Human beings have always sought entertainment beyond themselves. You need not wonder at the billions of hours spent online, and the billions of dollars spent on physical, emotional, and mental stimulants; everyone loves a distraction.
Whether all these distractions are causing harm or humour, we may never know, but what we do know is that God calls the Christian to do everything in His name in a spirit of gratitude. Paul says: “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).
When our every utterance and action is assigned to the purpose of lifting up the name of Jesus, we begin to operate effectively as citizens of the Kingdom. It is by giving over our speech and conduct to the will of God that we fulfil our roles as ambassadors of Christ and his Gospel Message.
Such careful moderating of our communication brings both blessings and cursings. Blessings from those who want to know God, but cursings from those who reject His name. Jesus, in warning his disciples of the persecutions to come, tells them: “They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me” (John 15:21).
Paul anticipated that Christians would begin to question the value of pushing through the hard times of faith. He told the saints: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
Speaking and acting in the name of Jesus brings praise from God; what more could we want?
God promises His faithful servants—you and me:
“Because he has his heart set on me, I will deliver him;
I will protect him because he knows my name” (Psalm 91:14).
John Staiger
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