A righteous man will be remembered forever. Psalm 112:6
As we walked through the cemetery on the Mount of Olives, I noticed something very unusual. Rather than flowers, many of the graves were covered with stones and rocks of varying sizes. Our guide told us that the Hebrew people for generations had placed stones on the graves of righteous, godly people. The message they were stating was, “I have built my life upon the foundation you laid.”
Isn’t that a beautiful picture? Peter said, “You, also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house.” And Paul said, “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.” Have you ever considered that before? Every one of us has built our lives on a foundation that we did not lay. We depended on someone else to prepare the way…to set the standard…to live the example for us to follow.
When I first saw the stones on the graves, I thought that was a great way to honor someone who had played a vital role in the spiritual life of another. After all, everyone walking through the cemetery would see the multitude of stones on a grave and know that that person had influenced many people in his or her lifetime. Later, I couldn’t help but wonder if those people had ever honored their “mentors” while they were still living.
Then I thought about us today. I had to ask myself when the last time was that I told someone that I appreciated the spiritual truths they shared with me. After a person dies, it’s too late to tell them what they have meant to you. It is good to encourage those who have encouraged you. So, your first challenge this week is to do as Romans says, “Give everyone what you owe him:…if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”
The next thing I realized is that others are looking to us to lay a foundation on which they will build their lives. How does the foundation look that you are laying? Is it firm and complete, or is it full of cracks? Can you, like Paul, say, “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ?” Teachers everywhere know that students learn best when the teacher models the behaviors and actions he or she desires. As we go through life making disciples, we must model the behaviors and actions God wants his children to have. How do we know what God desires? Peter said, “Christ left you an example that you might follow in his steps.” Therefore, our lives must look like Jesus’ life. We’ve all heard the expression, “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck.” The same is true for us. If we walk like Christ and sound like Christ, then Christ must live in us. So, your second challenge this week is to walk as Jesus walked realizing that you are laying a foundation on which someone else will build their own spiritual life. Let’s be sure to build in such a way that the Lord’s house will stand firm when the storms of life hit.
As we walked through the cemetery on the Mount of Olives, I noticed something very unusual. Rather than flowers, many of the graves were covered with stones and rocks of varying sizes. Our guide told us that the Hebrew people for generations had placed stones on the graves of righteous, godly people. The message they were stating was, “I have built my life upon the foundation you laid.”
Isn’t that a beautiful picture? Peter said, “You, also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house.” And Paul said, “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.” Have you ever considered that before? Every one of us has built our lives on a foundation that we did not lay. We depended on someone else to prepare the way…to set the standard…to live the example for us to follow.
When I first saw the stones on the graves, I thought that was a great way to honor someone who had played a vital role in the spiritual life of another. After all, everyone walking through the cemetery would see the multitude of stones on a grave and know that that person had influenced many people in his or her lifetime. Later, I couldn’t help but wonder if those people had ever honored their “mentors” while they were still living.
Then I thought about us today. I had to ask myself when the last time was that I told someone that I appreciated the spiritual truths they shared with me. After a person dies, it’s too late to tell them what they have meant to you. It is good to encourage those who have encouraged you. So, your first challenge this week is to do as Romans says, “Give everyone what you owe him:…if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”
The next thing I realized is that others are looking to us to lay a foundation on which they will build their lives. How does the foundation look that you are laying? Is it firm and complete, or is it full of cracks? Can you, like Paul, say, “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ?” Teachers everywhere know that students learn best when the teacher models the behaviors and actions he or she desires. As we go through life making disciples, we must model the behaviors and actions God wants his children to have. How do we know what God desires? Peter said, “Christ left you an example that you might follow in his steps.” Therefore, our lives must look like Jesus’ life. We’ve all heard the expression, “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck.” The same is true for us. If we walk like Christ and sound like Christ, then Christ must live in us. So, your second challenge this week is to walk as Jesus walked realizing that you are laying a foundation on which someone else will build their own spiritual life. Let’s be sure to build in such a way that the Lord’s house will stand firm when the storms of life hit.
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