Live a Good Life

Daily Reading:  1 Peter 2

Scripture Focus: Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2.12)

Devotional Thought: First Peter was written at a time when suspicion against Christianity was increasing.  Christians had become the target of official government persecution.  Accusations against them were varied and malicious.  And, they were untrue.  What did Peter tell his fellow believers to do?  Fight back?  Register a complaint with the government?  Take their case to the courts?  No!  He said basically, “Live a good life.  If you will do that, eventually good will prevail.”  For those first century Christians, the eventual took about 200 years.

It’s not that the Church was not successful.  It was.  Thousands were coming to Christ.  Churches were being planted all across the empire.  Their theology was becoming settled and people knew what they believed.  But, that success was gained by the sacrifice and suffering of believers.

Today we are witnessing a similar situation.  While Christianity has been the target of persecution in many world areas, in America the Church has been largely respected – that is until recent years.  The Church’s stance on many social and moral issues is falling into disrepute.  We are the ones accused of wrongdoing: being intolerant, judgmental, irrelevant, showy, and greedy for gain.

What should we do?  How do we fight back?  Complain to the government?  Take our case to court?  There may be some cases where in modern America that would be effective.  But, the most effective thing we can do is the same thing that Peter advised the early Christians to do: “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (NIV).

Prayer: Lord, I first want to pray for The Persecuted Church - my brothers and sisters around the world who are enduring active persecution.  Help them.  Protect them.  Keep them.  May their lives be a testimony to your great grace.  Then, Lord, I pray that you would help me to live such a good life that others may see you in me, giving you glory.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 56.7-13

7 For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

8 You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?

9 Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, thatGod is for me.

10 In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise,

11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

12 I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you.

13 For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.