DEVOTION - Day 12

Today, I'm going to let someone else minister to you through this blog. I came across this devotional and the author says things better than I could ever say them. Plus, it gives us a great lead in to this Wednesday night's service. So, enjoy...

NO CLONES

By Tim Walker


If you’re anything like me, I usually walk into a room of strangers and start looking for the people who look like me. Okay, not exactly like me—I’m not that vain. But I tend to find people who seem to dress similar to me, who are around my same age, who seem to be a “similar status” as me. But the ironic thing is that most of the time, once I start a conversation with those people; I’m bored out of my mind. Or the conversation just is strained, awkward, and we’re done talking after about a minute.

It’s “comfortable” to seek out people who are like me, but if I’m honest with myself, most of the people who are closest to me are nothing like me. And that’s a good thing. King Solomon was the wisest man—ever. He wrote things like: “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20 NIV). And from his son Rehoboam’s decisions, one just might think he wasn’t listening to his dad’s advice.

Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.

They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”

But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

The young men who had grown up with him replied, “Tell these people who have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter’—tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”

Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.”

The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.”

So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.

When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, O Israel! Look after your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home (1 Kings 12:6-16 NIV).

Rehoboam chose to ignore the people who were different than him, in order to follow the advice of those who were just like him. And the advice of his friends, the ones he grew up, turned out to be very bad.

There are people in your life now, people who are so different from you, that you may be completely oblivious to you because you have this picture of what your friends should look like, how they should dress, what kind of financial status they should have. And there may be someone in your life or someone you know who doesn’t fit any of those criteria, but could be someone who brings a different perspective, teaches you new things and even inspires you to be more like Christ.

When we don’t allow people into our lives who look and act differently than we do, we end up less. Too much time in the company of people exactly like you starts to affect you—just ask Rehoboam. It starts to make you think that if someone isn’t like you, than they aren’t good enough. We start to judge people and their worth based on how closely they resemble us, and we think that God is on board with it. But don’t be fooled—He’s not. God isn’t only like me. He isn’t only like you. And, God didn’t make a world full of clones. But when we begin to act like we, and people like us, are the only people worth investing in, we start to shrink God. We start to undermine His creativity and the pleasure He finds in the diversity among us. God is much bigger than that. And He wants us to be bigger than our sometimes narrow view of other people.

There is one thing in common you definitely want in a good friend—you want to have people close to you who have an active relationship with Jesus Christ. People who love Him, not only with their words, but with their lives. But their interests, their perspectives can be completely different than yours.

The world is much bigger than us. It is much bigger than people like us. Do you believe that there is more to you and more to me than just who we already are right now? What if there was this incredible untapped potential to become so much bigger than we even thought possible if we just began to entertain this idea that there are people out there who are going to shake our lives up, maybe push our buttons every once in awhile, but who will expand our world in ways we could never do on our own?

What if someone different from you wasn’t bad, but was just what you needed to become the person God has in mind? Would you choose them, pick them, accept them as friends as different as they be from you—even if no one around you, including yourself, understood “why them”?

DEVOTION - Day 11

Ephesians 4:14 (New International Version)

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

The fourth chapter in the book of Ephesians is so full of wisdom that I couldn’t possibly cover it all in one day’s devotion blog. So, I once again challenge you to take a look at this chapter in its entirety. I believe it has something or everyone if you will take the time to digest what it is trying to tell you.

But, my goal today is to examine the concepts presented in verse 14. Here we see Paul encouraging the people of the church of Ephesus with the hope that one day they will “no longer be infants.” Having 2 infants in my household, this Scripture hits close to home for me. The diapers, teething, lack of ability to get themselves dressed, and so on. It is really a time in their lives where they rely 100%, almost, on others to take care of them and give them the basic necessities of life.

I cannot wait for them to mature to a point in their own life where they do not constantly require so much of my attention and energy in order to function. It is much the same for all of us when we first come to a knowledge of Christ. Think about it for a minute. What was it like when you first accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? Did immediate change happen for you? Was your life completely different the next day when you woke up?

