The Testimony of Others
August 10, 2008 · Print This Article
“Here I am. Witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.” And they said, “You have not cheated us or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.” (1 Samuel 12:3-4)
There is a freedom that comes in having nothing to hide. Living a life of integrity allows you this freedom. Your integrity is measured not by what you say about yourself but by what God and people say about you. Samuel had lived all his life among the people of God. Leaders who preceded him were dishonest and corrupt; it would have been easy for Samuel to compromise in his dealings as well. Near the end of his life, however, Samuel could boldly stand before his nation and ask them to reveal any offense he had committed against any of them. They could not think of one.
In his position of leadership, Samuel could have taken advantage of people. Yet because he carefully guarded his motives and kept his relationships blameless, Samuel could fearlessly ask the people to report if he had mistreated them in any way. It takes courage to open your life up to the scrutiny of others, but Samuel did not fear what others would say about him. He did not have to avoid anyone whom he had offended. He had a confidence that comes from living a blameless life.
If you have mistreated others, you cannot change the past, but you can choose to live with absolute integrity from this day forward. Living righteously frees you to face any person unashamedly, knowing you have behaved in a Christlike manner. If your reputation is stained, seek forgiveness from those you have offended. Ask God to guide you daily in your relationships so that you have no regrets about your treatment of others.
From Experiencing God
by Henry and Richard Blackaby
INTROSPECTION: Unlike Samuel, people may have something to say against us. They may throw our past mistakes in to our face. But let not the guilt stop us from our journey to perfection. We have made mistakes in our life, make amends and move on.
Have a blessed Sunday…
I love this post, Ronnie!
Yeah, I will go to the WordCamp, pero di pa sila nagbigay ng pass. Meron ka na ba? Pupunta ka? Kung pupunta ka, text mo ko ha? Tabi tayo para may kakilala na ako sa event. Hehehehe.
Looking forward to the pictures. Have a blessed week, take care!
nalito ako sa website mo, lol, pero eto nahanap ko din ang journal mo, hoping to see pix from the EB.
It was nice meeting you finally, sorry ha sa kaka text baka ako nakaubos ng load ^_^
Jenn,
wala pa din akong nare-receive. antayin na lang natin tutal maalyo pa naman. hehe. sige i’ll text you. some pics are up…
Hip&CoolMomma,
naku di ko alam itatawag ko syo… parang nakakaalangang tawagin kang ate girlie nor girlie lang. lolz no worries di naman ako naubusan, mabagal lang talaga ako mag text.
some pics are up… nice meeting you and vanidosa. i had fun!