Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of images from Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing … I Want To Be Just Like You, poignantly expressing what should be the goal of influence for all Christians … to follow Jesus’ example and to be just like Him for the world.
Highlight Passage: Colossians 3:12 [NKJV] …
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; …
… Doing life Christ’s way was touching the world with God’s love …
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Highlight Context … Colossians 3:12-17 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, through Paul, teaching on the influence of the “new man” to others
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Reference Passage #1 … Luke 9:23 [NKJV] …
23 If anyone is come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
… Following Christ allows us to have His influence in the world with others, especially our family.
Reference Passage #2 … Philippians 2:3-5 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… We influence others when we think of them before self … as did Christ
My Journal for Today: … Our Daily Bread author, Randy Kilgore, used an historical illustration to teach on the influence of Christlikeness in our lives. He writes: A few years before he became the 26th U.S. president (1901–1909), Theodore Roosevelt got word that his oldest son, Theodore Jr., was ill. While his son would recover, the cause of Ted’s illness hit Roosevelt hard. Doctors told him that he was the cause of his son’s illness. Ted was suffering from “nervous exhaustion,” having been pressed unmercifully by Theodore to become the “fighter” hero-type he himself had not been during his own frail childhood. Upon hearing this, the elder Roosevelt made a promise to relent: “Hereafter I shall never press Ted either in body or mind.” [see photo]
The father was true to his word. From then on he paid close attention to how he treated his son—the very same son who would one day bravely lead the landing of Allied soldiers on Utah Beach in World War II.
We know that Teddy Roosevelt’s nature was one of brashness, boldness, and bravery, which often overwhelmed others. Therefore, to influence his very sensitive son, the President had to become gentle, like Jesus; and he did just that, which ultimately produced a son who led thousands in to battle on D-Day in WW2.
The Apostle Paul was a bold, brash and brave warrior for Christ; but he had learned to imitate the character traits of Christ in witnessing to others. So, in his letters from prison late in his life, he exhorted his fellow Christians to reach out to others with gentleness, kindness, and love when sharing Christ with others [see verses from Colossians and Philippians above]; and Paul’s influence to Christ’s church changed the known world from the character of conquering Rome to the nature of Christlike love.
And don’t you think we could use more of that Christlikeness today?
My Prayer Today: O, Heavenly Father, … Help me to be an agent of Your love to someone today, especially to my family. Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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