The answer I would guess is that your life is still a work in process. In other words, none of us at day 1 or day 1,000 is the kind of mature Christian that we aspire to be. Our Christian development, in other words, takes time and a maturing of our walk with God. So, given all of this, what is this Scripture trying to tell us?

Well, I believe we see here not only the hope that we will one day mature in our walk, but that it will become easier to not be swayed by all of the other competing priorities and opinions that we are faced with on a daily basis. When we are infants in our faith, we require others to give us direction and provide for our basic needs. And when we separate ourselves from the community of Christian fathers and mothers (the church), we leave ourselves open to being “blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”

For me, when I was first saved, I went to a church that didn’t focus too often on Christian development. In fact I feel that anyone who took that all important step of inviting Jesus into their heart to be their Savior and Lord, was almost left hanging with little or no direction on where to go from there. So, that created in my life a shallow Christianity that didn’t take time to read His Word and devote myself to learning more about this person that I just said I wanted to follow. Also, I didn’t place a value on going to church because I didn’t understand this principle, so I just stopped going when I got to college and away from my parents “making” me go.

How old are you in your Christian walk? Are you 1 or 5 or maybe even 10? Think about where that age matches with a child. If you were saved 5 years ago, you have now made it through your ‘formative’ years and you are ready to go to kindergarten. Kindergarten. You are not ready to graduate into adulthood…yet. But, with some focus on God’s principles and Spiritual disciplines such as following this blog and doing devotions/spending time with God daily, you can continue your journey towards maturity.

So, today ask God to help you to accept your Spiritual age. Ask that He would give you the strength to resist the temptation to be “older” than you actually are and that you would take the time to learn about Him more each day. Pray that in your faithfulness to these things that He would be faithful to His word to give you the maturity to resist all the distractions of life that would take you away from His best for your life.

DEVOTION - Day 10

Ephesians 3:20 (New International Version)

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,


Before I begin today’s devotional commentary, I wanted to take a moment to challenge you to read more than just my post from this point forward. I want to challenge you to take out your own Bible (and if you don’t have one, come see me and I’ll give you one) and read the entire chapter that I am quoting a verse from.

In doing this, it will give you the context of the Scripture. I don’t always take the time to give you the context around the verse and, with the context; you will be given a richer understanding of why Paul or any other author is saying what is being said in the verse we are looking at. And, you never know, God may say something to you in a completely different Scripture than the one that I pick…

But, today, let’s look at the 3rd chapter of Ephesians where Paul is giving us something to think about and something that should make us consider our own faith a little deeper. Let me say first that we often pray to God with a laundry list of things that we want from Him. We fit Him in the box that we’ve created for Him in our own mind and we ask Him for things that fit that mold.

Here, we see that Paul challenges us to go deeper in our faith. He reminds us that God is bigger than the immediate need that we have. As we pray for things, we should keep Jesus’ example of the “Lord’s Prayer” in mind and say that no matter what we are asking for “Your will be done.” Because we may find that His answer may be more than we can “imagine.”

What things are you seeking God for right now that you have confined Him and His answer to? Where are you limiting the awesomeness of God in your life not allowing Him to answer in a way that is farther than your imagination can take you? What things in your life do you need to understand that what you could ask for is not even close to the answer that God wants to give you?

For me, I have been having some struggles with my job. I have gotten a new boss and I have a new team of peers that I am working with. In the midst of this circumstance, I have decided that there are 2 desired outcomes – change my current job situation to a more favorable one or change my job. However, as I read this Scripture, I am reminded that I need to shut up, stop limiting God to my 2 outcomes, and understand that He may bless me beyond what my feeble imagination could ever come up with and my situation will probably be better than what I could have ever dreamed.

So, today, ask God to show you the areas where you have limited Him and His power. Pray that as you come to Him in prayer that you will not place Him in your box and that you will give Him the freedom to work in miraculous, “immeasurable” ways. Finally, seek Him today in a new way that allows your situations to truly be placed in His capable, loving hands expecting something bigger than your creativity will take you.

