Called To A Higher Standard

From: The Word For Today

Luke 12:48 "From the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

Christians can be some of the most sour and selective people on earth. Many times we feel obligated to show our faith by criticizing people with whom we work, rather than loving them and seeking a chance to say something encouraging. We ruin our testimony because others know that while we talk about Christ we don't act Christ-like.

Often our testimony suffers because of our poor work ethic, long breaks, reading the Bible on company time, talking on the phone for hours with our friends, etc. But the worst thing is, we alienate ourselves as an elite group and leave others feeling "less than."

Not Jesus! He rubbed elbows with everybody. He was adept at reaching out to those society looked down upon - the prostitutes, the tax collectors, the lepers. We like to put people into two boxes: the ones we like and the ones we don't. Jesus said, "From the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Hey, you've been called to a higher standard; one that requires exercising wisdom, humility and grace in the midst of tension.

When King Saul threw javelins at him, David ducked and kept on serving. While he was innocent of any wrongdoing, David handled the situation without becoming "defensive." If your fellow workers don't go to church, the only chance they have of seeing the fruits of the Spirit in operation is in your life. By responding with patience, love and professionalism you'll make a lasting impact on them - one that could attract them to the Christ you claim to serve.