Christian behaviour
by Pastor Mark Lieschke
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Whatever task you must do, work as if your soul depends on it, as for the Lord and not for humans (Colossians 3:23).
St Paul has been described as a misogynist or as a racist who, if alive today, would have upheld slave trading. Both caricatures fail to understand Paul. He was not a social revolutionary but an apostle of the gospel. He knew that the way to change less-than-ideal elements of the prevailing culture was not about attempting to enforce God’s ways politically. Rather, genuine and lasting change would come through the inward transformation of individual hearts.
The gospel provides this through its gift of the Spirit and a new heart. Like invisible leaven inside a batch of dough, the gospel works quietly within, bringing about healing and transforming lives. It changes people, enabling them to cultivate God’s just and benevolent ways.
As Christians, the lives we live flow out of who we are in Christ and what we have from him. We live a certain way because we are the chosen people of God, holy and dearly loved. We bear with each other in love, forgiveness and patience because this is how God has dealt with us.
We grow in our relationships with others and in our desire to serve them, as Christ’s presence becomes more and more of a reality in our lives. As his influence becomes stronger within us, we, in turn, become better equipped to respect, serve and honour those around us – especially within our family relationships.
No sphere of our daily living is not impacted by the good news of Jesus Christ. As followers of Christ, on display to the world, we’re privileged to be able to reflect the love of Jesus in all that we say and do. We live within every relationship in response to how our Lord and Saviour has loved us.
Lord Jesus, help me today to view every relationship through the lens of my relationship with you. Help me keep you and my relationship with you in view so that I might honour you and love the people with whom I live and work. Amen.
Mark Lieschke is a retired pastor living on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. He served in parishes in Adelaide, Palmerston North and Marton (both in New Zealand) and Wagga Wagga (school and congregation) before being elected as bishop of the New South Wales District of the LCANZ. He and his wife Meredith have four children (two of which live in Canada) and two grandchildren. Mark enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, walking on the beach and resting.
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