Honoring His Name

'...Hallowed be Thy name.' Matthew 6:9 KJV
At the dedication service for their baby boy a young wife told the pastor, 'My husband wants to name him after his dad, but I want to name him after mine.' The pastor said, 'What's your dad's name?' 'Joseph,' she replied. 'What's your husband's father's name?' he asked. 'Joseph,' she replied again. 'Then what's the problem?' The husband replied, 'Well, her dad's a criminal and mine's a Christian. How will people know which one he's named after?' The pastor said, 'That's easy. Call him Joseph and see which one he turns out to be like. That way everybody will know whose name he carries.' Jesus taught us to pray, 'Hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.' (vv9-10) How do we honor God's name? By doing His will on earth. Francis of Assisi once took a young companion with him to preach in town. But when they arrived they just chatted with vendors and talked to people on the street. Returning home, he was asked why they hadn't preached. He replied, 'People listened; they observed our attitude and behavior. That was our message.' Paul writes, '...Take care of...business...do your...work...then people who are not believers will respect you...' (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 NCV) That means ensuring that your walk matches your talk, that you truly care about others, that you're not cheating on your spouse or your income taxes, that you're paying your bills on time, that you're not short-changing your employer. Peter writes, '...serve one another...' (1 Peter 5:5 GNT) It's one thing to call yourself a Christian, it's entirely another when those who know you best, agree!