DEVOTION - Day 9

Ephesians 2:10 (New International Version)

10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

This verse from Paul to the church in Ephesus is a message that transcends the years and should speak to us all in a number of different ways. In fact, there are three very specific and encouraging ways that I see here that I’m sure ministered to the Ephesians. As we seek to understand God’s plan for our lives, I believe that we can find some clear instruction right here today.

The first piece of this puzzle is that Paul says that we are “God’s handiwork.” Have you ever created something with your own two hands? Have you ever made something, written a paper or a poem, or built a piece of furniture and stood back and admired its beauty? Or even look at what it was you created and imagine the possibilities that could happen because of its purpose? God looks at us the same way. He considers us perfectly beautiful and made for an amazing purpose.

Picture it, the God of the universe created YOU. On purpose. You are not an accident and your life has a distinct purpose. Imagine the fact that He needed to create someone and He could have created anyone; and He chose to make YOU. Sometimes we float through life and wonder if we will ever make a difference and maybe question why we are here. Find hope in the fact that God created you and you have a purpose.

Well, the second thing I notice is that we were created to do “good works.” This is something we’ve been discussing for the last few days in this blog. Good works can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. But, here, I believe Paul is telling us that we have been made to do all the things that the Bible tells us we should do – serve others, bless others, pray for others, etc. etc.

This is what we are created to do. To do good works. Often we try to make it more complicated than it needs to be. We question why we are here and what we are supposed to do. Here it is in black and white. We are here to do good works – and a big portion of that is to be selfless individuals who love others and looks for opportunities to serve them.

Finally, we read that all of this was planned “in advance.” In advance of what? Psalms 139 says that “You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” This says to me that our lives were pre-meditated. A person doesn’t knit something together without having a plan first, and so it is with God. Our lives were planned in advance of our birth. There are no mistakes and there is no one born (or even conceived) without a specific plan from the all-mighty God.

For me, I get in the routine too often. I go through the motions too often. Instead of living with a higher purpose mentality, I live day to day with my own needs and wants in the forefront of my mind. This Scripture reminds me that I have a purpose. No day should pass without me moving closer to God and His purpose and will for my life.

Today, thank God for creating you. Thank Him and praise Him that He made you for a purpose and that He chose you. Pray that His purpose will be fulfilled in your life and that you will do the good works that He’s placed you here to do. Lastly, ask that His purpose will be constantly on your mind and that He will give you the resolve to live it out each and every day, no matter your circumstances.

DEVOTION - Day 8

Ephesians 1:1-2 (New International Version)

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


Rather than focus on a verse today, I wanted to focus on a person. Actually, I want to place the spotlight on the behaviors of that person. The Apostle Paul, who wrote a lot of the New Testament, is a Spiritual giant (the description I’ve given him). There is so much wisdom that came from this one man who was obviously an anointed man of God. So, let’s take a look at the first chapter in Paul’s letter to the Church in Ephesus.

There are three behaviors that stand out to me that I think would really benefit us all if we tried to model our own actions after them. The first is encouragement. Paul’s writing here is oozing with encouragement for the people to whom he is writing. He lifts them up, compliments them, and just speaks in a general uplifting tone. In fact, it encouraged me just by simply reading the words. Who in your life do you need to encourage TODAY? Is there someone that you don’t necessarily call a friend or even an acquaintance that you could encourage over the next week?

The next behavior that I see here is one of prayer. Paul says multiple times throughout his letters how he has been praying for the specific church that he is writing to. Doesn’t it feel good to know that someone else is praying for you? For some reason we put an emphasis on knowing that someone in church leadership is praying for us, don’t we? Imagine having Paul tell you that he’s been praying for YOU. What would that feel like?

I would imagine that someone in your life looks up to you in much the same way that we look up to the Spiritual leaders in our own lives. Who do you need to pray for right now? I mean stop reading the blog for a minute and really petition God on their behalf? And then, tell them that you’ve been praying for them. It makes a difference…

The final behavior that I see in Paul here is that of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. He reminds them of the peace and grace that comes from God and the salvation we get from calling Jesus our Lord and Savior. Can’t we all do this just a little more in our lives? I know I can… There are 2 things I can see as an application for us here.

