Church devotion: Being Christian - 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

 

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

There’s something wrong with our faith when we polarize it and seek to demonize others for having different opinions and lifestyles. The older I become, the more I realize that the greatest gift God gave to the world was the sacred act of reconciliation through His beloved Son. God could have chosen to have us remain sinners and be cast out of God’s presence for all of eternity; instead, God decided to send His Son into the world to free us from our sins and offer us the blessing of everlasting life.

God also gave us a divine example on how we should practice our faith. If we are endlessly castigating others for their lack of faith or different beliefs, we are following our own selfish agenda. If, however, we want to walk in God’s shoes on Earth, we need to find ways to reconcile our differences and heal the wounds we may have caused. It will be a hard task to undertake and fulfill – but Christ never told us that carrying and practicing our faith would ever be easy.

So, today, let’s make the Kingdom of God real in our lives. Let’s look for opportunities to reconcile with one another instead of promoting discord and division. If we dare call ourselves Christians, then we should follow in His footsteps and fully apply His teaching of reconciling love.

Q: Am I guilty of sowing discord and causing divisions? Will I comply with Christ’s command to love one another?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, only You can save our people; only You can save the world. Your perfect love enabled God to be reconciled with us sinners. Help and encourage us to do the same to honor Your Name and fulfill Your ministry in today’s world. Amen.