BE ON GUARD

Corinthians 16:13-14

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, NIV

Here are a few things that Paul says to the church of Corinth, which seems to be a timely word for our day. 1) Be on your guard! We never know where temptation and sin will come from, nor when they will hit us. However, we can learn from our failures and mistakes. We can figure out that being tired makes us vulnerable to impatience. We can be alert to what we know. We don't need to be surprised by everything. 2) Stand firm in the faith! Many people attack our faith in many ways. We must stand firm in believing in the creation, the great flood, and the other miracles of the Bible. We must retain confidence in the God who cannot lie. We must believe in the accuracy of the Bible. We must trust in Jesus Christ, even when others waver. 3) Act like men and women of faith!

Our world needs men who are willing to walk courageously. We need women who are willing to be brave. We must take initiative to protect and provide for others. We must approach life with courage and a sense of responsibility. 4) Be strong! Our strength comes from reliance upon God. We become strong by reading and thinking deeply about the message from God. We become strong by praying and by noticing God's answers to our prayers. We become strong from the support and encouragement of other believers. With strength, we can approach life with confidence. In addition, we are prepared to carry out the next command: 5) Let all that you do be done in love. We can find ways to live in a way that benefits everyone.

We can be kind and patient. We can make the sacrifices. We can honor Jesus Christ through our lives of love. We will never be able to agree on everything with everyone, we're not supposed to, and that's not really the goal. We should never long to look just like the world, out of the fear that we look too different than those around us. We should not be persuaded to live in shades of gray because we don't want to step on any toes. We're here to be salt. We're here to be light. We're here to make a difference, to point others to Christ. And we can be all that God calls us to be, staying strong, staying firm, living aware, walking in love, being people of courage, for this is what matters most anyway!!!

Father, thank You for this day and Your goodness to us and for instructing us on how to live godly lives to Your praise and glory. Lord, open the storehouses of Your abundant blessings over us and our family today. Lord, may we stand firm in the faith and act in a way that does not dishonor Your name. Lord, may we be alert to the evils that surround us and our brothers and sisters in Christ, and may we never compromise the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, but be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Lord, help us to withstand the wiles of the devil and be alert to his evil ways. Lord, use us to be a light that leads others from the darkness of this world to You.

Father, we love You. Amen.