Convicting start to the week

Pastor Dever used this passage from an early Christian writing known as the Epistle of Diognetus in the sermon today. I believe it dates to the second century. Thinking of the little things at home and work I let get under my skin recently, I was ashamed to meditate on this account of my forebears and find that the same things could hardly be said of me. What would this new week be like if I decided to live like this? How much greater would God be magnified in the lives of those around me who are so in need of Him?

Praise God that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Only He can bring me from the selfish brat I tend to be into true Christ-likeness.

“Christians are not distinguished from the rest of humanity by country, language, or custom. For nowhere do they live in cities of their own, nor do they speak some unusual dialect, nor do they practice an eccentric lifestyle… while they live in both Greek and barbarian cities, as each one’s lot was cast, and follow the local customs in dress and food and other aspects of life, at the same time they demonstrate the remarkable and admittedly unusual character of their own citizenship.

“They live in their own countries, but only as aliens; they participate in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is foreign. They marry like everyone else, and have children, but they do not expose their offspring. They share their food but not their wives. They are ‘in the flesh,’ but do not live ‘according to the flesh.’ They live on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws; indeed in their private lives they transcend the laws.

“They love everyone, and by everyone they are persecuted. They are unknown, yet they are condemned; they are put to death, yet they are brought to life. They are poor, yet they make many rich; they are in need of everything, yet they abound in everything. They are dishonored, yet they are glorified in their dishonor; they are slandered, yet they are vindicated. They are cursed, yet they bless; they are insulted, yet they offer respect. When they do good, they are punished as evildoers; when they are punished, they rejoice as though brought to life… those who hate them are unable to give a reason for their hostility.”