Wednesday; January 6

The New Testament book of III John is one of the shortest ones in the Bible, but it is packed full of spiritual lessons. In 15 verses, the Apostle John contrasts two individuals – one who represented what it meant to be a Christian and one who not only abandoned the faith, but in arrogance led people away from God. The good guy, Demetrius, is praised for his positive reputation while Diotrephes is condemned for his arrogance and bullying. Demetrius is held up as an example of righteousness, Diotrephes is painted as being ornery, cantankerous and abusive. While this is the background for the lesson, the challenge comes in the impact these who lives would have on the people who read the original letter. John tests them with these words, “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.” (III John 11). I am sure the early Christians inherently knew who they should follow, the question was would they?

The story of Demetrius and Diotrephes is played out every day – not just in the secular world, but in churches as well. There are good people doing good things and destructive people ruining lives. If we are honest with ourselves and others, we would acknowledge that we know the difference between the good guys and the bad guys, so the question is, “Which one will we follow?”. Leaders will be held accountable for the influence they have on people, but we will have to answer for the ones we follow as well. Who will we allow to lead us?
Think About It!

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