John 13:35

Sitting here with my coffee thinking of  our "discussion" for this Saturday, and my heart reminds me... As we live life together (in our relationships) we are either influencers or influenced...either way, as Christians, we are a picture of Christ to those around us.

 

In my life, I find that I have different "circles"...there's my friend relationships, my family relationships, and my work relationships...  each "circle" looks a little different AND causes me to ACT a little differently.  With my friends (and at church) I feel I am more encouraging, more joyful, and more serving.  With my family I tend to be a little more irritable and contentious/argumentative.  At work I am more influenced by others' moods and tend to be more easily frustrated. Unfortunately, as open and honest as that all is, it is so very wrong.  As a picture of Christ (a Christian = meaning "little Christ")  I should be the same (that is, have the same attitude) throughout all of my day in all of my interactions.

Jesus treated all the people he encountered with the same service, the same love, the same care, and the same tenderness no matter WHO they were or how well He knew them.  Jesus was always the same because God is always the same...He never changes!  What a great truth!!  So, If God is always the same, why can't we be???

SIN. 

The long and short of life is that we are creatures drawn to sin...we are drawn to the irritable, contentious, argumentative, frustrated, follow the crowd mentality (Romans 7:13-25)...if we weren't, we wouldn't need a savior (Romans 3:22-24).  (Praise God for the Savior!)So, can I explain WHY my attitude and actions are different depending on the people around me?  No.  Except that, Satan seeks to destroy us and therefore seeks to destroy our relationships. (1 Peter 5:8) I DO know that this trend needs to change and I DO know that MY mood is affected my the people in my life and I respond accordingly...instead I should seek to AFFECT the mood of the people in my life by ALLOWING Christ and Christ alone to overflow from my heart!

And now, as I finish the last of my coffee, the last thought is this...God mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 2:22-23) and therefore we have a new opportunity every day to allow God to affect our mood rather than allowing others to affect our mood.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)