Page 55 - The Prosperous Way _ (APRIL 2024 v3)

KNOWING WHO YOU ARE IN GOD

The word that’s translated here as “mixed” is used in the New Testament
in this parable alone and is found nowhere else in the entire Bible. In
Greek, the word means to bury or to hide something within. It also
means to be concealed in something or to mingle one thing with
another. Thayer’s Bible dictionary says that this word describes how the
Kingdom of God grows and spreads through the entire world “with
unstoppable influence”. It is when Christians are mixed into society that
they influence and change the world around them.

Individually, every Christian plays a role in impacting the world around
us with the Kingdom of God. It might be by giving to meet the needs of
others, or by bringing peace into a conflict-ridden situation, or by
infusing joy where there is despair, or by simply having the courage to
choose right instead of wrong. Whatever our role or title may be in life,
our true earthly position is that of ambassador for the Kingdom of God.
From this standpoint, therefore, as ambassadors of the Kingdom, we
begin to perceive how valuable we are in God’s plan, and how precious
we are to those that He has placed in our lives.

However, this is not something that comes from striving, because God
tells us in His Word that it is as we contemplate the Lord’s glory, that we
are transformed by the Spirit into the mirror image or reflection of what
we see (2 Corinthians 3:18). We become more and more like Jesus by
remaining consistently in the Word of God, by lingering in His presence
in worship, by asking for His forgiveness and mercy when we fall, and
ultimately by resting in His grace. One definition of grace is God’s own
divine influence on the heart and its reflection in the life of the believer;
displayed by a graciousness of manner (Strong’s Concordance of the
Bible #5485). So, we are enabled to live out the Kingdom of God only
by His grace.

When we begin to see ourselves as uniquely created by God, fearfully
and wonderfully made, we don’t see our differentness as a flaw but as
a gift to be celebrated and embraced. When we understand who we
are in God, and how much He loves us, our strength and confidence
begin to grow. And when we perceive our value to the world around
us as ambassadors of God’s Kingdom, we no longer focus on our
limitations and our failings. Instead, we see our lives as filled with
meaning, purpose and value.

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