To the Ends of the Earth: Legacy – Week 7, Day 1 – Taking on God's Eternal Perspective Frees Us from Worry
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I give thanks to God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him with all speech and all knowledge — even as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you — so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ; who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
1 Corinthians 1:4–10
As members of the Body of Christ, we have a duty to live irreproachably, never bringing harm to the Church or causing scandal. In particular, we are called to honesty in our relationships with one another. Only as we are open and truthful can we make real connections to one another and to Jesus our Head. As humanity awaits the revelation of Jesus Christ, we are called to stand together in unity, helping the Body to growth to maturity.
The legacy we offer to the world will not hold together if our fellowship is marred by insincerity and division. We will not point the way to what is to come if falsehood causes us to focus more on ourselves than on the Body of Christ. In unity is peace, sound judgment, and a purpose grounded on the true knowledge of Jesus and his saving work on the cross. We cannot be lacking in any gift needed to carry the Church to the Second Coming of the Lord.
Questions for reflection
Do you have complete honesty in your relationships with others, or does dishonesty cloud some of your interactions?
How has dishonesty and lack of integrity wounded your relationships in the past? How does this impact the Body of Christ?
How can you speak a unifying message of truth to a brother who may need to be brought into greater fellowship with the Church?
Praying with Scripture
Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. (Eph 4:25)
You can learn more about the To the Ends of the Earth Series HERE
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Mark C. McCann is an author and Ministry Consultant with more than 30 years of writing and ministry experience. He has published articles for a number of Catholic magazines and websites including St. Anthony Messenger, Emmanuel Magazine, Liguorian Magazine, Catholic Stand, the Connecticut Catholic Men's Conference, and Homiletic and Pastoral Review. He recently published the 4-volume Catholic men's devotional, To the Ends of the Earth, as well as the 2021 Advent Daybreaks devotional and 2022 Lenten Daybreaks devotional with Liguori Publishing. He has also released his End Times novel series, Jacob's Dream: The Vision and Jacob's Dream: The Final Battle. He was a radio host and producer for 8 years at a Connecticut Christian radio station and has worked as a Catholic religion teacher/campus minister and a parish youth minister. He has also served the Norwich, CT Diocese as a Youth Ministry Director and Family Life Director. He currently lives in Connecticut with his Proverbs 31 wife, where together they have brought up three incredible children. He strives each day to live out his call to be a man of words. You can learn more about Mark and his writing at www.wordsnvisions.com.
