For Instance
Theme of the Week: Your Plumb Line
Paul Thigpen
Saturday, April 12, 2003
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Q. You apply God's Word by asking questions. How?
A. Take the first three of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-7) as a sample.
"You shall have no other gods before me …. You shall not make for yourself an idol" (3-4). Have I served God reluctantly or grudgingly? Has anything become more important to me than God? Have I neglected my prayer life or another aspect of my relationship with God for other activities? Have I used my talents generously and diligently for God's glory?
"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God" (7). Have I made use of His name mockingly, jokingly, angrily, or in some other irreverent manner? Have I lied under oath? Have I failed to do my best to keep promises and resolutions made to God? Have I used foul language, misusing any words with a sacred or spiritually serious meaning?
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy" (8). Have I been faithful to join other Christians in worship regularly? When in worship services, have I tried my best to lay aside distractions and focus my attention on God? Have I spent the Sabbath in ways that are spiritually profitable? Have I engaged unnecessarily in any work or business activity on the Sabbath that would get in the way of worshiping God or enjoying the rest appropriate for this day?
The purpose behind the questions is to elicit a truthful, realistic analysis of our spiritual progress.
To what degree have I kept not just the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law as well?
—Paul Thigpen is a writer, editor, and adviser for Discipleship Journal.
Adapted fromDiscipleship Journal (7-8/02) by permission.
Copyright © 2003 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.
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Thank you, holy God, for clearly revealing Your standards. Please enable me to align my life with them.
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