3/13 Strength for Today

Laboring for God's Name
Ezekiel 20:9
“But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.”

One of the things we must always keep in perspective is that life is not about us, but it is about God. There are some who may not like this, but they must remember that they are not the ones who gave themselves life. God is the giver of life, therefore, everything we do should be for His name's sake.

It is said three times in Ezekiel 20, “But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen…” In other words, God said that He worked hard to make sure that His name was not tainted with guilt, profaned or rendered unclean. It is sad that God would have to be the One Who had to work to keep His name good among the heathen. There are several things that are implied by this statement.

First, it implies that God's people were the one's who were polluting God's name among the heathen. It certainly wasn't God Who was polluting His name, but it was the way His people were living that polluted His name. You must always remember that how you live is how the heathen see God. It is a common thing for me to hear people talk about how God has not been good to them. When I ask them why, they respond that some Christian did them wrong. Notice, it is the Christian who paints the perception of God in the mind of the heathen. Is your life polluting God's name, or is it lifting His name up?

Second, this verse implies that because nobody else would work to keep God's name pure among the heathen, then He had to take matters into His own hands. There is nothing worse than having to defend your own name because nobody else will do it for you. Are you so busy with your own agendas that you are not working to defend God's name? Christian, God's name is being polluted in this world, and it is high time that every Christian should start working hard to be sure that the name of Christ is not polluted. The heathen are doing everything in their power to pollute the name of Christ, so as Christians we must be the one's who show the world that the name of Christ should be lifted up.

Last, this verse implies that your life is the only way they will see God. Let me ask you, what kind of picture of God does the world see in you? How do those with whom you work see God because of your life? How do those in your household perceive God because of your life? How do your neighbors perceive God by the way you live? Every Christian should live their life in such a manner that the world sees a clear and honest picture of who God is.

Be sure that your life is not polluting the name of God. Work hard at making God's name pure and holy to the heathen. Live your life in such a way that when people see you, they have good thoughts about the name of Christ.