Thursday, February 16, 2023

             Measurements can be important.  The wrong measurements in clothing can be inconvenient.  But wrong measurements in building a house or a skyscraper could be catastrophic.  Chances are you take measurements every week.  You might measure ingredients for a recipe.  You might measure or balance your checkbook or your finances to determine how to pay your expenses and bills.  The prophet Zechariah had something to say about measurements.  He wrote, “Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked, ‘Where are you going?’  He answered me, ‘To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is’” (Zechariah 2:1-2).  The image of a man with a measuring line speaks to our faith too.  There are things in faith that we want to measure as well.
            For example, God’s Word is the measurement or standard for truth.  If we hear a sermon or read a book that seems to be in conflict with Scripture, then the Bible is a measuring line or standard for discerning between truth and error.  In Acts 17, Paul commended the Berean Christians for searching the Scriptures and comparing what they heard from teachers with what they found in God’s Word.  For instance, if you hear someone denying that Christ died on the cross, you can turn to the Bible to measure that statement and find that it is wrong.
            We also want to measure our growth in Christ.  How is your faith doing?  At an annual physical, your doctor might check your blood pressure, cholesterol, pulse rate and reflexes.  When we look at our faith, we want to examine our Bible reading, our prayer time, our tithing, our serving, our worship, our confession of sin and our repentance.  Are we seeing growth and obedience in those areas?  Do we find that we are practicing these Christian disciplines with greater consistency and devotion?
            We always want to bear good fruit for God’s glory.  Galatians 5:22-23 provides us with a measurement of the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control and faithfulness.  Do you see that fruit in your life?  Perhaps you find that you are struggling with some of the fruit.  Unless you take a look at the presence of fruit in your life, you will never know how you are doing.  If we are displeased with the fruit we are producing, it is time to renew our faith in Christ and draw closer to Him.  We may even discover that we do not know the Lord at all so salvation is necessary. 
            How concerned are we about people who do not know the Lord?  Do we pray for the lost?  Do we share our faith?  Do we invite others to be involved in our church’s worship and activities?  Do we speak about Jesus and what He means to us?  We might want to set a measurement or goal of inviting one person to worship once a month for a year.  We might want to set a goal of talking about our faith with another person at least once a week.  Measure what you do and see how God might use your words and faith.
            Measure your praise.  Find at least five reasons every day to praise God or to thank God.  Be attentive to the blessings and gifts that God brings into your life.  See how much you can grow in gratitude, generosity and thankfulness.  Thankful people are usually happier and more joyful people too.  Look at the blessings that God has placed in your life and acknowledge Him as the giver of such things.  Every gift we enjoy comes from Him.  Wouldn’t it be great to be known as a believer who radiates praise and gratitude by how you live?  Measurements can help us in our growth in Christ and to become more and more of what God would have us to be.  Have a great Thursday and remember you can worship and share worship with others at youtube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.