Day 202 on our 91 Days and Beyond of Intentional Living
- Stronger & Wiser Journey...Today's Devotion: Stand For Something Or Fall For Anything...Key Verse: Matthew 5:14...Background Reading: Matthew 5:13-16...Today's devotion challenges us to be INFLUENCERS and WORLD CHANGERS...this lesson challenges us to EVALUATE OUR VALUE SYSTEM to see if OUR VALUES are in ALIGNMENT with God's VALUE SYSTEM...lastly at causes us to EVALUATE are we being LIGHT or are we just CREATING SHADOWS!
1. I have the ABILITY to IMPACT and INFLUENCE the WORLD because I AM SALT...Verse 13 (NLT) says, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless...meaning, when I know WHO I AM...I can then have a better UNDERSTANDING of MY ROLE of IMPACTING and INFLUENCING the WORLD...the text challenges us to understand that our ROLE is TWO-FOLD...just as SALT PRESERVES and SALT SEASONS...we are to PRESERVE and SEASON those we come in contact with...meaning this, we must decide if we will be THERMOSTATS or THERMOMETERS...one CONTROLS ENVIRONMENT the other REACTS to ENVIRONMENT...Salt always dictates what happens with the meat....the meat does not dictate what goes on with the salt....meaning this, SALT makes MEAT SALTY...MEAT does not make SALT MEATY. (Selah)
2. I have the ABILITY to IMPACT and INFLUENCE the WORLD because I AM LIGHT...Verse 14-15 (NLT) says, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house...the text again gives us a definition of who we are...this time we are described as LIGHT and LIGHT influences and impacts the environment and atmosphere when it shows up....and the CHALLENGE QUESTION here in the text is HOW CAN YOU HIDE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE LIGHT?...which challenges us to JUST BE LIGHT because when LIGHT SHOWS UP...darkness must LEAVE...and this LIGHT IMPACTS everything that's WITH IN ITS LIGHT SPHERE...which means you will have IMPACT on and in MULITPLE ARENAS.
3. MY ABILITY to IMPACT and INFLUENCE the WORLD is GOD working THROUGH ME...Verse 16 (NLT) says, In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father...meaning that as I BE LIGHT it ALLOWS the GOOD DEEDS that are DONE through US to be SEEN...meaning they don't see us but they are now able to see God working THROUGH US...meaning THIS LIGHT is NOT OF US but it's the God IN US...The QUESTION is this, Can people SEE God operating through YOUR LIFE or do they just SEE YOU?...If they only see you they will never PRAISE the FATHER which is in HEAVEN.
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