Luke 16:15
As a child of God we
seek to please our Creator; not those who were created like us… Luke reminds us today that we can fool people
as we seek to find justification in and through them; however, the heart with
which your actions derive from is what God takes note of… I know how hard it is
to accept people not liking or accepting you; however, Luke brings our
attention to the fact that the people we seek to please cannot get us to the
Eternal Rest that we desire… As you journey through life, what is your objective
each and every day? When you open your eyes, when you open the door to leave;
what is your mind set on to accomplish… Are you striving to hear the words well
done from your supervisor or your father…? When you are faced with a choice
and it will lead you to your divine destiny or away from it, which path do you
choose…? Despite what people may want you to believe, pleasing God and
obtain His approval is all that matters… The question that aligns with this
statement is do we really believe… The answer to this question is not given
verbally, but lies in our walk upon this earth… It isn’t about what you say
you’re about, it’s about what you display that your about… Yes, you can be highly
esteemed among men and yet find yourself being an abomination in the
sight of God… There are a lot of us walking this earth that fit this
description… We have completely strayed away from the path that God outlined
for us; however, we believe that everything is under control because we are
getting the proverbial pat on the back from our friends and colleagues…
There are so many people who are fooling themselves because they
believe that actually can fool God since they are able to fool others… Luke
writes today about the difference between being men pleasers and a pleaser of
God… The bible tells us that you cannot serve two masters and Luke reminds us
today that when we are justified by men, our heart is known by God and it is
indeed a (n) abomination to Him… This verse is recorded after Jesus has told
the parable of the shrewd manager and how he tried to obtain stability through
the debtors of his master by lowering their debts… We may not be engaging in
evil like this manager; however, we often find ourselves (much like this
manager Jesus speaks about) seeking approval of men at the detriment of our
heavenly Master… After telling this story the bible says that the Pharisees
began to sneer at Jesus… At this, Jesus than uttered the words recorded here in
the 15th verse… The Pharisees were a very vocal religious sector of
Judaism that believed they were the most loyal to God… They were so caught up
in themselves that they did not recognize who Jesus was or what He was here to
do… Instead of seeking Jesus, they were the ones Jesus speaks about when He
says, “they which justify yourselves before men…” We are challenged and
tempted at just about every turn of life; however, we must stay the course in
our faith and not deter… It’s so easy to get bogged down in being justified
before men… We want to fit in, we want to be cool, we want to be seen in a
certain light; however we are reminded today that the light of God will never
go out and that is the light which we must seek to shine upon us… I have often
wondered why it is that so many churches are being built but yet so many souls
are being lost… Jesus tells us today why this is when He says, “God knoweth
your hearts…” It is very easy to fool man, if you see me in church every
Sunday, if you see me leading devotion, if you see me at Bible Study or any
other church event it is very easy for you to say that man is a devoted
follower of God… However, just like the Pharisees we are in church but our
heart (the motivation and desires we have) are not of God and therefore we fall
short… The bible tells us in Proverbs 4:23, “Above all else, guard your
heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Your heart is what this battle is
all about… When your heart is aligned with the will of God you don’t care what
people think, you aren’t seeking the approval of men and you don’t desire to be
justified according to their standards… The same is true when your heart is
focused on the world; you may be in church but you pray a little longer so
people will notice, you shout a little louder so people can hear you and you
poke your chest out so people can recognize your stature… For these kinds of
people we are told that they “already have their reward…” For those
following God, your reward is being stored up and prepared for you; for those
following the world everything you see is what you will get until your life is
over… The rich man had the prestige and wealth, but he was missing JESUS and
his opportunities to edify other individuals. As a result, he ended up in hell.
I say that to say this, material things can’t get you to heaven, but belief
in Jesus and helping others will surely put you on the right path…
BE
BLESSED!!!
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