'Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God' ( 3 John 11).
It always seems easier to follow that which is evil, than that which is good; because we are sinners and as sinners our nature is to sin. The Bible tells us that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9). Therefore, it is only Jesus in our lives that can help us to do that which is good. John was saying that he who does good is of God, but if one seeks to do evil, is of the Devil and has not seen God - have a personal relationship with him. We see in this chapter where John was offering encouragement to his trusted brother in the faith, Gaius who walked in spirit and in truth. We too are encouraged to walk in sincerity and truth as we allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit. When we know God and allow him to work in our lives, we will learn to be gracious, kind and tender- hearted towards each other; setting good example for others to follow. It is our love for God that will spur us to action, in following Jesus and to call others to come to Christ. John further warned Gaius about people like Diotrephes who seek preeminence within the church and refuse to receive them, but tried to discredit and make malicious gossip about them. He told Gaius not to follow that which was evil, but that which was good. We too will find people like Diotrephes within the church, but must seek to follow after Christ who is good. We were given free will by God and have the choice to choose right from wrong, good or evil as we follow Jesus. We too are encouraged as believers, not to imitate what is evil, but imitate that which was good. Let us be careful of those who displayed a spirit of control and have no personal relationship with God. Let us look to Jesus who has the power to allow us to do good. As children of God, we need to be like our heavenly Father in thought, word and deed. God is good and the only one deserving to be good. But if we trust in Him and align our will to his, He will make us good, for his glory.
Have a wonderful day
'But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you' (Matthew 6:33). The Lord is our Provider and knows all that we are in need of before we even ask. We do not need to worry or fret ourselves about what we shall eat or drink. Our Father in heaven will take care of these things we need. We are told by Jesus, 'To seek first the kingdom of God.' What does that mean? It means we should lean on, and trust in the grace of Jesus Christ. We should repent of our sins and have a desire to turn away from it. We should seek to put God first in our praise to Him, in our worship of Him, to put our total trust in Him and to rely on Him rather than ourselves or others. We need to seek Him first in our reassurance and acknowledging who He is and what He can do. We also need to seek God's righteousness by loving our neighbors and feeding the poor and destitute, seek justice for the vulnerable. We should put God's plan and...
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