First time ever.....

Well for the first time I have done it. It caught my attention, I was interested, I sought, pursued and got it.... Yes there it was advertised on TV - this wonderful new desert and so off I went to a local, well known supermarket, asked an assistant for help and purchased the product - well to be honest 6 of them.

So the advertising worked. It caught the attention of my taste buds and I responded. Well done to the advertisers.

So what do we advertise? What message do we portray by our actions and words. Ephesians 5:1 commands us to be imitators of Christ and scripture provides many examples of what we need to do in order to be imitators. How are we doing on the following?

Loving your neighbour (even those who park in your space)
Visiting the imprisoned
Setting captives free
Healing others
Feeding the hungry
Forgiving and accepting forgiveness
Allowing others to care for us whilst we care for others
Going the second mile.. the list in endless

How are we doing? I know I can do much much better.

Credited to Francis of Assisi the phrase “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” reminds us how we can reveal Gods love to others by who we are and what we do (along with what we say) - also by things we don't do and say.

In Acts 4:13 we read "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." The scribes and pharisees (religious folk) were academically intelligent people. Having heard the apostles speak with such authority, boldness and conviction they discovered the reason for this boldness. Clearly, not a result of their education, given that Peter and Johns education focused on the craft of fishing. No, their boldness was not from the self-sufficiency of knowledge, but from the Spirit of the living God. Peter and John had been with Jesus and that was enough. Yes they got it wrong (Hallelujah because we all do)yet they also made a difference.

So where are we to be imitators of Christ? The answer whilst hard is simple - everywhere... workplace, home, gym, street, shops, even in church!

Let us therefore, purpose ourselves to be imitators of Jesus .. and to make a difference whilst we can. Yes we will get it wrong on this roller coaster journey of life. Sometimes we will stumble yet in these moments God can pick us up, dust us down and set us off again.

Be imitators of Jesus it can make a difference.