Lifestyles of the Messengers of God

Yesterday we received a letter from our son at West Point. He is doing well and continuing to enjoy Beast Barracks. He has becomes friends with a new cadet from another unit. They are both trying out for the Sprint (under 173 pound) football team. Our son is trying out as a linebacker. His mother is nervous. He said he had his first MRE and it wasn't too bad. He is looking forward to field exercises at Camp Buckner in two weeks.

We travelled down to Lehigh Valley for my nadir visit yesterday. As we suspected my blood counts had dropped. But the doctor decided to wait and do a transfusion the next time I am in the hospital for treatment, later this month. We discussed cutting my dosage for the outpatient treatment, like he did for the inpatient treatment, and he agreed. Because there are still some cancer cells floating around in my bone marrow, seventeen rounds is still the goal. That puts my last treatment on December 24.

When we got home last evening, another family came over to enjoy s'mores around the campfire in our backyard. Unfortunately, a sudden thunderstorm forced inside after about fifteen minutes. I think everyone enjoyed at least one s'more, though.

This morning I read 1 Thessalonians 2:3-6. Paul defends his ministry from the accusations of false teachers. He does so, by contrasting his ministry with theirs. Essentially, it is a contrast in lifestyles that should be true of all followers of Jesus Christ.

Truth, not falsehood. Like Paul, we should always speak and stand up for the truth. We should avoid lies, exaggeration, flattery - anything that is not the truth. Others should be able to trust what we say. Of course, we find the truth in the word of God and not in the philosophies of man.
We must be thoroughly grounded in the truth and seek to speak the truth with love. Always.

Pure, not immoral. Like Paul, our lives must be characterized by purity. In this age of socially acceptable immorality, a life of purity stands out in contrast. We must keep ourselves pure by intentionally avoiding anything that is impure, whether it be in the television, Internet, or billboard.

Authentic, not deceptive. We must be open and honest in our dealings with others. Our motivation must be the glory of God and the good of others, not our own selfish ambitions. We must be genuine in our relationships with others.

Like Paul, we have been approved by God and entrusted with the gospel. We are not apostles, but we are to be messengers of God. His message should not be tainted by our falsehoods, immorality, or self-seeking deception. We are to be messengers whose lives bear witness of the glory of God and the transforming power of the message we carry.