The first is to remind ourselves and others what it means that Jesus loves us so much that He died for US. And the second is to share our faith with those who need to hear it. So, who are those people in your realm of influence? A fellow student? A co-worker? A family member? Whoever it is, they need to hear it and YOU are just the person to share it with them.

So, today, pray that God will give you a heart like Paul’s that will empower us to encourage one another and be a positive, uplifting influence to those we come in contact with. Ask Him to anoint your prayer life so that it is a daily focus and so that when you tell someone that you’ll pray for them, that you actually will. Finally, pray for boldness to share the Gospel with those around you.

DEVOTION - Day 7

Galatians 6:7 (New International Version)

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

It is common sense that a farmer cannot plant corn in the ground and expect to grow wheat. This is the same for each of us in our lives. The Scripture, written by Paul, tells us that a man will reap what he sows and it is a simple verse with eternal ramifications.

The verse is really the culmination of the other 6 days worth of devotions. As we navigate this life, we are called to produce fruit that will further God’s kingdom and put us squarely in His will. So, when we ask ourselves why we should do the right thing, this Scripture and the ones following it tell us that we should because we will reap eternal life.

However, I would challenge our thinking to expand the concept of reaping and sowing a little further. This concept is one that works in both a negative and positive way. In other words, if we are generous to others, then we can expect that generosity will be returned to us. But on the flipside, if we treat others harshly, then we can expect to be treated harshly.

I ask that you let this Scripture really challenge you to explore your world in a deeper way. Do not think of it in its basic, fundamental way only. But, consider it in light of every day interactions and the way that you live your life holistically. Where is there a relationship where you need to treat someone differently? Is there someone that you need to forgive so that forgiveness can be extended to you for something?

For me, I struggle with both sides of the equation. What I mean by this is that I tend to find myself hesitating to bless someone else, yet I expect that I should be blessed. So, I have to remember that I cannot expect for my life that which I do not invest into others’ lives.

So, pray today that God will show you where you are sowing the wrong things and ask for forgiveness. Ask Him for the focus in your life to sow only those things that are going to reap a harvest of blessings in your own life. Finally, pray that God will continue to remind you of the reaping and sowing principle on a regular basis so that your life may be filled with the divine goodness of God.

DEVOTION - Day 6

Galatians 5:22-23 (New International Version)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

In yesterday’s blog, we looked at how inside of us there is a battle raging between our “Flesh Man” and our “Spirit Man.” There, we saw that we should feed our Spirit more than our flesh so that He will win out and our lives will be lived according to God’s plan for us. However, as you read my comments, you may have been asking “How do we know when the Spirit is truly winning and when we are living by the Spirit?” Well, I’m glad you asked.

Many times the Bible and more specifically Jesus uses the illustration of trees and other plants to show us how being “alive in Christ” should look. In doing this, we see that those plants/trees that are the healthiest are producing fruit. In other words, if the tree has deep roots, has been watered, and has spent enough time in the light, it will produce more fruit than a tree with shallow roots that has dried up and has lived its life in the darkness.

As with trees, our lives are very much the same. When we feed our Spirits with the water of God’s Word and we bask in the light of His Son, this creates roots in us that are deep enough to withstand the storms of life. And when all of these elements are in place, the Bible tells us that we should be producing “fruit.”

So, how do we know that we are living by the Spirit? Our lives will produce fruit. No, not apples and oranges, but the exact things that Paul lists here for the Galatians. This Scripture is so rich that we could literally spend the next 25 days on it alone. However, I will spare you the verbose version and just cut right to the point. If you are living by the Spirit, then your life should be full of “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

One more thing, notice that the verses say the word ‘and’. Even though you can have some and not others at any given moment, the goal should be to have ALL of these. So, the question to ask yourself is “Does my life have any AND all of these?” “If someone who doesn’t know me well were to have a conversation with me, would they see these exhibited?”

Which of these are easiest for you? Is it joy or perhaps peace? Maybe its kindness. Whichever one it is, take a moment and thank God for it! And pray that He will help it to continue in your life…maybe in a bigger way.

