Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – July 16, 2014
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 2 Corinthians 5:16
People are the pinnacle of God’s creation. Because He highly regards His image bearers, He sent His son Jesus to earth as a love offering for their sin. Christ’s death on the cross emanated from His compassion. It delivers all who believe from condemnation. Furthermore, from the beginning the Lord gave human beings dominion over His creation. Management of the environment is under the canopy of mankind’s control. God’s gifts of salvation and supervision to people shows His incredibly high opinion of them. The Lord loves and respects His people.
Therefore, we have a choice. We either see people compassionately, as our heavenly Father’s creation, or we view them cynically, as messy, needy people. An individual can be an object of our scorn or someone who needs our prayers. Everyone’s story needs to be shared with someone who cares. Do I contact someone just to check on them or because I need something from them? We value others when we value who they are. Their ideas and opinions matter to us.
“Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace” (2 Corinthians 1:12).
Do those closest to us feel valued or used? Do we listen to what others think more than we favor our own thoughts? Sometimes an introverted child or work associate gets lost in the noise of what others are saying. Having patience to prod or pull from them what they have to offer is often worthwhile and valuable. We all have occasion to protect the quiet one from the verbally dominant extrovert. We value all temperaments when we ask for all opinions.
A worldly point of view factors out faith in Jesus Christ and the wisdom of God. There is no regard for the work of the Spirit, only the work of what can be done in our own strength. But a spiritual point of view trusts our heavenly Father’s involvement behind the scenes. We value above all what He thinks and how He is leading our lives. Thus, we pause and pray. We listen for His loving affirmation and His gentle correction. What God says and expects matters most. We value His opinion of others over our own, so we view them as His creation in need of love.
“In humility value others above yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).
Prayer: Heavenly Father, lead me to love and value others, as You love and value others.
Related Readings: 1 Samuel 2:12; Psalm 41:1; Romans 4:20; 1Corinthians 14:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:13;
Post/Tweet today: God’s gifts of salvation and supervision show His incredibly high opinion of His people. #wisdomhunters
Additional Resource: Good article on being valued at work: http://bit.ly/1a3kVYW
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