Only a man?

I have a new found appreciation for Paul and his writings every time I pick up one of his letters.  Today is no different.  This morning I only had to read a few short verses before I was stopped dead in my tracks by these words, For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly?  Are you not acting like mere men?

Wow!  That's a pretty pointed statement.  I know that Jesus tells us to obey his teachings and live as people of the light, but this verse makes it very personal.  We can't be jealous if we're going to be followers of God.  We can't be quarreling if we're living in the new standard of Christ. 

You see it's not easy being a follower of Christ.  Followers of Christ do more than just believe and go to worship - they actually follow Christ.  They allow Christ to transform their entire life.  They begin to think with the mind of Christ.  They see things through the lenses of Christ's glory.  They act as if they were the hands and feet of Christ. 

When we live by this new standard, there's no room for quarreling, fear, stress, anxiety, abuse, anger, hate, lust, jealousy, or any of the other sins we can come up with.  When we follow Christ and truly seek to be his disciples, then we will be able to even walk on water.  So keep your eyes on Christ today, no matter what comes your way look at it through Jesus' eyes and you'll be amazed at what happens! 

Lord give us your eyes to see, your hands to serve, your feet to go, your mind to understand, and your mouth to speak the glory of your name.  Amen.