0
0
By Rev Don Rivers
Looking in a mirror and being honest with ourselves is one of the most difficult things we can do. Many times we reason away all our imperfections. We justify all our words and deeds. Who are we fooling? The reflection of a man reveals their true character. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Sponsors make the racing world go round. We need them to support our racing program. We also need to represent them and promote their interests. Racing has a loyal fan base and that can be very beneficial to a sponsor who, in turn, pays for that opportunity.
What happens when we don’t represent our sponsor well? Or maybe we just don’t fit the profile. What would you think if a 16 year old started promoting Geritol? How believable do you think he/she would be?
How believable are we when we claim to know Christ? We can say all the right words and look the part, but the real answer is in those who encounter us along the journey of life. Do they see a reflection of God’s character? Will they determine we are Christ like based on our actions.
I am reminded of the words of the Roman Centurion as he observed the crucifixion;
Mark 15:39; NLT; When the Roman officer (Centurion) who stood facing him (Jesus) saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!” (“Surely this man was innocent. (Righteous)”
The record is found in the Gospel’s of Mathew, Mark and Luke and they record the impression Christ made on this Roman officer. Now we can reasonably conclude this officer had seen these types of things before; He had listened to men proclaim their innocence. He, as they say, had heard it all before but this time he responded differently. Christ had reflected the Father’s glory, and it was acknowledged by the man in charge of crucifying him.
What does our reflection look like? When we claim to be Christian, Christ Like? We say that we have given our life over to Christ. We say we are making every effort to live a life that reflects His character. My point is, sometimes we are not doing a very good job.
I was watching an event recently and observed a man I know, he says all the right things and claims to be a Christian, but when I hear what others say about him and I watch the way he handles himself on and off the track I cannot help but wonder if he really is trying to reflect Christ’s character.
When you have several officials, accompanied by a few State Troopers, follow you to your trailer after the feature and they would like to discuss your behavior, maybe there is some work to be done.
When other competitors comment that if you remain in their division then they will change divisions or race somewhere else, maybe there are things that need to be addressed. Listen to how James puts it;
James 1:22-25; NLT; But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror; you see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
You see just claiming to be a Christian is not enough, we need to act like one. We need to be obedient to God. We need to change the priorities in our lives. Not an easy task when it requires putting the needs of others first. Most times in our lives our needs come first and when we have taken care of what we need then we look around to see if there is anyone else in need.
That is not the way God intended us to behave, if we think so then we are fooling ourselves. We can rationalize it all we want, but the fact is we tend to care more about ourselves than others.
Let’s go back to that cross, hanging there the savior of mankind, sacrificing His life for our forgiveness. We don’t have to wonder what he was thinking, he shared it with us. Recorded in Luke’s Gospel are the first words Christ spoke from the cross;
Luke 23:34a; NLT; Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
Words of compassion, of mercy and grace from a loving savior, despite all he was enduring He was thinking of our forgiveness. He wasn’t concerned about himself, in fact it isn’t until the ninth hour, in the darkness, that Christ uttered any concern for himself.
We need to take a look in the mirror or better yet, look at a candid video of our actions. Watch it back and observe. Is it easy for others to see God in our behavior? James says when you look in a mirror you should see what you claim to be. We shouldn’t be saying one thing and acting another.
Many times we can behave properly when people are watching. It may be an odd occasion that we behave poorly in front of a crowd. Don’t get me wrong, it does and will happen. I see it every day. That just indicates that we need more practice doing what we ought to and less practice doing what we want.
We need to follow the example Jesus set for us, we need to follow God’s direction. Even when it is not popular, attention getting, comfortable, secure; even when it is not what we want to do. We need to do it so that others will see the grace, mercy, compassion and peace of God.
As James says, if we claim to be Christians and do not live in obedience to God’s word, we are fooling ourselves. Not only that, but the rest of the world is also wondering if this Christian thing is worth the effort. They question because they conclude it make no difference; we are no better off knowing Christ. They see it in our actions.
James also says, if we are obedient and practice following God’s direction we will be blessed. God’s favor will be on our lives. He will give us hope, peace, joy, a fulfilling future of things that matter, not of things that rust and fade away.
We need to be doers of the Word, not just listeners. Don’t think the world is with us because you have fallen short, they are questioning our reflection and wondering if we really mean what we say. Make every effort to live according to the name we have claimed, the name of Jesus. Are we Christians? Would the world be able to tell from the life we live? Is our life a reflection of Christ?
“This man truly was the Son of God!”
Run the race in such a way as to win, throw off everything that hinders and focus on Jesus. Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations help us continue this ministry. Thank You.
