On Guard

1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. (NLT)

These words remind me of taking Karate. I did not make it to a black belt like one of our granddaughters, but I did study for a couple of years and was close to a brown belt when we moved to a different state.

One of the first things learned was standing in an on guard position. When we are on guard we are ready for anything. Nobody can trip us up and are full attention is focused on what is happening around us.

We are to be on guard for Christ. When we are, we can see where the Father is working and be ready to jump in to assist and complete His work. This is what Jesus told us He was doing when He said He was finishing His Father's work, and He told us we were to follow Him.

When we jump in to finish the work we need to stand firm in our faith. If that person needs a touch from God, it is our faith that allows us to stretch our hands to them or just to open out mouth and know the Holy Spirit will fill it with just the right things to say.

Doing this takes courage. It is not easy going up to a stranger and finish His work. Having to have courage in the first place even implies that the task at hand is a difficult one. God gives us the courage we need to handle the situation He puts us into.

We have to be strong in knowing our place in Christ. Our strength comes not from mortal means but from God. He is out strength.

We must also remember that whatever God has for us to do, it must be done with love. Without love, how could it be from God?