Malachi 1:6–7 (RSV) — 6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master.
If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my
fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. You say,
‘How have we despised thy name?’ 7 By offering
polluted food upon my altar. And you say, ‘How have we polluted it?’ By
thinking that the Lord’s table may be despised.
NOTE: The priests
were religious leaders. They mediated between the people and God. They
specifically handled the holy items and offered the sacrifices. They also
taught the people. But they were not giving their best. They were doing shoddy
work. In the military, we had a phrase, "good enough for the
government" and unfortunately it permeated much of the government. But when it came to doing
something for a General, it was done very well. That's God's argument (Mal
1:8). We should treat him (God) better than even the most important person we
have ever served. God is holy. To do anything for God less than the best is to
dishonor his name. As a Christian leader and a teacher, the implication is
obvious. I must do the very best job I can do in researching and teaching
passages of scripture. I must never skimp. I must never decide that something
is "good enough," my work and effort (ultimately to God) must be
exemplary.
PRAYER: Lord, help
me to do my very best in service to you. Whether it is teaching or leading or
managing or interacting in the world, I want to be the very best witness I can
for your name. I want to be gentle and kind. I want to be like Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment