A proclamation, confirmation, or announcement tells the world that you believe in something. It lets others know how you feel about a certain person, subject, or position. When I married Paula thirty-three years ago, I made a proclamation, a commitment that she was mine, and I was hers. I promised to give myself to her only, and that I would live for her, and love her above everyone, or anything else. If I don’t live up to that commitment I have failed her.

Forty-three years ago, I made a commitment to God that I would give my life to Him. I proclaimed to the congregation that evening that I believed that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He was my Savior. Edwin Young baptized me into Christ and I have been a child of God ever since. I must confess that I have tried God’s love for me many times over the last four decades. I have said and done things that by human standards would make me unlovable, but God is not human. God is love.

Sometimes I forget my commitment to God, and there have been times I have ignored my commitment to God. I have found however, that when I continually proclaim that I am God’s child, I have an easier time saying no to Satan. When I continually wear His name as part of my identity, it makes me more accountable. When others know that I belong to Jesus I have a standard to uphold. I feel the privilege, and even the obligation to live up to my calling.

On a dark day in the history of mankind, one of Jesus’ best friends tried to hide. He even proclaimed with a curse, “I don’t know the man!” (Matt 26:74 NIV) Yet, a few days later that same man stood before a crowd of thousands and preached one the most powerful sermons of all time. Then and there Peter proclaimed that he belonged to Jesus.

If you are struggling with weakness, if you sometimes deny Jesus through your actions, let me encourage you to let the people around you know that you belong to Jesus. By doing so, you will have a responsibility to live up to. You will have accountability to yourself and to Jesus, and I believe that your life can, and will become a living sermon for Jesus.

Till next time,

Grump