The reputation of God !

Sunday August 29, 2021

The reputation of God !

Matthew 8:8 - The centurion answered : “Lord, I am not worthy that you come under my roof ; but just say a word, and my servant will be healed”.

You've probably heard of this centurion's faith often ! Yet, if we think about it, there is more than this wonderful faith: there is the concern for reputation ! It was forbidden for a Jew to go to the house of a non-Jew. Jesus was ready to defy this prohibition, even if it meant being even more slandered, had he not scandalized by healing many on the Sabbath day ? But this is where I want to think further : this centurion humbled himself to keep the glory of the Lord intact !

In our daily reading we have seen how much God cares about His reputation. Many times He refrained from "correcting" the Israelites so that the people around did not slander Him. My reflection is : do I care about the reputation of God ? If you are Christians, sooner or later you will be "analyzed" by those around you. Quite naturally, they will form an opinion of God and his Word based on your behavior. We will never stop repeating it : our behavior speaks much more than our words. And if in this perspective, before reacting, we ask ourselves the question : will the reputation of God be tarnished, yes or no ?

In the book of Job it is written : "... the Lord ... said to Eliphaz of Teman : My anger is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken uprightly about me. as did my servant Job” (Job 42.7) ! I ask the question again : "Do we care about the reputation of God ?". What if to become God's friend you had to have this kind of feeling ? What if to be after his heart we had to be prepared to humble ourselves so that he would take all the glory out of our lives ? Some will tell me that God is big enough to stand up for Himself, but isn't it love to feel pain if your loved one is soiled, scoffed at or dragged through the mud ?

My beloved, this very day we can know if the Lord is our number 1 priority. By listening to us pray, by listening to us speak, by watching us act... We will know for sure if the reputation of our God is our major concern !

Good reflection.

Source (Ezekiel 37 Ministries)