Stand out and be distinctive

After the Beatitudes, these words of Jesus are recorded. I wonder if they are said as an encouragement to bolster faith and enthusiasm to keep going in doing the hard things Jesus has been teaching. To show the purpose of developing the kind of character that Jesus has been encouraging the disciples to develop. 

Matthew 5:13–16 (ESV): 

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. 

Disciples of Jesus are meant to stand out, not be hidden. The verses just before this are Jesus explaining the benefits of being; hungry for faith, mourning, being meek, humble, kind, merciful, forgiving, not giving payback, being honest and having integrity. These are the character traits that God rewards, they take time and effort to develop and they also cause people to stand out. How many people do you know who are meek or merciful, or any of the other characteristics? Probably not many, but i would expect that those you do know are people that you admire and respect because of these attributes. Those who believe in and follow Jesus should display these characteristics as they are salt and light to the world - they are born to stand out and be distinctive.

Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth….You are the light of the world”. It is not an option. This is what disciples of Jesus are. This is your identity when you trust and believe in Jesus, you become salt and light. So what does Jesus mean when he says this?

"You are the salt of the earth" - Salt preserves and gives taste, improving the eating experience and keeping things fresh and usable. It can also be used to promote healing. Salt has good properties that are used and appreciated by everyone. It is commonly used, and nowadays is used in many products from food items to cleaning and gardening products. Salt is effective. As people of God you are called to be effective too. Not by doing lots of incredible, mighty deeds, but by standing out as different where you are and in what you are doing. You can tell when salt is present. People should be able to detect that there is something different about you and that you are present because of the goodness and freshness you bring due to your character developed in faith. Also, you are to remain salty. It is not enough to have a go at being meek or honest, but you are to keep on being so, the same for being forgiving and kind and being passionate for God. Do not let the concerns and distractions around you prevent you from being who God created you to be and displaying righteousness. The world needs salt, so keep being salty. This is what Jesus has said you are. Keep demonstrating godliness, meekness, integrity, forgiveness and mercy even when people do not like or want it. Salt in a wound stings, but it also heals, so trust that God will heal the hurting through the character being developed in you. Do not try to tone down who you are in God, you can't tone down salt - you either have salt or you don’t, and if you lose your flavour Jesus says you become good for nothing, fit to be “thrown out and trampled under people’s feet”. You don't want that, so keep being salty! Sometimes fear and despondency cause people to lose their distinctiveness. So make sure you remind yourself of the goodness of God and avoid the fear of man’s disapproval. Later on in the book of Matthew Jesus is recorded as saying, “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28). Do not be put off by hardship or persecution, not everyone likes salt. If something is too salty for them, they spit it out. Let them do that without it upsetting or offending you. For they are rejecting Christ in you, but they cannot take away your love and reverence for Him unless you let them. People have not got power to defeat you, but God has the the power to determine your eternal future. So live a life of saltiness.

As a follower of Jesus, you are also the light of the world. You can illuminate the world - what a great privilege and responsibility! Do not dull the personality that God has formed in you, dumb down your faith, or fail to shine in dark situations. Instead allow the Holy Spirit show you how to bring your light in every situation. By displaying the character Jesus has outlined, you can show people what the Kingdom of God is like. You shed light onto the fact that God is real, living and active today. People see that you are different, they see goodness and beauty in who you are and what you are doing because you are the light of the world. This also means that even in the darkest times and places you can see - you have hope. You know in difficult situations that there is an eternal future, so you can keep shining and keep trusting.  Sometimes it may be that you can keep smiling at times when others aren't, that you trust a situation is going to work out or that you are not panicking when bad things happen. Do not be afraid to be that light, and do not hide it. Continue to be the light of the world, how will people know there is a God otherwise?  A light does not choose when it comes on. Once the switch is pressed, it shines. Your light is turned on when you turn and believe in Jesus and choose to follow him.You cannot turn the light within you off, do not try to dim it or cover it up either. Remember that when you are around people ‘see your good works and give glory glory to your Father in heaven’. As you continue in good, godly character, and persist in situations others cannot stand, you are displaying something of God. So, make sure you are pointing out that it is your Father in heaven that equips and inspires you to be the light.

