A Season of Hope ~ Preparing Our Hearts for Easter
1 John 2:6:
“Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked”
Have you ever been surprised and disappointed by the behavior of someone who confessed to being a Christian? I would imagine the answer is a resounding “yes” for most of us. It is often what gives non-believers some justification in calling us “hypocrites.” Truth be told, one can find quite a few hypocrites in our congregations. We do a lot of walking, and a whole lot of talking, but our behavior doesn’t always line up with our faith. We are not very consistent in “walking the talk.”
That’s why we need Jesus.
The only one who ever lived on this earth who was not a hypocrite was Jesus. He was obedient in obeying His Father, and He walked the talk perfectly.
Let’s think about our own lives. This year my focus word has been “Abide” so our verse today strikes a chord with me. It says if we say we abide (to remain and stand fast) in Jesus, we ought to walk the same way Jesus walked. What does that look like in practical terms? Here are some ways Jesus walked that can inspire us to walk as He walked:
• With purpose and obedience to do His Father’s will
• With dependence on His Father
• With faithful, consistent prayer
• With focus because He knew His time was short
• With boldness to tell the truth about righteousness
• With humility of heart, not concerned about what the critics thought, nor concern about receiving the glory; that was God’s department
• With a desire to disciple well
• With a desire to serve rather than to be served
• With love for His fellow believers
• With a desire to feed the multitudes hungry for His Word, the Bread of Life, and to satisfy those who were thirsty for Living Water.
• With a listening ear to hear the silent cries of the hurting
• With attentive eyes to see those who are broken and lost and in need of salvation, repentance, and healing
• With gentleness, ready to extend forgiveness and mercy
• With patience, never in a rush
From this list, what are some steps you can take to abide in Him, not just during the Lenten season but every day to reflect His character as you walk in obedience to Him? I was struck by a few even as I write this!
Lord God, thank you for reminding us once again that we never want to be called a hypocrite! We sometimes get complacent or even lazy in our walk. Please help us turn our hearts towards You this Lenten season, to be authentic in our walk and talk as we learn to obey and seek to abide in You. May everything we say and everything we do be pleasing to You, Father. For the sake of the Gospel of Christ, we pray. Amen.
