{"id":35963,"date":"2023-11-22T03:30:08","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T11:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=35963"},"modified":"2023-11-17T18:38:54","modified_gmt":"2023-11-18T02:38:54","slug":"november-22-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2023\/11\/22\/november-22-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"November 22, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Leading the Expectations<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/em>\u201cShe opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.\u201d<\/em> Proverbs 31:26<\/p>\n

Yesterday\u2019s devotional told the story of being seated at a table with an angry man. Dinner the next night created quite the opposite atmosphere. This time, we were seated with three other couples. One husband and wife were Asian, soft-spoken, and hard to hear or understand from our seats across a large table in a crowded, noisy room. Another husband and wife were from Minnesota, talkative and friendly. The third husband and wife were from Florida and as we quickly learned, were born-again believers who were open and comfortable talking about their church lives, their pastor, their trips to Israel, Scriptures, and so forth.<\/p>\n

When our appetizers came, the Christian man said kindly, \u201cDo you mind if we give thanks to God for this food? And\u2014I know this might be out there for some of us\u2014but could we all hold hands around the table? It brings us together.\u201d<\/p>\n

My husband and I were comfortable with this arrangement, of course, but the Minnesotans quietly submitted to the prayer, and the Asians looked quite out of place and uncomfortable. But everyone participated, and he was right\u2014we did feel more like a family after that.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve never been one to step out boldly in a group of strangers. And I\u2019m sure that is no excuse for never doing so. The man wasn\u2019t pushy\u2014he was quite kind about it. But he was definitely in control of the situation, much as I imagine Jesus would be.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t help but wonder how it would have gone if this Christian man had been at our table with the same request the night before with the angry man! Would it have changed the course of conversation? Would it have been as unifying? Would it have created an atmosphere\u2014an expectation\u2014of polite behavior, kind words, without fault-finding? Would it have opened the door for a conversation about praying for our leaders instead of belittling them?<\/p>\n

How about in our homes? Is someone leading in prayer\u2014leading in expectations for kindness, getting along, polite words, good behavior? In some homes I\u2019ve visited, that\u2019s asking a lot, I know. But godliness does rub off on people. The righteous are being watched by others who are looking for the difference between Christians and everyone else. Are we what we say we are? Perhaps more importantly, are we what we think<\/em> we are? Is our image of ourself as a follower of Jesus Christ coming across in words, attitudes, and actions?<\/p>\n

We need to take this to prayer. Am I able to lead out in prayer with unbelievers? Am I bold and confident in my walk with Christ? Can I share my faith when I\u2019m in a situation that calls for it? Do I conduct myself as one who expects good behavior from others?<\/p>\n

Lord, we need Your help and discernment in these matters. Give us a holy boldness to lead in prayer when prayer is needed. Help us to share our faith in You by our words and actions. Show us how to speak and behave in a way that causes others to desire to know You. Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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