Keepin' It Real

Whew! If you knew how late I stayed up this weekend you'd understand why this is late getting to the blog world! We drove in from a short vacation last night and I think I got to sleep around 2:30 or 3:00 am. Even now, I feel like I'm peeling my eyes open. BUT, that won't stop me from getting into the Word and sharing with you something great about Daniel this week.

Here we go...Daniel chapter 6! Crack it open and, of course, just read the first two verses. Okay, okay, I'll just type them...

"It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made so that the King might not suffer loss."

King Darius took over after the sad ending to King Belshazzar. I'm guessing he noticed Daniel right off.

What struck me in these verse as something we can take hold of and practice in our own lives is the concept of accountability. Daniel's satraps had to answer to him. There was a level of keeping things on the up and up so that the King might not suffer loss. I started thinking about what those losses might be. Maybe you can think of some more.

Loss of money
Loss of men
Loss of face (not his real face, but you know what I mean. They could make him look bad.)
Loss of influence or power

Could we as followers of Jesus keep each other accountable so that our KING doesn't suffer loss? Do we strive to make Him look good at all times and help each other stay on track so that the King of our Lives might not suffer.

I'm not saying He can't take care of Himself, but we are His ambassadors. If we are His ambassadors then by golly I think we should be doing a better job. I'm totally talking to myself here too. I know that there have been times that in an earthly sense I have caused Him to suffer loss.

Consider this, if I am being held accountable to my girlfriends for my actions, behaviors, attitudes, and sins, then there is a better chance that I will live and love rightly for my King rather than if I try to do it on my own. I've tried it on my own and I have ended up in a world of hurt, even as a follower of Christ. We need each other to keep it real. We need to have those relationships that stand firm and protect the Name of our King!

What could our King suffer loss?

Loss of face. Followers of Christ can really make Him look bad. I've done it and I pray I don't do it again.

Loss of kids. Without godly accountability our God, our King could suffer the loss of some of His own. Some have walked away from Him. Some might feel they can never come back. The thought of people who have loved God, screwed up, and now feel like they can't get back breaks my heart. And I'm sure it breaks His too. We can be involved with each other, loving each other to ensure we stay right before God. The Bible says that this kind of love will cover a multitude of sin! I've lived it. I know it.

We can save face for our King. He doesn't need us to, but I'm sure that He wants us to live in such a way that we can show, just by how we live, the love of God.

I Corinthians 4:1 says, "So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God."

It is such an honor to be someone who displays the Lord. We're all at different levels and places in our lives, but we all need someone else to be a part of our relationship with Jesus. We want the prayer of Isaiah to be our prayer as well, "...your name and renown are the desire of our hearts."

Get connected. Find people in your life that you trust that you can confess to and confide in. Confession rids you of sin and give God the ability to fill you with the full measure of His Spirit to live out the full measure of this life He has for you.

We're in this together for our God. We might as well be keeping it real!

May we live in such a way that our King does not suffer loss.