Acknowledge Me

Scripture: Matthew 10:32-33 (Click the link for scripture in Bible Gateway)

32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. (Matthew 10:32–33 NLT)

I don’t know any way to get past the hard edge of Jesus’ statement without facing it and dealing with it! Life or death persecution may not be something we’re facing daily, but bringing Christ into our conversations in natural, non-religious ways is an important element in “acknowledging” Jesus to others. Sometimes we make a split-second decision to either “acknowledge” Jesus or not.

At a recent appointment I was talking with the rheumatologist who is helping me manage my arthritis. We were discussing a very bad flare-up I experienced a few months ago, and I was explaining what had happened. I said that after battling it for over a week, my family had laid hands on me and prayed for me, and that I had also changed to a different medication for a couple of days. For just a split-second I thought of only mentioning the medication change, but I really believe that the prayer was as much a factor as the pills.

Jean and I were shopping to make a major purchase and the salesperson was pressing strongly for a decision on the spot. “We can only offer this special price today! It could be gone tomorrow! I can’t promise you this price after today!” I said that we never make a major purchase like this in the moment. We always go home and talk about it and pray about it before deciding to move ahead. There was that brief moment when I thought about only mentioning the “talk about it” component, but we always do pray about such decisions overnight, so I said so.

It doesn’t have to be about the big dramatic “Taking a stand for Christ!” experiences (although it can be). I want my “acknowledgment of Jesus” to be as normal and practical as telling people I pray before making important decisions, that my family prays for healing when we’re not well, and that Jesus is a real presence in our daily lives. What about you? Does this ring true in your life?

Prayer:

Father, I want my relationship with you to be a real part of my daily life. Not always dramatic or “super-spiritual” but as normal and natural as making decisions and holding conversations with others. Help me to be naturally spiritual and spiritually natural.