You are salt - you are different and you stand out. Plus you are light - you can see and illuminate the darkness. Do not hide who you are. Thank God that he has made you to be salt and light to the world. By being so, you are showing the world that there is a God who loves and cares for them and can give them a life that is different too - a life of distinctiveness.

Are you blessed?

Matthew 5:1–12 (ESV): 

5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 

The Beatitudes

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

Jesus had something particular that he wanted the disciples to know, so he drew them close to him, making sure that they could see and hear him. Through this teaching, Jesus helped to reframe their thinking by showing them that God sees, cares about, and honours different things than what the average human does. 

God cares about not just the poor in a financial sense, but the poor in spirit. Those who recognise their need of God and live in humility before him - they are blessed. Those who mourn, grieve, are sad for a time (mourning should not last forever), are promised comfort. A sad demeanour should not be constant for anyone. The promise is that ‘they shall be comforted’. God will bring comfort, and when He does, accept it. 

The meek - gentle, humble and submissive, ‘shall inherit the earth’! Those who will not put themselves forward, who recognise their limits, who allow others to go first and treat them with kindness, these are the ones who get everything. Meekness is not admired, fostered or appreciated by the majority of the world, but God admires it. It is a quality that is rare, but is valued when it is seen. Can you develop meekness in your own life? 

Hungering and thirsting for righteousness promises satisfaction. There are many things you can hunger and thirst for; food, money, possessions, promotion, a particular standard of life. These things do not offer satisfaction, only hungering and thirsting for God does. If you want to be really fulfilled, seek God. he provides all you need, and more. 

The merciful shall receive mercy - that makes sense. We like to feel that you get what you deserve. This promise is that you do by not treating others as they deserve! When you show forgiveness and leniency to those who have wronged you, you too are dealt with leniently and can know forgiveness as you are afforded mercy by God. 

‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God’ - being sincere and living with integrity means that you shall see God - how incredible! Are your motives and thoughts pure? Are you concerned about material matters or spiritual ones? Only one kingdom will last forever, so make sure you are aligning your thoughts, motives and behaviour with what God desires, then you shall see Him.

The peacemakers, those who strive to bring peaceful resolution and not riots, fall-outs, complications or arguments, are living like sons of God. It is easy to argue with someone, or cause strife between people, harder to get different people with different opinions, perspectives, and desires working together. Yet, is that not exactly what God does? He calls everyone to be part of His family, from every class, situation and nation. So, by drawing others into unity of purpose, you can demonstrate that you are indeed acting like God’s child. 

These are the things Jesus taught his disciples as he went up the mountain. These lessons were for the disciples, those closest to him, those he had called to himself. Yet others would have heard as it mentions that there were crowds. The real cost of discipleship is not what job you have, where you live, how much you do or give, but it is developing the character that displays the Kingdom of God. I am sure you admire and appreciate people who demonstrate these attributes, but do you also have them? 

Are you a hearer or a doer?

As we start our reflection today, I am just going to recap some of the things James has covered so far in the first part of his letter;

• Withstanding the trials and temptations of life help you develop steadfastness. 
• As you grow in steadfastness you demonstrate your love for God and are on your way to gaining the crown of life. 
• There are things you need to watch out for that can overwhelm you and get you off track causing you not to show or live in the goodness of God. 
• Anger is not holy.
• Communication is an important way in which you can show the righteous life you have as a child of God. 

These points seem simple and logical, yet it does not seem so simple implementing them into everyday life does it? I struggle with it, especially that last one - being more considered in how I communicate. That is a constant effort and I know don’t live up to the standard of righteousness in each conversation. How are you doing? Have you made progress as you have been pondering this letter of James? It is ok if you find it hard, but are you endeavouring to lead a more righteous life?

James 1:22-25;

be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. *23*For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. *24*For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. *25*But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 

The things God has been teaching you, have you put them into practice? Or have you just looked at it, heard it and walked away? That is what James is challenging us within these verses. If you know that God has been pinpointing a certain behaviour, mindset or sin, and you realise that you haven’t got something quite in line with God’s expectations, then you need to sort it out. Not eventually, not when it is convenient, at a different time in life, but now. Otherwise you’re like someone who forgets what they look like. You are like someone who has gained insight into who they are and then just walked away. There’s no point reading and studying the Bible, praying, or going to church if you are not implementing what you reading, hearing and seeing. If you ignore what God and others are teaching you then you are ‘deceiving yourselves’, forgetting who you are. Faith in God requires action. Some people read the Bible diligently, study and investigate scripture, turn up to events and prayer meetings but remain completely unchanged. Why? Because they have no interest in putting it into practice, maybe because they are comfortable or it is too much like hard work. Don’t be one of those. They have forgotten what they look like. They don't know who they are or who they could be. God wants more for you and from you.

