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Living the Christian Life Magazine
The most conspicuous thing about this previous year has been the greed and selfishness. Not only amongst individuals but also in the corporative field, the basic idea of a fair days pay for a fair days work, seems lost on the corporate bosses of today. Post Christmas sales reveals that in the two days after Christmas an estimated 6 billion pounds worth of goods were sold through retail outlets, It is estimated that most of this spend will on credit. It seems consumerism is alive and kicking. We have learnt nothing from the past financial crisis.
The second conspicuous thing has been the increase in violence; the increase in evil is alarming with no sector of the community immune to it. The recent killing of School children in Pakistan has shocked the world. But the most alarming thing about it was that it was perpetrated in the name of religion. It seems this barbaric behaviour knows no boundaries. Extreme Religious fundamentalism is alien to all that is acceptable and morally right. It is not true religion.
This rampant evil can easily shake our faith in human nature, even cause us to doubt belief in God, This anxiety steals our joy and is a thief to our souls. Peace is an elusive commodity, the hope of Christmas “peace to the world is far from us” Yet can we make a difference is there another way?.
The saying “if only” is favourite saying when we look back in time in our lives, and yet the majority of our circumstances in which we find ourselves in are out of our control. The way of “if only” is a dead end and leading nowhere because we cannot change the outcomes. Although we can learn from the past we can’t live in the past. The Scriptures remind us to embrace the “here and now”, to speak the truth and in accordance to what is right. Time is something we cannot stop, the past is gone we are only to seize the day. Today is the gift of today to use to its full extent.
The great blessing of God’s “meanwhile” is the grand master of our life; it is perfect in all His dealings with us. Are we content to be in the centre of god’s will? The Sermon on the Mount in Matthews gospel, commands us to be “salt and light” to be a light in the darkness of evil. Can our faltering steps make a difference? Even a dim light can dispel darkness. We are to live lives that are an aseptic to society, living out Christian lives that can affect those around us
The primary and pre-eminent purpose of salt in Bible times was as an aseptic; to prevent the processes of decay and putrefaction in meats and foodstuffs. It would seem that out Lord in these verses in Matthew (Mat 5:13-14) thinks of the world in which His people lived, as in the grip of moral and spiritual decay. The world is dead in trespasses and sins.
But he says to His people I have redeemed you, you are the salt of the earth. You are in this World as a moral and spiritual aseptic. You are quite different from the world, you process a different life. A spiritual life. When the Lord looks upon us frail and weak, yet through His power and recipients of a divine nature He says “You are the salt of the earth” There is something within you which is capable of stemming the tide of sin around us. There is something in you which by the grace of God are capable of stopping the impetus of iniquity
Yours is a life, a triumphant live, a victorious life, a life of true glorious God-given victory.
Let us make this coming year count, let us be “salt and light” and a soothing influence on society
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Phil. 4:8-9)
The primary and pre-eminent purpose of salt in Bible times was as an aseptic; to prevent the processes of decay and putrefaction in meats and foodstuffs. It would seem that out Lord in these verses in Matthew (Mat 5:13-14) thinks of the world in which His people lived, as in the grip of moral and spiritual decay. The world is dead in trespasses and sins.