Scripture: Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
1 Thessalonians 4:11,12 NIV
Observation: Paul closes out 1 Thessalonians with some last words of wisdom.
Application: The other day I had a reader seem to take exception to what I wrote. I’m not completely sure what they were questioning but it seemed that my understanding of “the great commission” bothered them. I wrote, “this is our responsibility, to take Jesus’ message to all the world and to make followers of the Lord. Pray that your words, deeds, and life line up so that you fulfill this command and you are not a hinderance to Christ’s call.” They quoted Matthew 28:20 NIV, “…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you,” their question was about obeying; what it means, do I obey, what do I obey? They also questioned “giving your heart to the Lord” and seemed to admonish either me or other readers to not be deceived as spoken of in James. I don’t mean to be thin-skinned but it was very confusing criticism to me. The Lord’s words in his commission were and are clear to me and that particular reader seemed to go down a rabbit trail I hadn’t taken. I recount all that because today’s passages seemed to correlate with “the great commission” as I understand it. At the risk of goofing it up again I’ve always felt that actions speak louder than words in most cases. To me, Paul clearly tells us how to apply Jesus’ “commission.” I believe that if we lead a quiet, humble life and speak of the life-changing power of the Lord we will sow seeds in other’s lives. To me that is “the great commission.”
Prayer: Father, I don’t write in this blog to offend or confuse people. I write because my Lead Pastor had a vision from you for our church and he charged us to do this very thing. What better way to have a daily devotional than to share what you find with others. Lord, I pray that my words be your words and that they bless someone today. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen
Doug
Instructions For Life According to Jesus Christ 
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