Being a Canadian and drinking tea are synonymous to me. One of my earliest childhood memories is of being served tea by my Grandmother. She gave me the most beautiful china cup covered in roses. Then she showed me how to put in two lumps of sugar and pour just the right amount of cream. The creamy caramel taste of that first cup of tea still lingers like a sweet memory.
I love serving tea to my children in my own rose covered tea pot and hope to someday have grandchildren to share this lovely tradition with.
My extensive collection of tea cups and tea pots are almost all marked with wonderful names like Royal Albert/Windsor/Regency and more. These markings have a lot to do with the value of each cup. A cup marked with the just the right name and maker and date created is given a higher value than an unmarked cup.
Our Philippians study has me thinking about how we are marked by Christ. Paul says in Philippians chapter 1:1 that he is a bondservant of Christ Jesus. If you are following along in our homework you will know that a bondservant is one who has chosen to stay with his master and have his ear pierced as a sign of his devotion and forever status of belonging to the master.
I almost wish I could make a tea cup and mark it the way the bible says we are marked.
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit." Ephesians 1:13
The truth is those of us marked by Christ can not be unmarked. Praise God for that. We are marked for life. So now what?
How do people know we are marked for life? When someone gives me a new tea cup, I immediately turn it over and look at it's marking. Since most of us do not bear tatoos marking us as belonging to Christ, there must be a way for people to know this marvelous truth.
Paul is a wonderful example of this. Read the first chapter of Philippians and you will find that he says he defends and confirms the gospel. His life is amazing to read about. It's filled with adventure and hurt and betrayal and joy and miracles! Through it all it is his attitudes and actions that prove who he belongs to.
How about you? Are you marked by Christ? If so you are marked for life.
Do your attitudes and actions reveal your maker?
If not, they can. I encourage you to seek the Lord and ask him to help you walk as one "worthy of the calling you have received." Ephesians 4:1 and as Paul says, "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." Philippians 1:27 and finally, Colossians 1:10 "live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God."
Our study in Philippians prompted this post. You can follow along at this link: http://pastorswife101blog.blogspot.com/p/philippians-count-it-all-joy.html
If you realize that you are not marked by Christ, Here is a place to watch a video that tells you just how you can know you belong to him: http://www.wordlesswalkingsticks.com/
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