Let God’s Words Direct Our Actions

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for human beings”- Colossians 3:23

I do not know who is reading this right now, but I pray it blesses, inspires, and encourages us to do better for the sake of Christ.

The above bible verse is for everyone-men, women and children alike and it can be applied everywhere, every time, in every situation. I do not think I need to remind anyone how evil the world is and how it seems to worsen by the day. So much evil. The enemy is at work. People don’t care about others anymore, and they can take a life they did not create in a heartbeat. It is Senseless!

But what do we do then, as believers of Christ? Does the concept of “if you can’t beat them, you join them” apply to us? NO! Two wrongs can never make a right.

I have been trying to apply this verse in every situation I find myself in. Trust me when I say that it can sometimes be difficult not to lose it when someone is not acting right, but it is doable with God. So, I have challenged myself at work, at home, and in the store to fulfill that bible verse above.

I have an example out of many. Working in the healthcare field, I have encountered some patients that are so difficult to deal with (you can relate if you are in a position where you interact with people). At the end of the encounter, they ask me to do something for them without adding the magic word, “please.” My first instinct will be to say, “I will call your nurse to do it,” and never do it or ignore them and walk away. After all, I was done with my job, and that was not part of it.

On one occasion, I left, but by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, I came right back and gladly gave the patient a cup of ice. I can tell you that it takes the grace of God, and it takes a conscious effort on our part. May God help us! I try to meditate constantly on the verse above. Very frequently, through that act, some patients’ hearts calmed, and some even apologized for the way they reacted.

Is that not the whole purpose of our calling as Christians?

I am learning to step outside my comfort zone and do that which I wouldn’t ordinarily do for the sake of Christ. So, in everything we do, think of it as working for the Lord and not for a human being because we can drive people crazy. So, let us do our parts and not worry about what the next person is doing.

The continuation of the verse above says,

“Remember that the Lord will give you as a reward what He has kept for His people. For Christ is the real Master you serve. And wrongdoers will be repaid for the wrong things they do because God judges everyone by the same standard” – Colossians 3:24-25

I want to point out that every decision, emotion, or speech we make affects someone else. We might not know this, but some people’s lives depend on how we handle situations and carry ourselves.

IN OUR HOMES

Our children, spouses, neighbors, and friends watch how we handle and react to things in our homes, especially when we present ourselves as Christians. For example, how do we get our children to believe that the word of God says in James 1:20 that “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” when they constantly see you angry? They learn a lot from what they see us do.

Therefore, we must live Christlike, not religious-like. Sometimes, even as believers, we tend to pray a lot and profess the word of God to people on the outside, but our behavior at home does not represent what we preach. That’s ironic.

They say, “charity begins at home,” right? It starts with us! Share that joy, happiness, love, and patience in our homes first, and then they will radiate on the outside.

We cannot profess love for God and pray like no other and yet live in pure anger and hate in our relationship with our family members. Sometimes, it might take a little more patience, humility, selflessness, and lending a listening ear to find out exactly how you can help each other.

Everyone is different, and everyone cannot have the same pace as us in doing things, and God might be using us to help them overcome whatever is holding them back. For example, it could be fear holding them back – fear is REAL, you know, and people handle it differently, but we wouldn’t know if we are constantly talking to them and not giving them a chance to speak. This includes our relationship with the children, spouses, family members, and friends.

We all have faults, you know? Yes, me too! But we tend to focus on what our children, spouses, friends, and neighbors are not doing right instead of focusing on ourselves and correcting our faults first.

Therefore, part of my prayer every day is from Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting

Give God a chance to work through you and let that light radiate to people around you and then work its way outside. So, let us ask God for the grace to take on that responsibility of being more patient and tolerant, and He will give you what you have requested. After all, God is always patient with us.

Another bible verse that I want to share is from John 6:38, where Jesus said,

“Because I have come down from heaven to do NOT my will but the will of Him who sent me. And it is the will of Him who sent me that I should not lose any of all those he has given me”.

So, let us do the will of Him who sent us- our father Almighty, and not let anyone he has given us-our children, spouses, and family members slip off or get carried away by the enemy’s snares unless the one that wants to be lost. I do not know about you, but I do not want to be the reason why a soul is lost to the enemy, especially in my home.

Therefore, I will do everything within the power God gave me to seal tight all the loopholes that the enemy can use through me to gain access to my home or my relationship with the people that I interact with.

“Do not give the devil a chance”! Ephesians 4:27

Let us do things God has called us to do even if we are not comfortable doing so. Do not get comfortable in pride, anger, fear, frustration, disgust for others, or anxiety. That’s human nature. Instead, try doing things on the contrary and see how relieved and at peace you will be. Colossians 3:12 says, “You MUST clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another”. Let us continually ask the Holy Spirit, our Helper, to help us. After all, those are the fruits of the Spirit.

May the good Lord help us genuinely live Christlike and worship Him in Spirit and truth. As we pray for God to use us, may we also be able to open ourselves to be used by God in our homes, in the workplace, and everywhere else we find ourselves. Let us work together to make unbelievers or even shaky believers truly believe in Christ through our attitudes and behaviors, not necessarily words.

May the peace of God, which transcends all human understanding, be with us as we do these. And may God give us the grace to carry on and let His words direct our actions. Amen.

God bless you all and your family as we strive to be like Him.

Ngozi