Junk Mail

2 Thessalonians 3-Part 5
Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!  2 Thess. 3:16 NAS


LET IT GLOW

Use to, I would go to the mailbox and it would be full most days. Oh, it wasn't all letters from friends or family, and not even bills, but junk mail. You know, the ones marked "occupant". Now that's what I call advertisements that I'm not the least bit interested in-insurance ads, credit cards invitations, new cars to be won, free stuff,  you name it; they go into the trash without being opened. Lately it dawned on me that we have been receiving less junk mail. In fact, some days the mailman doesn't even stop because there is nothing to deliver. (Maybe the economy has hit companies hard, too, so they spend less money on advertising.)
Now that there is email available, I seldom write letters. Sometimes I send out a thank-you notes and birthday cards, but that's about all. I wonder if people are reading what I write, or is it junk mail to them?

Our lives are living letters and there should be a distinguishing mark we place in those letters. In 2 Corinthians 3:3, Paul refers to the believer as "a letter of Christ." In a sense, we're the pen and ink that communicate Christ to a world illiterate of His love. What's my living letter like?

"How about your living letter? Is it read eagerly or with secretarial obligation? Is it warm and inviting or cold and impersonal? If nobody's bothering to read your letter, perhaps it would be best to get some fresh stationery and give the pen to Jesus. As living letter, we reflect the Lord-from the truth of the words to the grace of the penmanship. Although people cannot see the Author, they can see His words and feel their impact. They can touch the pages of our lives and feel His heartbeat-His presence. And His presence in our lives is never so visible as when we demonstrate peace in all our circumstances," states Charles Swindoll in his book Steadfast Christianity.

Is my life like junk mail to the Lord, empty of His love, full of the world, deserving to be tossed into the trash? Or is my life filled with meaning, prayer, serving Jesus, giving to others? Things to ponder.

Looking at the last part of verse 16, by all means, I want the peace God has to offer me. Jesus is the LORD  of PEACE. Doesn't that come by surrendering to His will and doing it His way instead of mine? I don't want my life to count as junk mail does here in my home.


LET IT GROW

Verses 14-15 say, "And if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that man and do not associate with him, so that he may be put to shame. And yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother."  NAS

Liberty Bible Commentary says:

The word note (semeioo in Greek) implies that the person who refuses to obey the Word of the Lord while professing to be a "Christian" should be marked out and distinguished in some way from normal believers so that he is disassociated from them. He is not to be treated as an enemy, however, but as a brother. It must be made clear to that person that if he wished to associate with believers he must be willing to submit to and obey the Word of God (Matt. 18:17).

I don't want to be that kind of noted person, do you?


LET IT GO


Make my living letter count for Christ, not junk mail.

Be a person that is obeying the Word of God.