Quite a few years ago, a bulletin from our church had a picture of a
graphite illustration by Gerald Folkerts, entitled "Self Portrait".
The picture so intrigued me that I kept the bulletin all these
years; it was dated Good Friday, March 29, 1991. The background is dark,
and at the top of the picture are thousands of snakes. In the
foreground, there is a man dressed in blue jeans, wearing a jacket,
holding a hammer in his right hand, and positioning a huge nail onto an
open palm that is lying on a cross. There is a giant snake coming
towards him, and the man is looking directly at you.
Every time I
gaze at this picture, it drives an arrow of truth into my heart. I think
of how I, by selfish actions, am continuously driving nails into the
hands of Jesus again and again.
Different circumstances that
occur in our daily lives influence our actions by the choices that we
make.
While I was waiting in a check-out line at the grocery
store the other day, there was a woman in front of me who didn't have
enough money to pay for her groceries. She started to give back a couple
of items to the cashier. When I noticed this, I had a choice. Will I let
this stranger continue, or should I offer to pay the amount that she was
short? I decided to tell the cashier to let the woman take those items
and that I would pay what she still owed. The woman was very thankful,
and she left. The cashier, too, was surprised and told me, "What a nice
thing to do!"
Matthew 5:16 "Let your good deeds shine out for all
to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (NLT)
It was after the fact that I realized that I had missed the
opportunity to share that I had done this out of love for Jesus. It was
too late to let them know that it is His Spirit that enables Christians
to do good deeds towards other human beings.
God continuously
gives us opportunities to witness, and we are faced with choices every
day. Sometimes, choices are easily made, whereas at other times, they
are not so easy.
James 1:5-8 "If you need wisdom, ask our
generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for
asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.
Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a
wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should
not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided
between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do."
(NLT)
Did you have an opportunity to witness about God's love and
didn't? What choice will you make the next time?
Prayer: Lord
God, You allow choices in our lives every moment, every day. Help us to
make the right decisions that would bring honour and glory to Your holy
name, always. Thank You for always being here for us. Amen.
