I found a wonderful devotional the other day that I needed to share since this is fall. I am a lover of fall and the colors it brings. This wonderful piece by Julia Bettencourt reminds us what the colors of fall say about each of us. The Inviting Colors of Fall Julia
Bettencourt
" But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost" 2
Corinthians 4:3
Many people are drawn to fall colors. Fall
colors are warm, vibrant, extraordinarily rich, and energetic. I wonder how
appealing I am as a Christian? Do other people gravitate to me because I am a
warm, vibrant, and inviting person?
Red When I think
about the color of the fall leaves, red is my favorite. There's just something
about the trees that are full of red leaves glistening in the sun. It's just
extraordinary. They stick out and you notice them.
Red brings up the
thought of passion. No matter where we are in our Christian walk, I think we all
could do with a little more passion for Christ. We should stick out in a good
way. We should reflect all that brilliance of Christ.
Let your light
so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father
which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16
Orange The color orange
is so beautiful in the fall. We see it in not just the fall leaves, but in those
beautiful pumpkins as well. Orange reflects warmth and symbolizes thoughtfulness
and sincerity. As Christians that's something we should portray. We should be
that warm inviting person that cares about others.
And be ye kind one
to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake
hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32
Yellow The yellow
color of fall makes me happy. Yellow conjures up joy and cheerfulness. I don't
really think that if we aren't cheerful as Christians, other people will want
what we have.
If we have Christ, we should have joy in our hearts and
that joy should reflect out through us. It's listed right there in Galatians
along with the other fruit of the spirit that we should be bearing.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering,gentleness, goodness, faith,Meekness, temperance:against such
there is no law. Galatians 5:22,23
Purple Some of the
colors we see in fall are the shades of purple. Leaves we find in the purple
family are so striking. Purple is the color of royalty. As Christians, we are
royalty in Christ. Our behavior should reflect that royalty. We should be
striking as Christians.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of
God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may
be also glorified together. Romans 8:16,17 Brown If we
didn't have all that brown in the midst of the bright fall colors, I doubt if
they'd be so brilliant. Brown represents stability and it anchors all those
other beautiful colors of fall. In Christ, we have our anchor. Others can see if
we are living for Christ and depending on Him in our lives. It comes out in our
actions and behavior.
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the
faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:6,7
Conclusion: Showing Christ through our
behavior is so important in our witness to others . Our "colors" do matter. How
we act and behave is what people see when they look at us. I hope I grow to have
a beautiful, warm, and inviting life in Christ. I don't want Christianity to be
hid from the world because of me. I want to portray vibrancy and warmth so that
people will want to get to know me and learn about Christ through me.
I am a woman who wears many hats and loves them all. I am a singer - I sing with the group Still Magnolias. I was part of the original First United Methodist Church Arbor Praise Team until we moved. After 24+ years of teaching English 11 and Spanish I - II at Benjamin Russell High School I decided to take a job closer to home. I now teach Spanish I & 2 at Randolph Co. High School and Wadley. I thought I was getting close to retirement and looking forward to it, but decided to move my cheese and try something different. I am a preacher's wife and a preacher myself. My husband Frank is the pastor at Rock Mills United Methodist Church and I am the pastor at Midway (Wedowee). It has made our conversations interesting, to say the least.
1 comment:
This is very interesting. Yellow is my favorite color.
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