Which one is the hardest for you? For me it’s either peace or self-control. My mind is always at work – it almost never takes a rest. And I’m a worrier. So, with the combination of those two things, it’s difficult for me to find true peace in my life. But, I also indulge too much…mostly with food and snacks. I don’t know when to say enough. Even when my acid reflux is kicking in, it’s not enough to make me stop. So, self-control is also a struggle. How about for you?

So, today pray that God will help you to have an honest evaluation of these nine fruits of the Spirit in your own life. Ask Him to shed light on the area(s) that you most need help in. Pray that you will have the strength and resolve to take care of your tree (you) so that the Spirit within you will bear fruit that this entire world will see. Finally, thank Him that his mercies are new everyday and those things you didn’t necessarily show today – thank Him that you will have another opportunity to bear them tomorrow.

DEVOTIONS - Day 5

Galatians 5:17 (New International Version)

17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.

Today’s Scripture is a poignant reminder that within each of us there is a conflict going on. As Consuela has heard it put, a battle between our Flesh Man and our Spirit Man. In all of us there are desires to do both things of this world as well as things that God would want us to do. The question then becomes, which one will win out?

The flesh would want us to do things of this world – i.e. sin. It would have us live in a way that satisfies our hunger for acceptance, pleasure, or instant gratification. Our flesh, as the Scripture tells us, is “contrary to the Spirit.” Merriam Webster would tell us that contrary means either ‘opposite’ or even ‘incompatible with.’ So, anything that is not in line with the Word of God and the truth that we know would come from the flesh.

On the other hand, the Spirit would urge us to do things that are consistent with God’s character and direction. When the Spirit wins the internal battle raging in each of us, we are more apt to do things such as serve and love others, have a giving heart, and live in constant joy no matter what we are facing. So, when the Spirit is leading us, our lives have more joy, love, and peace. Does that sound good to you?

The question that could be on your mind at this moment is “What decides which one wins the fight – the Flesh Man or the Spirit Man?” I submit to you that the one that wins out is the one that would win out if they were two boxers or two MMA fighters. It would be the one that has been fed with the right things the most. It’s really a simple equation. If you feed your Flesh Man more, he will win. If you feed your Spirit Man more, he will win.

For me, I get wrapped up in TV. More specifically, I love to watch sports. However, in watching sports, I must be careful that I don’t get too drawn in to the story lines about the cars the athletes drive or the homes they live in. Also, I must protect myself from paying too close attention to what the cheerleaders are wearing or what the beer commercial has in it. These are all things for me that I must be protected against. And I do that by making sure that I am feeding my Spirit Man as much as I possibly can and turning the TV off as often as possible.

What kinds of things are you taking in? What music are you listening to? What movies are you watching? What books are you reading? What internet sites are you looking at? What thoughts are you having? In other words, if you are listening to music that is full of cuss words and sexual references, then which ‘Man’ are you feeding? If you’re studying your Bible and listening to Christian music, which ‘Man’ is that feeding?

As you pray today, ask God to forgive you for not being more selective in what you watch, listen to, and think about. Ask Him to give you the strength to go against mainstream society and not be drawn into a culture that is overrun with sexual images and inappropriate media. Pray that you would be the example to everyone around you and that you would feed your Spirit far more than your flesh. Commit to God and yourself that you will do everything you can to help your Spirit Man beat the Flesh Man inside of you.

DEVOTION - Day 4

Galatians 4:7 (New International Version)
7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.


The Jewish people were slaves in a number of different ways. They were often times literal slaves in that their country was conquered and they were taken to be slaves in the country who defeated them in war. However, they were also slaves to the law that I referenced in yesterday’s blog. Paul seeks to outline their freedom from all of these rules in order to draw attention to the grace of God that doesn’t require anyone to follow rules to earn it.

But, he also takes it a step further and tells them that they are also God’s children. And because of this, they are also “heirs.” No this isn’t a misspelling of Pastor Todd’s last name. In fact it is telling them that they are part of the family of God. This means that they are entitled to everything that comes along with being family – love, support, protection, provision, etc.

