Year of Exposure Day 32: Getting your eyes on what other people are doing, can get you shipwrecked.

Year “I never joined the people in their merry feasts. I sat alone because your hand was on me. I was filled with indignation at their sins. Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry.” This is how the Lord responds: “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you! They will fight against you like an attacking army, but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall of bronze. They will not conquer you, for I am with you to protect and rescue you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭15‬:‭17‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The writer of Hebrews, after going into great detail about people throughout the Old Testament who did great things through faith (Hebrews 11), turns to the reader and issues a challenge to run the race like they did.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Considering how Jesus was treated and yet carried through with His mission to be the perfect Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world, how can we allow ourselves to be sidetracked by what other people are doing?

Apostle Paul warned his spiritual son, Timothy, to be wary of allowing what other people are doing to cause him to go against his own conscience and end up off course, in his own spiritual journey.

“This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, so that [inspired and aided] by them you may fight the good fight [in contending with false teachers], keeping your faith [leaning completely on God with absolute trust and confidence in His guidance] and having a good conscience; for some [people] have rejected [their moral compass] and have made a shipwreck of their faith.”

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Paul also reminded the church at Corinth that trying to instruct other people, but getting sloppy with one’s own personal spiritual development, could cause them to become unqualified in terms of their calling.

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭24‬-‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In our opening scripture we see that Jeremiah, after having been very discouraged because of what other people were doing, had apparently succumbed to discouragement. Indeed, Jeremiah was allowing words to come across his lips that didn’t glorify God.

The Lord chastises him, then tells him that he will reinstate him if he gets back on track, remembering the difference between what is vile and what is pure. Yes, the Lord wanted to make sure that what came out of Jeremiah’s mouth was consistent with what God was saying, regardless of what the people were doing one way or another.

Child of God, let us make sure that we honor God‘s word by both obeying it and speaking it unshaded and unaffected by what anybody else is doing.

Remember, we may not be able to cause anybody else to do the right thing, but by the grace of God, we can make sure to not become so focused on other people‘s shipwrecks that we end up shattered on the rocks right alongside them.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!