The reputation of God !

Sunday 11 February 2024

The reputation of God !

Matthew 8.8 – The centurion answered : “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof ; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

You have probably often heard about the faith of this centurion ! Yet, if we think, there is even more than this wonderful faith : there is the concern for reputation ! It was forbidden for a Jew to enter 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 ? But this is where I want to push our reflection : 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. Several times He refrained from “correcting” the Israelites so that the surrounding people would not slander Him. My reflection is : do I care about God’s reputation ? If you are a Christian, 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 behaviors speak much more than our words. What if with this in mind, before reacting, we asked ourselves the question : will God's reputation be tarnished, yes or no ?

In the book of Job it is written this : “... the Lord...said to Eliphaz the Teman : My anger is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken rightly about me as my servant Job did” (Job 42:7) ! I ask the question again : “Are we concerned about God’s reputation ?". What if to become a friend of God, you need this kind of feeling ? If to be according to His heart, we had to be ready to humble ourselves so that He could take all the glory from our lives ? Some will tell me that God is big enough to defend himself, but isn't it love to feel suffering if your loved one is dirtied, flouted or dragged through the mud ?

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

Good reflection.

Pastor Claudy

Source (EZ37M Apostolic Center) https://wp.ez37m.com