Lent Week One – Friday
Psalm 40 Deuteronomy 10:12-22 Hebrews 4:11-16 John 3:22-36
Recently, in our Wednesday Ladies’ Bible Study, we were addressing the Beatitudes, the Gospel reading for the following Sunday. In our discussion of the sixth one, “Blessed are the pure in heart . . .,” we talked about motivation and how it is important to do the” Right thing in the right way for the right reason.” This is a powerful thought, and it has stayed in my mind since that day. In the Gospel reading for today, John is the perfect example of this idea. His followers are concerned that Jesus is also baptizing and that many people who might be coming to John are now going to Jesus instead. In relating this information to John, they might have expected John to be upset by this new development, but this is not the case. Instead, John acknowledges and endorses Jesus’s ministry and reminds them that he is not the Christ. He does not want to mislead his followers because he is not in this for attention or a sense of importance. He is the messenger who has come before Christ to lead the people to Him. In other words, he is doing the “Right thing in the right way for the right reason!” In our personal ministry, we need to be sure that our motivations are “pure” and that our actions are not carried out to gain attention, gratitude, or a sense of importance. In this holy season, help us to be mindful of others and let us, like John, be about reflecting God’s love and leading people towards Him.
Carol Anne Caraway
The Carpenter's Nail 