Good morning! The last few weeks at church, we have been going through a series called, ‘Canceled.’ If you think I spelled that word wrong, I’m with you – no matter how many times I google the word, it says the word ‘cancelled’ with two L’s is the British version SMH! I must be British, because it just makes sense! Anyways, back to the series – it started out on Easter Sunday with the main point being that Jesus canceled our debt of sin!
Yesterday the main point was to cancel yourself. Pastor Matt was telling an illustration that if we look at a mirror and see the reflection of the world, we are doing something wrong! We were not meant to blend in with this world, we were created to be different! I absolutely LOVE this!
I have had a long beard for the last six years and it has been so much fun! I think I started growing it when most of my brothers were going to grow them together and although most of them have beards, none are quite as long as mine! The beard has caught the attention of kids and adults alike, some people love it and some people hate it, some people think it’s great but not for them, others wish they could grow it but their wives won’t let them.
It really has been a great experience because it ALWAYS begins a conversation. I would say there are very few times when I go out into public and don’t talk to someone about my beard (because they are mesmerized by it LOL).
I am the kind of person that likes to remember people – their names, their stories, what they look like – I want to be able to make them feel special by showing them that I care by remembering some of those things if I were to see them again. The thing about the beard is that even if people don’t remember anything about me, they remember the beard – I can’t hide it from them and they will always know me by it.
The thing about the beard is that it is different. There are more long beards now than during other times, but mine is straight, has this cool streak down the middle (it’s really gray from all the wisdom that I have LOL), and since I have a bald head, it’s the only hair I have on my head so it really stands out.
The same thing is true in our lives when we belong to Jesus. It’s like having a long beard that stands out in public, the people around you will recognize the fact that you are different. It should spark conversation from those around you, even if you begin them. And in those moments, you have the open door to tell of the goodness of God – boast in all that He has done and is doing in your life. Not that your life is perfect, but that doesn’t change who God is!
“As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 6:16b-17a
When we accept the sacrifice of Jesus, choose to surrender our hearts to Him, and commit to live according to His Word, He will constantly draw us to be more like Him. We will be challenged to no longer live for ourselves, but to live in a way that honors God and draws others to Him!
Our lives begin to change through the relationship, not the religion. This means that the way we talk will begin to be different, the way we think will begin to be different, and the way we behave will begin to look different! The things we used to say, think, and do are no longer because we will BE TRANSFORMED by the renewing of our mind!
Today, let’s take a moment to look in the metaphorical mirror to examine what our lives may look like to those around us. Is our life aligned with the things and behaviors of the world around us? Are we learning to deny ourselves to live for Jesus?
Heavenly Father, thank You for cancelling our debt of sin and providing a way for us to receive new life! Help us to recognize that we were not meant to fit in, but You have called us to be different! Help us to examine ourselves today and rid ourselves of anything that is not from You! Help us to live in a way that honors You and draws the people around us! In Jesus Name – AMEN!
Be Transformed 