1 Peter 2 has been haunting me lately. I can’t seem to get it out of my head. There is so much to talk about in that passage about the people of God as his priesthood, his living stones. We are alive because Jesus has imparted life to us. We are living stones because the true living stone has resurrected us from the dead. We are a royal priesthood because Jesus, our great high priest, has bridged the gap between God and us. There is an amazing reality of being a part of the “people of God” if you have received the mercy and grace of Jesus.
However, I noticed in verse 4 that the true living stone (Jesus) that has been rejected by men is precious and valuable to God.
For those who do not believe, Jesus is a stumbling block, an obstacle, an inconvenience. For those who do believe he is valuable, he is a treasure, he is precious.
I suspect that many of my problems stem from the simple fact that I do not always value Jesus as most valuable. Whether it’s the sin of idolatry or familiarity, I often devalue Jesus in pursuit of other things that are immediately gratifying but pale in comparison to the worth of Christ. Jesus is a treasure worth more than anything and he is a treasure that never fades.
So I ask myself, “what do I treasure?” Am I seeking acclaim, notoriety, and wealth or am I seeking Jesus? Has Jesus become familiar or, worst, is he an inconvenience to my way of life? Is my satisfaction in Jesus alone unshakeable?
Hey Mark, I dig (don’t judge!) what you’re saying and I think I have what can be described as a difficult simple solution – in all your expenditures of time,money, or energy use the “Glory of God” yardstick. If you can’t see how it glorifies God, extends His kingdom, or edifies the Body, then maybe you should pass it by. The “Glory of God” measure tends to keep us honest with both God and ourselves, but it can be painful at times – I’m still trying to figure out how to glorify God thru a 52″ LCD TV – any ideas?
Gaither Homecoming DVD’s or men’s ministry football outreaches.
WooHoo ! You might want to stay away from Mrs. Windon for a proper cooling off period.