Exemplify Exemplo

Be Contagious like him

In Philippians 4:4-9 I believe Paul gives step by step instructions on exemplifying Christ. Storms in life are inevitable. One split second can change your entire life. I have had my share of those moments and admittedly I have not always responded in faith. In fact usually I have first responded in fear and later grabbed hold of faith. But Paul teaches us to Rejoice always. I spent the last few days of 2016 in the hospital with an upper respiratory infection, my reaction this time was different. I had joy. I mean complete joy, the entire time, and it was in this hospital visit that God gave me the vision for this reading plan. My thinking was transformed. In this visit to the “valley” I could see that my hospital gown, or even the doctors diagnosis were powerless against God’s will. So in the midst of the illness I could Rejoice. Those two words are so powerful, that statement is so profound, because it is how we should expect a child of God to act. To rejoice always. It’s easy to look at this command and glaze over and think about our worst trials and say “how could I rejoice”, but then I thought about what Jesus went through on our behalf. He endured the cross while asking his father to forgive the very people who were the cause of his pain. That’s not to say that rejoicing is easy, I’m just saying that’s the “uniform” we must work hard respond to each situation as if we know that the outcome will be positive, wait, we do know that. For we know that all things are working together for the GOOD of them that love the Lord and are the called according to his purpose. When we are down and don’t feel like rejoicing we have to hold on to the promises of God. Literally I googled “God’s promises scriptures” and multiple list of scriptures came up. I was able to use those scriptures to remind myself of what God said. Think about it, that’s the oldest trick in Satan’s book, even in his conversation with Eve he twisted what God said and Eve not only took the bait but shared it with her husband. That tells me two things. If we remember What God says Satan is powerless, and When we forget what God says our sin is contagious. Well the reverse of that is true as well. Our Christianity can be contagious as well. When we exemplify Christ our character, our posture in crisis, and our positivity will make other people want to be around us, and more than that it should cause people to know Jesus. So read God’s promises and begin to pray those promise scriptures over your life, print them out and place them around your house so that you will see them and eventually memorize them. 

Prayer Starter: God please bless this person. As they continue to read this plan help them to be encouraged and to be contagious. Allow their faith to be contagious, there peace to be contagious, and help them to remember your promises. In Jesus name Amen