Fugleman (1 Corinthians 11:1-7)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “fugleman.”  It seems to me that the apostle Paul always had pretty much the right thing to say, at the right time.  Not to say he did not mess it up every now and again, but for the most part he was pretty intuitive.  In today's passage, we see that Paul has some positive stuff to say to God's people.  I think one of the reasons for this is because he knew he was going to have some harsh words later on in this section.  But, I think that is what Paul did well.  He could read an audience and then say what needed to be said. Here, it is very simple…

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” ~1 Cor. 11:1

My question is: Are you being the example that others can follow in life? I know that there is a ton that each of us have on our plates as we move through the day.  But if we want to be intentional, like the Apostle Paul, it will take more than just living and breathing. We should always act as if we are witnessing to others around us.  Paul was definitely one of the Church’s first fuglemen.  It is our duty to take his lead, and imitate those who imitate JC.

Praying for you,

MO

Fiddlesticks (Ephesians 4:1-10)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is "fiddlesticks.”  Paul writes quite a few letters to churches that he founded and helped to build.  When he spoke to these parishioners, he did so with love and affection.  Although he was a man highly driven and pointed towards a heavenly goal, he never strayed too far from letting others know how much he cared for them.

“I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

~Eph. 4:1-3

My question is: are you the example that God would be proud to send out?  I know that sometimes we get focused on things that are important to us, but nothing really matters if it is done outside of love.  Paul understood this all too well.  Having been such an important person in the Jewish community before he accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior, he continually struggled with running hard, and loving the people with whom he toiled for God's work.  My prayer is that you take a moment this season and remember that God is calling you to be a servant to others.  Sometimes we feel like saying fiddlesticks to the whole idea of bearing with others and love, but that is why we look towards Jesus to be our strength.

Praying for you,

mo