PASTORS' DAILY DEVOTIONAL
Apr
06

A People of Purpose

Craig Peterson

Scripture
2 Cor. 6:2b-10 Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”— 3giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, 4but in everything commending ourselves as [a]servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, 6in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, 7in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, 8by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; 9as unknown [b]yet well-known, as dying [c]yet behold, we live; as [d]punished [e]yet not put to death, 10as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing [f]yet possessing all things. 
Observation
These are verses of purpose for the Christian. Now is the acceptable time, the day of salvation. As believers, our purpose is salvation of others. So, we must commend or regard ourselves as servants of God and do nothing that would get in the way or form a barrier of any kind to someone else accepting the free gift of salvation. We are to be a selfless people, focused on the salvation of others. Even to the extend of personal pain, sacrifice, punishment and death. 
Application
We’ve all bought things at little mom and pop type stores. You know, the ones that, even if you haven’t touched the packaging, you have the receipt and take the item back the same day you bought it, they won’t give you your money back. The item they talked you into buying 30 minutes earlier, is now as welcome in their store as a pork chop in a synagogue. It makes no sense. It’s downright selfish of the store management. It makes you so angry that you will never buy anything in that store again. In fact, you vow that you will never go in that store again and you’ll tell all your friends to do the same. And then there’s Nordstrom. Their policy is to take back anything, in any shape, with our without a receipt, even if they have never sold it in any of their stores. They will research. They will determine a price. They will give you money for what you are returning. Why, because they are more concerned with the customer staying a customer or becoming a customer than they are in a little money or an argument. They have a policy that honors the customer, even at their own expense. They are a selfless store. That’s how we are to be as believers. We are to be more concerned with how our actions, our words and our demeanor affect our witness for Christ than we are about being right. We are to be more concerned for others than we are for our own comfort. We are to sacrificially serve others so that some may come to know Jesus. We are to be a people of intense, focused, loving, selfless purpose. 
Prayer
Lord, I am so sorry for how concerned I am with my own comfort, with my own feelings and desires. Please make my desire to follow your purpose so overwhelming that I can do nothing but trust you for everything else. 

Devotions for April 06

Ruth 3,4
Psalms 64,65
2 Corinthians 6

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