Minute Musings...Your Jerusalem

Do you ever find that you sometimes compare yourself with other believers?  Do you
look at the missionaries in far off countries, who have given up friends, family, daily
comforts that we take for granted, and think to yourself that they are better Christians?
I've found myself doing this on occasion.  But I've come to realize that if I am where
God wants me to be, and I'm living for Him, doing what He wants...then He is just as
happy with me as He is with those spreading the Gospel on the foreign mission fields
of this world.

You see, God looks at what we are doing with the talents and opportunities that He
gives to us.  It doesn't matter to Him if we are in Canada or Africa...as long as we are
in His will, doing His work in the place He wants us, then we have His approval and
His smile of blessing.

You might be wondering what God's will is.  John 14:15  "If ye love Me, keep my
commandments."  Can it get any plainer?  Knowing God's will is not some hidden
mystery, it is simply obeying God's Holy Word.  We find a detailed outline as to how
as children of God, we are to live in this world. 

Honestly - Ephesians 4:25  "Where putting away lying, speak every man truth
with his neighbour:  for we are members of one another."

Without anger - Ephesians 4:26  "Be ye angry, and sin not:  let not the sun go
down upon your wrath."

Pure speech - Ephesians 4:29  "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of
your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister
grace unto the hearers."

Kind - Ephesians 4:32  "And be ye kind one to another,"

Thankful - Ephesians 5:20  "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and
the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

This is just a very small list (taken from just 2 chapters) that tell us how to live a
Christ like life.  We all have a mission field.  God has chosen some to go unto the
uttermost parts of the world.  However the majority of us remain at home.  We have
our own mission field, where we work, go to school, live.  We have the same responsibility,
to live a Christ-centered, Christ-honoring life before all we come in contact with. We are
all under the same orders, Acts 1:8  "...and ye shall be witness unto Me both in
Jerusalem (home) and in all Judaea (community) and in Samaria (country) and
unto the uttermost part of the earth."  God will not move you on to your Judaea,
Samaria or the world, until you have proven faithful in your Jerusalem.  Stop
comparing yourself to other Christians, be faithful where God has placed you...that is
all that is required.