Which Translation Are You?

Matthew 7:18-20: “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (NIV)

I was reading a devotional in Girlfriends in God, from Crosswalk (Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com), and I wanted to share it today:

“I heard the story of four Bible scholars who were arguing over the best translation of the Bible. One said he preferred the King James Version because of its beautiful, eloquent old English. Another said he preferred the American Standard Bible for its literalism and accurate translation from the original text. A third man preferred the newer translations because of their practical application. The fourth scholar listened thoughtfully and then added, “Personally, I prefer my mother’s translation.” When the other men laughed, he explained, “My mother translates every page of the Bible into her daily life and it is the most convincing translation I have ever seen.”

This really struck a chord with me.  That is the kind of wife and mother I want to be.  I want my husband and my children to see my relationship with God lived out in my daily life.  Do I get it right all the time? Absolutely not.  But, even in those times, when I’m messing up badly, I want them to see Christ shine through. I want to be the wife and mom who apologizes when she’s wrong, who is willing to admit to her mistakes, and especially is willing to try again to make things right according to God’s principles.  I want my interactions with others who don’t know God to walk away from a conversation with me, not feeling judged or preached at, but feeling welcomed and that there is something different about me that they can also have themselves.  I want to draw people toward my loving Saviour, not turn them away from Him because of my actions, attitudes, or rebellion.

My deepest desire is for my husband, my children, my friends, my boss – everyone I have contact with on a regular basis to see that even though I’m human and make lots of mistakes, that I have a connection with my Heavenly Father and it’s His rules (God’s word) that directs my actions.  I want to measure how I live, no matter who I’m with, against what God wants me to do, not what the world tells me is okay.  I’m a work in progress, but that’s how I’d like to be remembered.

Can people see Jesus working in and through you on a daily basis or is He just reserved for those days you are at church or with a certain crowd?  The great part is the choice is yours.  You can choose to have a close relationship with the God of the Universe or you can choose to continue as is.  What translation do you want to be?