Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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People of God: Ambassadors of Christ
1 Peter 2: 1-12

“As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him, you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”. (V.4&5)
In the Hindu and Buddhist traditions the Cintamani stone is a wish fulfilling jewel providing the holder whatever they desire, such as wisdom, treasure, clothing, etc. While it is yet to be proven whether such a wondrous device really exists, we know that there truly exists something that is even better in Christ our Lord. As the Apostle Peter advises, Christ is the living Stone. It is through Him that we are saved from ignorance and darkness and brought to the beautiful light of God. It is through Him that we are a people chosen by God to be His people. Just as the student is a reflection of the master and the child a reflection of the parent, so it is that we are a reflection of our Lord. We must remember that our actions are judged with double the level of scrutiny whenever it is brought to light that we have accepted Jesus as our Master.
I am reminded of an incident a few years back when during a nationally televised baseball game a home run was hit into the stands. Among the throng of fans in the stands who rushed after the ball were a child of 10 and a man in his 30s. It was these two who were ultimately nearest to the ricocheting ball. In his haste to secure the ball the older man pushed aside the 10 year old and grabbed the bouncing ball. The man then refused to give up the ball to the child, despite the goading of the rest of the fans around them to give up the ball to the 10 year old. The man’s pride would not allow it. It was later reported that the man was a devoted member of a local evangelical church. With that one unfortunate moment the entire evangelical Christian community received their 15 minutes of infamy as a holier-than-thou group without compassion, despite the hundreds of years of dedicated work by evangelists that prove otherwise.
Therefore my brothers and sisters, we must always be mindful that we are ambassadors of Christ, and our words and actions in the face of triumph and adversity are a constant reflection of our Lord and Master. As beneficiaries of the living Stone in our lives, we must be exemplary in our approach to life and allow those around us to glorify God because of our good deeds, even if they initially stand against us. We are then assured of a spiritual foundation that no earthly force can shatter.
Prayer: Dear Lord our God, forgive our weaknesses and help us to become better reflections of  Your will….Amen
Thought for the day: Christ is our cornerstone.

Jaideep Mathai

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