Shine Like The Son

Follow the example of the king and remember you are an example as you walk with Christ.

“Then King David said…My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great…With all my resources I have provided for the temple…Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures…Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the LORD today?” Then the leaders of families…gave willingly…“Praise be to you, LORD, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom…Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name…Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand…keep their hearts loyal to you. And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion “They ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the LORD” 1 Chronicles 29:1-22

Aren’t you thankful that you don’t have to figure out everything on your own? You are not alone nor traveling into the unknown. You are not the first person on planet earth nor wandering without instruction. As we look all around our world, we see examples of what is good and what is right, and we follow examples of others.

We drive on roads we didn’t pave, work in buildings we didn’t plan, and live in a world that was established long before us. We are blessed by the sweat equity of other brows and people who sacrificed so we could see the abundance in which we operate. Have you taken time to give thanks for those who have gone before you? Does that not change our perspective quite a bit?

David was an example to others. He was generous. He put his money where his mouth was. Not only did he give from the palace gold, but he went above and beyond and gave from his own resources. He modeled the life of a man who loved God and trusted Him. He used his influence as a king to lead others to draw closer to God, and he acknowledged that all that he had was a gift from God. What example are you setting for others? How are your words, actions, and attitude influencing those around you?

The most important prayer for David was devotion. His prayer for his son and the people was for hearts fully devoted to God. David knew that God is always faithful, and he knew that if the people would follow in the character of God, they would find everything they could ever want. The text said they ate and drank with great joy in the presence of God. Do you know that this is what God wants for you every day? He wants us to follow the model of Jesus and live where we are fully dependent on Him, then operate where His love flows through us as we model love to others.

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us— so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy” Psalms 67:1-4

Many people have heard this song, The Blessing. The priestly blessing that God would shine His face upon the people and be gracious and bless them. It is a beautiful blessing for every occasion. For weddings or funerals, for mealtimes or moments alone. This blessing can lift our hearts and help us encounter the love of God. Isn’t it great when you feel God’s face shine upon you?

Anything that blesses us should be something that we turn around and do for others. David is saying that, as God’s face lit up the lives of the people, it would be done in order to lift up God’s name. We are blessed so we can bless. God wants us to know how loved we are. Then He wants us to do something good with the love received. Just like David wanted Solomon to do good in the world, God wants us to be living examples of His love.

How would it change how we live if our goal was to continually pay it forward? What if our motivation each day was not what we could get but what we could give? What if we evaluated every decision by whether or not it was modeling the love of Christ to others? How would that change things? Would everything you are doing be the same, or are there areas in which we could grow in being a better example of God’s love?

“A wise son brings joy to his father…Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. The wise in heart accept commands…Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life…Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin. The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death. Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues. The lips of the righteous nourish many…The prospect of the righteous is joy” Proverbs 10:1-28

There are many great lessons within this wisdom literature. Look at them in terms of what you have learned and what you can share. Think in terms of what you want your loved ones to learn or how what you do could impact those who follow you.

Whether you like it or not, you are a person of influence. We all influence the people around us. When people look at you, do they see someone who is humble, hard-working, coachable, honest, peaceful, loving, encouraging, generous, faithful, and wise? They should if you are following the example set by your Savior.

The hardest part of being human is the whole imperfect thing. We are not perfect. We will not always get everything right, but that does not mean that God cannot use everything for good. When we make a mistake, what example does it show others when we quickly and humbly apologize? Think about how David pointed people to God. Our lives are meant to direct others to see God at work within us.

So what will people see when they see you? What will they hear when they hear you? Are the words coming out of your mouth nourishing others and helping draw them closer to God? Or are you quick to curse those who cut you off? Are you coachable and open to correction or always looking to correct others when they fall short? You must be careful not to have a critical spirit if you want to be like Christ. He led with grace before nourishing with truth.

““In those days, at that time,” declares the LORD, “the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the LORD their God. They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten. “My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place.” Jeremiah 50:4-6

David praised God for His generosity and greatness. He praised God for His power and provision. Perhaps the most transformative gift that God gives us is grace. Grace loves when we have been lost. Grace heals when we are hurting. Grace is amazing.

What will you do with the grace of God? Will you let it go to waste? Will you hold it for yourself? Or will you pay it forward and pass it on so that others can find healing for their brokenness? One of the best ways you can be an example of Christ is to be graceful. People do not have to see you carrying a Bible to know you are a believer by how you treat them.

This passage is a perfect example of God’s grace. The people had rebelled and royally disobeyed the Lord. Yet His love is unfailing and His compassion greater than any way we have forsaken the covenant. There never has been, nor will there ever be, a day in which your sin is greater than your Savior. Jesus died on the cross that we might live. What will we do with the gift of grace? It is wholly unearned and undeserved. Yet we have it in abundance.

“While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them…Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.” Acts 19:1-20

Paul was an example. When people saw him, they did not see Saul, the guy who held coats while others stoned Stephen. They saw a man who, full of grace, gave the Holy Spirit to all who would receive it. It was the presence and power of God working through him that allowed Paul to pay it forward. Paul knew better than anyone what it meant to receive grace he did not deserve. He could have spent the rest of his life looking backward at who he had been as Saul, but instead he spent his life pointing forward to Jesus. Where do you nee to turn your focus from what is behind you to what is in front of you?

He received grace and gave grace. He received the Holy Spirit and shared the Holy Spirit. He received the good news and preached the kingdom wherever he went. Paul understood what David had declared before the assembly: Everything comes from God and is for God.

This is what it means to be a steward of God’s grace. His love was never intended to stop with us. His blessing, wisdom, forgiveness, power, provision, and grace are meant to flow through us into the lives of others. Wherever you go today, you are an example. At home, at work, in traffic, at the store, in moments of conflict and compassion, whether you make a mistake or miss the mark, people are watching how you live.

Wisdom tells us that the lips of the righteous nourish many. Our words have power. Our humility and how we use our words are meant to be weapons used to bring healing through grace. Grace does not have a price tag nor a limit. Our generosity is in response to goods and grace already given to us. People will move closer to God or farther away based on what they see in us. So be wise in how you live and gracious in how you love. Let your life make Jesus beautiful to the people around you.

Everything is from God, everything is for God, and everything should ultimately point back to God. So let your life praise His name. Take the grace He has given you and give it away. Take the love with which He has loved you and love somebody else. Take the encouragement He has given you and encourage someone who needs it. Take the Spirit He has placed within you and pray for others to receive it. We are not the source; we are stewards. We are not trying to impress others; we are modeling for others what Jesus models for us. May the way we love, give, speak, work, forgive, and live cause others to want to be drawn to Jesus, and may His face shine upon us as we do.