Live in such a way that those who know you but don't know God will come to know God because they know you.
"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." 1 Peter 2:12
I love Bible trivia stuff. The more obscure the character the better. The other day in my studies I ran across the story of a child named Ichabod. (No not the headless horseman dude.)
In Samuel we're told of the high priest Eli and his son Phineas. Phineas was a crook and a fraud. He used the temple for his own personal gains and pleasures. But like most men, Phineas' wife was the best part about him. We're not told what her name was, only that she was a pious and upright person.
One day when Israel went to war, both Eli the High Priest and Phineas died in battle. Worse yet, the Ark of the Covenant, the place where God dwelled, was lost to the enemies. When Phineas' wife heard the news she went into labor early and died soon after the baby was born. The only thing she said during the childbirth was to name the child Ichabod.
Back then, names really meant something. Whatever the child's name was also determined what kind of future he/she would have. When you look at the Biblical names of people you'll find that their life story is quite often similar to their name.
Ichabod's name meant, "The glory of God is lost."
She had just lost her husband and father-in-law. She probably knew she was near death. And yet to Ichabod's mother, the worst thing to her was not that the child would be an orphan. But rather that the child would not be able to see the glory of God.
Too often in this world we see and hear sad stories. But the saddest of all is when people, especially children, don't have the opportunity to see the glory of God in their lives. Sometimes we think that it's only the adults who need God's comfort and strength but children need it even more. Jesus quite often talked about the importance God plays in the life of a child. Even to the point of telling us that we need to have the faith of a child. When children come to know God they receive the joys of fellowship with people their own age. They come to understand the silent strength that the Holy Spirit gives to them to resist the temptations in life. They also receive the relief that forgiveness brings because of the sacrifice of Christ.
If you really want to stand out above the crowd, it's not the things you personally do but the things you do for your children that people see the most. Live your life so that your children will never know "the glory of God is lost."
Let us pray.
Our great and precious Savior. We come to you today asking for guidance in our lives. Help us to understand how we can better serve our children so that they will come to know faithful and loving lives. We thank you for your lovingkindness and pray for your continued grace in our lives. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.
PASTOR TROY CONRAD IS MINISTER OF THE FARMINGTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
Religion on 01/21/2015