November 7

God doesn’t want His people to put on a ‘dog and pony show.’ His intent is not that we draw attention to ourselves or have a, ‘Look at me! Aren’t I a remarkable Christian!’ kind of attitude. He doesn’t expect us to wear our religion on our sleeve. He wants us to live our religion openly but humbly.

Many of us feel a compelling drive to gain the notice of the unsaved around us. We tell ourselves that we desire them to see the Christ in us, but the reality is that as long as there is anything about us—about our ‘self’—that attracts their attention, they won’t see Jesus at all. We’ll be blocking the view of Him.

Even when we are maligned, even when our good is evil spoken of, we are to maintain the attitude that conveys to those who have misunderstood us that we are not offended in them. Is this something we can do apart from the help of the Holy Spirit? Indeed we cannot.

But if we will drink in His Word, if we will die to our pride and our desire to be recognized for the good we attempt to convey, we will live up to Ephesians 4:2 which says, “Walk in humility and meekness with patience as you bear with one another because you love one another.” Then Jesus gets the glory!