What's in Your Wallet?

This devotional is vital for us to understand. The reason we must face our behavior head on and not act as a victim is for our character, reputation and ultimately for the witness we are exemplifying. When we are responsible for our actions , physical or verbal toward another person; be sure to simply own up to your personal behavior. Don't be so quick to blame it on the person you are relating to. We feel this lets the other person off the hook. There is time to address how their behavior affected you, first do the right thing yourself. In a separate conversation address your concerns about their behavior. Be sure you have resolved any heated feeling that might push you to act impulsively before you enter into that conversation, otherwise you will be enlisting their ear to apologize yet again.

Philipians 2:14-16 (NAS)says this the best :
Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

With Love,
Candace

Credibility

READ: 1 Peter 2:11-21
[Have] your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that . . . they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God. —1 Peter 2:12

The recent global financial crisis caused people to pay closer attention to their credit report. When credit was easy to get, some people became careless about how they used it. They didn’t bother to save for what they wanted; they just borrowed. Being in debt was no big deal. But in a crisis, that is no longer the case. Having good credit is suddenly very important.

After an advertisement for a credit repair service, a local newscaster said, “Credit repair isn’t something you can buy; it’s something you have to work for.”
The same principle applies to the credibility of our lives. We can’t buy it; it’s something we have to work for. We may be able to “borrow” credibility for a while by associating ourselves with credible people, but sooner or later we will need our own.
Credibility has to do with the ability to elicit belief. The reason it’s essential for Christians is that our lives affect God’s reputation (1 Peter 2:12). When we call ourselves by Christ’s name, His reputation is tied to ours. If people have reason not to believe us, they may not believe God.

The way to earn credibility is to live honorably. Then others will believe and glorify God. — By Julie Ackerman Link

If we take care of our character, our reputation will take care of itself.

For Further Study-Look at these Scriptures about Christ’s life: Matthew 9:10-13; 20:28; Luke 6:12. How can you live the way He did?