Acts 10:1-8

Acts 10:1-8
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I'm always amazed by the description of Cornelius.  He fears God, leads his household to worship God, gives generously and prays continuously.  And this is the man that the early church was debating whether or not gentiles should be admitted into the church.  They were so caught up on labels that they failed to see the man's integrity, the way that he lived his life, the man of faith that he was.  They couldn't see past the fact that he didn't come from the right tradition.
  I think people who live like this give us two choices.  One is that we can be jealous of how they lead their lives and we can try and tear them down, assuming bad things until we've brought them down to a more relatable level.  The other is to be inspired and take their example as a challenge, to see if we can live our lives in such a way that we set an example to others.  I don't think Cornelius did all these things to be noticed, but he was noticed due to the way that he lived his life.  So may we endeavor to live with integrity as well, giving generously and living in constant prayer, leading those around us to orient their lives around Christ.