If someone reads the Bible, prays and carries on as they are without any change, it is like someone reading a car manual. It is pointless doing so unless you’re going to do what the manual says. It would be a waste of time and certainly won’t help the smooth running of the car. Ignoring the advice within the manual would be ignorant and could cause long-term damage. The same is true for how you handle the Bible. If you ignore what it says, don't implement the advice and instructions given then you are not living the best life you can, and that can cause long-term damage. 

These verses tell us the Bible is, ‘the perfect law, the law of liberty’. So, if you ignore it you are desiring imperfection and restriction in your life. Whereas if you challenge yourself to do as the Word of God says you will be following the perfect law and learning to live in freedom. Not only that, but the promise is that you ‘will be blessed’ by persevering and putting into practice what God is teaching you. If you seek to live a righteous, God-honouring life, it requires action. Being a follower of Jesus requires you to, 'be doers of the word, and not hearers only'. 

Are you a disciple or part of the crowd?

I have been struck by the above question as I have been reading and pondering on the lives of Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael in the book of Daniel. 

From the moment we meet these guys, as teenage boys, exiles in a foreign land, they have demonstrated dedication in being disciples of God. Despite the fact that they had experienced; the loss of their home, culture, lifestyle, family, and traditions, they kept following God. Even when the rest of those exiled with them, and the community surrounding them were doing otherwise. 

These four lads were not the only Jewish boys captured and brought to Babylon to be trained and educated in Babylonian life, there were others. There were other exiles, also in a similar life stage, with equable background, upbringing and lifestyle, yet these four young men continued to stand for the faith they had despite the fact that everything else in their life had change. These four recognised that even if everything else changed, God didn’t. 

They expressed this in the everyday decisions they had to make. In making their own decisions despite what the prevailing culture taught and demonstrated, in spite of what their peers were doing, or what was expected of them. We see this from the very start when they are faced with the array of food offered to them - the very same food that the king ate, and the same wine the king drank. I am sure most of the crowd were kind of excited by this prospect - the opportunity to see and taste foods they never dreamed of, even food that would not be allowed as part of their jewish heritage. As they were no longer in their own country though, did the rules still apply? even more poignant - did they want to follow them anyway as they were away from their religious leaders and their parents? These teenager boys could make their own decisions and exercise the freedom that this exile-life allowed even in the simple matters of what to eat, and who wouldn’t want to eat like a king?!

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. They did not want to eat like kings. Well, they probably did, but they chose not to. Why? Because the Law told them that certain foods were unclean and not for eating, and in this Babylonian culture - how could you tell what was what? Which meats are acceptable and which aren’t? So these four dedicated disciples made a radical decision. They chose to avoid meat altogether, they requested to eat only vegetables and drink only water. How many teenagers do you know that would choose that kind of diet?

They did it because they wanted to honour God first. Above their own desires, the expectations and peer pressure. It could not have been easy for them. Can you imagine the taunting? The name calling, the tempting that must have gone on amongst the crowd of lads eating what they liked? 

The crowd were comfortable and content, eating as they liked, amongst their peers doing as expected.  Daniel and his friends were the odd ones out, living sacrificially, surrounded by temptation and teasing. 

Yet, is the aim of life to be comfortable? Is that the aim of yours? The crowd lead us to be satisfied with ourselves and accepting of one another. There’s comradeship, support and guidance. The same is true for the few disciples as well though. The question really is though - where are the crowd or the disciples leading us? 

Disciples lead us to God, the crowd lead us away. 

Jesus tells us the following in Matthew 7:13-14, ‘the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. *14*For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.’

If you are following the crowd, it may seem comfortable and satisfying, but do you realise that they are the many going through the wide gate to destruction? The few, the disciples, following God are searching for that narrow gate because they know that way they will find life. It is not easy, but isn’t it worth it?

Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael sought the narrow way. They did not go along with the crowd, but searched for the narrow way - we can see that throughout the accounts in the book Daniel about how they pressed into God and away from the crowd. They stuck together in their community of believers and followers of God, even through fire, death threats and persecution. The disciples of Jesus did the same.

The 12 disciples of Jesus gave up; businesses, family, lifestyle, riches, security and comfort in order to follow him. They gave up everything in their life to get close to Jesus. They were invited to be up close and personal to God himself and they chose to do it rather than be part of the ever increasing crowd. As a result, they saw; Jesus walk in water, loaves and fishes feeding thousands, demons fleeing and many healings. They saw these things first-hand because they placed themselves in close proximity to Jesus by the everyday decisions they made. The crowd heard of these stories, but they weren’t there when Jesus calmed the storm or walked on water. They didn’t hear first-hand the conversations. The disciples did. Just like in Daniel, the few got to see God in action. 

Where do you want to be? 

Are you content and comfortable in the crowd? Or are you ready and yearning to be a disciple?

It is in the everyday decisions that we can show where we are. In; how you speak to others, who you spend time with, how you manage the school/work resources, how you deal with finances, if you just go along with everyone else just because that is what everyone else is doing. Everyday you get to show where you; in the crowd or amongst the disciples.

Whichever option you choose, there’s a cost. 

Being part of the crowd may be self-satisfying, comfortable and easier, but it leads to estrangement from God and destruction

Being a disciple will mean hardship, being in the minority, estrangement from peers, but closeness to God and life. 

So, what are you going to choose today? Are you part of the crowd or a disciple?

Let us...

Through Hebrews we have discovered the necessity of Jesus’ death. It was required in order for true freedom and restoration to be inherited by his followers. So, what is your response to that? How can you respond to so great a gift?

Hebrews 10 encourages and exhorts us as follows:

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. *23*Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. *24*And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, *25*not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 
Hebrews 10:22-25

Did you notice the phrase, ‘Let us’ is repeated three times? Whenever anything is repeated in any text it draws attention and indicates significance. So, what is the relevance of the words, ‘let us’? These words suggests that we have permission to do what follows, and we are invited or encouraged to partake in what follows. As Jesus has left to us his great inheritance, our response should be to;

‘Draw near with a true heart’
‘Hold fast’
‘Stir up one another’

This is the expectation. As a follower of Jesus, it is your responsibility to do these things, so what do they involve? Let us have a closer look….

‘let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith’

You have permission, freedom and an invitation to get close to God. We can get into His presence because Jesus has paid the sacrifice to make you pure, isn’t that exciting?! You are clean, cleansed, free from ALL sin! Therefore you are encouraged into the presence of God, not to stay at a distance, but invited in as close as you can get! WOW!
So, how close are you?
What do you do in your everyday life to get closer to God? How’s your prayer life? How often do you read the Bible? Discuss Scripture with others? Do you take part in fellowship with other believers? Are you active in your faith? Are you taking opportunities to grow? Are you desiring to get to know the King of heaven better?

‘Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.’

‘Hold fast’. Be steadfast. Persevere. Keep going. Don’t quit.
Life gets hard, you may get doubtful (even Jesus closest friends did), attacked for your faith, but HOLD FAST - Remember the hope God has given you because, ‘he who promised is faithful’. Other things will let you down, but God won’t. When the tough gets going, keep going.

‘let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works’

The final exhortation of this passage is to; encourage, challenge and inspire others. You have the opportunity to build people’s faith. To support them to grow, and inspire them to trust God in new ways. Do you do that?
This kind of goes against the culture that we live in where everyone is out for the best for themselves, self-promotion and self-elevation. This verse encourages us to bring out the best in others not ourselves.
Are you actively inspiring and supporting other believers? Do you ‘stir up’ people to act out their faith in new and brave ways?

So, today as you ponder these things, is there a personal challenge that is brought to mind where you can get closer to God? Is there an encouragement to keep on going even when times are tough? Or are you inspired to support others in faith?

‘Let us’ as a result of the love and sacrifice of Jesus make a difference to this world through the outworking of our faith and the demonstrated love we have for God and one another.