Influenced by the Word

If you are anything like me, you’ve found that you are spending more time scrolling through Facebook feeds that you did before the COVID-19 Quarantine.  I will completely admit that I’ve spent more time that normal looking through the creative and hilarious Memes that have added a bit of Levity to a stressful times!
 
It brought to mind, however, just how much time we spend and how much influence we allow from social media.  Particularly during this time of isolation, we are all reaching out to find community anywhere we can find it… and we may not always think about how much influence those have on us!
 
My daughter brought her “summary” of 2 Corinthians and it sparked a good conversation around one of the key verses from Paul’s epistle.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says this:
 
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
 
The church in Corinth had displayed in their actions and attitudes the influence of the world.  They needed to be reminded that as ambassadors of Christ, they needed to be good representatives of their Savior.  I was reminded as we talked of Romans 12:1-2 where we are charged to resist conforming to the world and to be transformed through the power of the Word of God, for how else can we know God’s will but through His word?
 
I am praying for you all regularly, as is the whole staff here at FEFC.  We all earnestly desire to be once again in your presence, worshiping together with voices lifted high!  Even apart, however, we can continue to grow and become more like Jesus.  I encourage you to do these things in the coming week:
 
1) Add Five minutes to your quiet time in the Word.  Not necessarily to get more scripture in but to meditate on it and how it applies to your life.  How does this passage change the way you behave or think?  How are we changed by God’s revealed word to us in the pages of Scripture?
2) Memorize one verse a day for one week.  Start with 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 12:1-2, or Galatians 2:20.  When Jesus was tempted in the desert, He modeled a right response by consistently and directly answering with Scripture!
3) Share what you are reading. Conversations about scripture not only help us better communicate God’s truth, the dialogue will sharpen our own understanding!  If you have difficulty with a passage, find someone you trust to help you!
 
Christians have rightly borrowed the term “People of the Book,” for we should be defined by lives that are saturated with and influenced by God’s Word being pressed into our lives, infusing every aspect of our lives with God’s revealed will.  Feel free to let us know in the comment section below what creative ways you are using to be a scripture-infused people!
 
For His Glory,
-Pastor Zach