Everything Done in Order!

“But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” (I Corinthians 14:40 NIV)

Paul’s advice to the church to maintain order in all things is an approach we should use in every aspect of our lives. If there is no order, there is chaos and confusion; where there is chaos and confusion, God is not involved.

The first thing we need to keep in order is our thought life. Chaotic and confusing thoughts lead to behaviors that are not orderly. This is why we have so violence in our society and disrespect/disregard for life. There is no order in the minds of those committing hateful acts against others.

If we get our thought life in order, our actions will represent how we think–order–in all things.

If we get our behavior in order, we reduce crime and hateful acts and create an environment for harmony and peace which is how God wants us to live.

When we are in order–our homes are in order–everything is done decently and in order. There is no domestic violence in the home, there is no filth in the home, there is nothing going on in homes that will negatively impact children and their ability to succeed in life. Spouses know how to communicate and parents know how to parent when homes are in order.

When home lives are in order–we have order in society since every home is part of society. We change things for the better and do what is always right.

When we live in an orderly society, the results are seen in everything that occurs within that society and all people are respected and all things are accomplished in an orderly manner, without confusion.

Though many think the Scriptures are an out-dated reference for living, if people were to examine what we do on a daily basis in business and government, they would discover the Biblical foundation for how things get done. In time we deter from the foundation, things crumble and fall. If we listen carefully to well-known motivational speakers–what they say has biblical foundation, most from Proverbs. Parliamentary procedure was born out of Paul’s advice for order and just about every legal organization uses Robert’s Rules of Order as a guide for keeping “order” in meetings.

Having order in our lives means we work on the front end, establishing guidelines to maintain order and then we simply abide by the order established. Order in the church, homes, government, will lead to peace and harmony, when maintained.

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Watch Your Conduct!

“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27 NIV)

I’ve seen on more than one occasion a Tweet or poster on Facebook that people would rather see a sermon than hear one. Now, this doesn’t mean that we should not hear The Gospel, but when we see people living the Gospel, it is far more effective in convincing others to hear what we have to say. And then there are those who know how to “talk the talk, but fail to walk the walk.”

One of the reasons that we are unable to convince people that God is real and salvation is ours, is the fact that what they hear from us and what they see us do is contradictory. We become hypocrites–doing what we urge others not to do.

Most of us–disdain the use of profanity when we hear it from others and are quick to correct or show our disdain, but when we’re upset–are we using the same language we abhor hearing from others? Are they hearing us, too?

We talk about sin and how our lives should be sin-free, but are we living sin-free lives? If we attempt to justify our own sinful behavior, or won’t recognize our behavior is sinful, are we not hypocrites?

Sometimes, if we cannot live the life we proclaim has been given to us–as new creations in Christ Jesus, we should just be quiet and work on ourselves, before we try to work on others. If we were honest with ourselves, the world–those unbelieving and hating Christians, would be thrilled since none of us have reached perfection.

But God would not want us to be silent (even if we aren’t perfect), He would want us to be aware of what we do and make every effort to represent Him in a way that draws others to Him, not drive them away.

Can we do it? We can if our goal is to please Him and not man (family, friends, co-workers, etc.). Watch your conduct--language and behavior–and remember, it is not just what we do in the presence of others that matter, God hears and sees it all.

Father, in the name of Jesus, I humbly ask forgiveness for every incident in which I did not represent You in the presence of others. Lead me by Your Spirit to know at every turn on a daily basis–to know what to say and what to do so others will want to come to know You. Thank You for hearing and answering prayer and loving us enough to give us chance after chance to get living right, for You!