devotion

Making a Difference

“Be still and know that I am God”

Psalm 46:10

A statement a person may make concerning their life is, “I want my life to make a difference.” History records many people who made a difference, some for good and some for evil. There are those who made a difference through exploration, scientific discovery, inventiveness, or the desire for conquest and destruction. For most people the difference is not so obvious.

The desire to make a difference has led some people down paths of passion. They evaluate themselves by assessing whether they are making the difference they envisaged in the field of their choice. This can lead to frustration or extreme actions when they feel they are not succeeding.

Christians may also be drawn into the world of wanting to make a difference. Jesus commands us to be salt and light in the world and make disciples so it is understandable that we will want to make a difference. If we don’t feel of use we may run the risk of feeling a failure and suffer similar feelings as an unbeliever. The desire to be of use to the Lord may lead us to go ahead without Him and Jesus says that will accomplish nothing (John 15:5). There are times when He calls us to come aside and just know Him, that is, be intimate with Him, just the two.

Only He can truly assess if what we are doing is really of use to Him. We may have our own idea of usefulness but it may be far from what the Lord considers of use. Paul said that he wouldn’t even try to assess his own usefulness (1 Corinthians 4:3).

That we worship the Lord out of sight of others may be all the use He desires of us at certain times. For the present the Lord has allowed our faith to be tested by being partly shut off from each other and the world so let us leave our circumstances to Him and follow the psalmist’s council: “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” He will be exalted! Continuing to spend time reading our Bibles, praying and communing with God is of much use and pleasure to Him. It is a test of our faith in Him and will prepare us for the days ahead when we are again let loose in the community in what may be very different times. Easter is a special time for us and a good time to reflect and “Be still and know that I am God.” This will make a difference in us and then He can make a difference through us in the world.

Image

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Mark 12:17

The chief priests, scribes and the elders in the temple (11:27) could see that their authority was under threat. They sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus with a view to discrediting Him and not to discern the source of Christ’s authority (12:13). Paying taxes to Caesar was a sore point in Israel. Their view was that taxes should go to the temple not Caesar. If Jesus answered their question, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not” (v 14) with either a yes or no it would have been incorrect and provided an opportunity to discredit Him. Neither yes nor no was the correct answer.

Jesus’ answer agrees with scripture that we should pray for and support earthly governments but that we also have the privilege and responsibility of providing for His ministry on earth.

In focusing attention on the image of Caesar on the coin He confirmed that obligations to human government should be met. It is God who raises up and puts down kingdoms. It was the Roman Empire that had provided the circumstances for Messiah to enter the world and fulfill scripture at that time.

Where there is Caesar’s image that object belongs to Caesar. The extrapolation of that is that where God’s image is, that belongs to God. We read in Genesis 1:26-27 that mankind was created in God’s image. Jesus said that the coin which bears the image of Caesar should be rendered to Caesar and therefore man, created in and bearing the image of God should be rendered to God. This is what Paul was thinking when he wrote, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1) and “You were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

That we are created in God’s image means that we belong to Him to serve and worship Him. This is the basis for Jesus’ demand of supreme love, supreme loyalty and supreme devotion to Him without which we cannot be one of His disciples (Luke 14:25-32).

The image of God in man was corrupted when sin entered the world but when Jesus, “the image of the invisible God,” (Colossians 1:15) came into the world and suffered the cross He opened the door for the image of God to be recreated in any person who will receive Him (John 1:12-13; 2 Corinthians 5:17).