Devotion 5.7.26
1 Peter 3
"13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit....."
To follow up on yesterday's devotion on a guide to Christian Leadership, today we hear from Peter. Leadership is actively guiding people to a goal they may or may not have intended to move toward/achieved and to do so successfully. Team wins a championship? Everyone is on board. How about exercise, diet, and seeking a healthier me? Maybe. "What I got to do?" (As my old friends in East Texas used to ask. West Texas uses the Queen's English of course.)
How about living for Christ daily? I think the question, "What I got to do?" will be asked. A leader knows basic things about human behavior, and one safe assumption is "what's in it for me?" is a certainty. Getting people to do things that are not comfortable for them is a key facet of being a leader, and Peter is working to encourage those who are scattered like dollar bills dropped from a helicopter across Asia Minor.
Psalm 66, the psalm we read this week, focused on praising God for trials and tests. We will all be put to or through a test in our lives, so how do we respond to that? Peter is saying do not fear. The psalmist said to praise God. In sum total, as leaders or as regular people living a life in Christ, live a life pleasing to God is what we can do. Pray often. Forgive as we are forgiven. Provide to those in need, be it prayer, listening, or giving to them to help fulfill that need. Your gentle witness speaks volumes to the hearer.
In all we do, pray our posture is in Christ. Pray that his Spirit guide us and that God leads us through the shadows of the valley of death, where we fear no evil, because as Christ said, "Lo, I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20) Pray that we use this as we ask God to comfort us and give us the necessary things needed to witness daily - a right sprit within us, words, courage, and action.
Hope Men's Ministry is a ministry in service to Hope Lutheran Church and School. Our purpose is to grow, unite, and share God's Word to all men through meaningful activities. These activities center on fellowship, service, conversation, prayer, study and devotion as we seek to become men of God as He created us to be.