NO BIBLE NO BREAKFAST DAILY BIBLE REFLECTIONS AND MORE

The theme for our reflection is a representative of God. A representative is a person chosen or appointed to act or speak for another or others. The theme can be rephrased to mean a disciple of Christ is one appointed or chosen by God to act or speak on His behalf. God is, therefore, the principal and we are His agents on earth. Peter reminds and encourages the recipients of his letter that they are to represent God when he wrote that “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:10-11) We shall look at three lessons in our reflection to help us better understand our roles or assignment as representatives of God in the world.

Firstly beloved in the Lord, God saved and appointed us to become His representatives in the world with our feeble strength or ability. For us to be effective agents or representatives of God, He endowed us through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit with different gifts according to His grace. Peter admonishes us that our only responsibility as God’s reps is “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms (1 Peter 4:10). This reminds us of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, God has given us different talents or gifts according to our abilities, and in His own appointed time, He shall come to demand accounts of how we have used those talents or gifts graciously given to us. Dear friend, His grace abounds and is ever sufficient therefore we must represent Him all the days of our lives. We are greatly encouraged by the words of Jesus when He said that “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4). If there is any better and appropriate time to be a representative of God on earth, it is now! Jesus understood that He was a representative of God in the world, therefore He said to His disciples, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. (John 4:34). Dear friend in Christ, do we also possess this kind of zealousness or passion when it comes to representing God and accomplishing our representative roles with our spiritual gifts or grace gifts? How are we believers representing God in our time and age? Who do you represent? If you represent God, then what representative role are you playing on behalf of God at your office, home, and society?

Secondly, beloved in the Lord, in which ways do we represent God in our daily lives? We represent God through our speech and the services we render to one another and even to those who are non-believers. Peter tells us that “If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, (1 Peter 4:11). In other words, our speech and conduct must be God-centered. People should see the nature of God and experience the Holy Spirit at work in us through our speech and service to humanity. Paul admonishes us that in representing God, we should ” Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:3-8) In other words, we must follow Jesus’ perfect example of representing God on earth.

Thirdly, our fundamental goal or aim of being a representative of God is to praise and glorify Him with our lives on earth. It is for this reason, Peter wrote, “… so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:11-12) John the Baptist summarised this point in simple but powerful words, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30), Surely, in our calling to become a representative of God, our goal or mission is that God must increase in every part of the world and we must decrease. God must be praised and glorified in us and through us through our speech and service to Him so that the world will come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In Summary, the theme for our reflection is a representative of God. In our reflection, we have learnt that God saved us and made us His representatives on earth and has equipped us with various gifts according to His grace so that we become effective representatives or stewards. In the discharge of our roles as representatives of God, we must use our various gifts through our speech and service to one another and the world, so that ultimately God will be praised and glorified. We have been called to represent God so that He will increase and we will decrease. Shalom.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, may we always be reminded that we are representatives of God in the world. May our speech and service to God continually praise and glorify His Holy name. Amen.