The Wrong Impression
He didn’t seem to quite understand until a couple of days later.
Reference: Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands.” (Genesis 20:5 NIV)
Explore: We’ve recently had a little incident with one of our boys. Let’s just say that they struggle to leave other people’s possessions alone!
When he was caught out for stealing again, I explained to him that people were going to start to think of him only as a thief, not as someone who is helpful, funny and clever. He didn’t seem to quite understand until a couple of days later.
Something was taken from the classroom and the first person to be asked was my boy. He tried to explain that he was not the one who took the object, but his classmates didn’t believe him.
He was distraught that they would accuse him of such bad behaviour. And it broke my heart to have to explain to him that they were only believing what they had seen before.
His past behaviour was stronger than his current words.
Application: We are fortunate we serve a God who erases our past behaviours. He loves us unconditionally and redeems us of all our wrong doing.
However, I feel in response to our Saviour, we should live in such a way that we are above reproach.
In Genesis 20, Abimelek the king takes Abraham’s wife as his own because Abraham tells him Sarah is his sister. When God confronts Abimelek in a dream he speaks openly about his behaviour.
He explains to God what he had been told and how he had treated Sarah well. God listens and ends up healing Abimelek.
I wonder how we would go at explaining our behaviour to God. Could we say with all honesty we had done our best and what was right?
Well, the great thing is that each and every day we have the opportunity to make the right decisions so we can live for God in the best possible way.
Prayer: Lord, may today be my opportunity to show You my love and commitment by living right with You. Amen.
How would you go explaining your actions to God?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.