Thoughts for the Day

Jesus said: ‘And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I first met my husband when I was seventeen years old and was posted from RAF Kirton-in-Lyndsey in Lincolnshire to RAF Hereford to do a training course. We might have passed like ships in the night, but for his kindness to me. Within three weeks we were "an item" as they say, and I had met his parents. Their first comment was "When are you getting married", since he'd always said he would only ever take the girl he was going to marry to his home! My parents took a bit of persuading since they deemed I was "marrying a foreigner" (he was Welsh!!), but until we married, and for the next fifty years I was so happy to call this lovely kind man my fiancée and then my husband, and to introduce him to friends and relatives.

In any relationship we should always be proud of the other person and delight in telling others how much they mean to us. If not, we need to question the relationship and ask if it's healthy or honest. Why is this friendship being kept in the dark - surely there must be something wrong?

Jesus uses his preferred title for himself, 'the Son of Man', and says that those who acknowledge knowing him will be acknowledged by God. We should be proud to know our Lord, and not ashamed to know Him.

Lord Jesus,
may we not keep our belief in You secret,
as though it were a shameful thing.
Help us to share our faith with others
and be willing to own up
that we are christians.
Help us to stand up for You when others scoff
and deride You,
and may we continue to grow in faith
as the years go by until You call us home.
Amen.