For us today, this story speaks of freedom and the peace that comes with knowing we belong to a loving family. What is it in your life that you are a slave to? What area of your life are you needing freedom in? Where could you use a little “family” to encourage you or give you other necessities in your life?

I often times find myself a slave to certain things. For example, I frequently feel like a slave to my job. And, yes, I need a job. However, that doesn’t mean that I have to be there all the time sacrificing my family time in order to be successful. Maybe for you, you feel like a slave to temptation, or pornography, or food. Or, maybe you don’t have a family where you feel much of the things I list above.

Pray today that God will help you accept the freedom that He purchased for you on the cross. Ask that he assists you in breaking free from any bondage in your life so that you can be all that He has made you to be. Finally, pray that He will help you accept that no matter what family experience you’ve had in life that you are now an heir to the God of the universe and He will give you all the love, support, protection, and provision you need.

DEVOTION - Day 3

Galations 3:3 (New Living Translation)

3 How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?



Chapter 3 of Galatians is Paul’s admonition to the Galatian people about whether or not they should follow the law in order to be in God’s will and ultimately achieve salvation. This was a big question among the Jewish people who had lived their lives being taught that the law was the way to get right with God. For example, they believed that in order to make up for a sin that a person committed, they would have to sacrifice a certain type of animal depending on the type of sin.

However, we see a reversal in this theology here by Paul. He tells them clearly that obeying the law will not get them to heaven. In fact, this seems to be something that they already knew and lived by, which is why the questioning in the beginning of the chapter seems to be from someone (Paul) who is obviously frustrated by the situation.

Similarly, we know that we were not saved by anything that we did. Our actions did not save us. In fact, it was just simply believing that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord that saved us. But how many times do we second guess what we know in life to be true? For some of us, we have accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord yet we still try to do things to ‘earn’ our salvation.

The bigger question, in my opinion, is how many of us are trying to live by our own effort rather than completely relying on the Spirit to give us everything we need? If we believe that God is all we need, then why do we do things on our own without even consulting with God first? If we believe that the Spirit is our ‘helper’ as the Scripture says, then why don’t we rely on Him more to give us the strength, courage, guidance, protection that we need?

For me, since a young age, I’ve always had to do things “on my own.” I have always been a loner, not needing anyone to help me do anything. Or so I thought. I have a great confidence in my own abilities. But time and time again, I find myself in moments and situations that I’ve created and they are all messed up. So, rather than living “in the Spirit,” I create even bigger problems in my life by trying to do things on my own. Can you relate?

So, today, pray that God will help you cast off any “I can do it on my own” tendencies. Thank Him for the Holy Spirit and ask Him to fill you with the Spirit all the way to overflowing so that your life may be lived in His perfect will and so that it might be an example to others. Pray that any areas in your life that you are trying to live by your own human effort be brought to light and that, beginning now, you turn those over to Him to assist you with.

DEVOTION - Day 2

Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Here we see Paul giving us instructions, through his example, of how we should live as Christians.  It’s an amazing illustration of his view of what it means to say that you’re a follower of Christ and I believe we can gain a lot of insight about how we are to be in the midst of our everyday lives.  So, join me as we dissect this passage and search for the nuggets of truth.

The first thing that I see is that Paul tells us that he no longer lives, but that Christ lives in him.  To me, this means that when we choose to follow Christ, we need to give up certain things.  Basically, we are instructed that our own selfish desires should be given up and we should take on a life based on what God wants us to do. 

It is easy to get caught up in our own wants and lose sight of God’s bigger plan for our lives.  Often times we live in the now, wanting immediate gratification, and we make decisions without considering whether our actions are getting us closer to God’s will or satisfying some selfish part of us.  What is God asking you to crucify in your life allowing His light to shine through you?

The second thing I see in the Scripture is that Paul says he now lives by faith in the Son of God.  If the first part is the ‘what,’ then this is the ‘how.’  If we are to truly give up our own wants and allow God to use our lives in an authentic way, then we must TRUST that His will is what is best for us.

We do this when we “live by faith.”  According to Hebrews 11:1 faith is “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”  In other words, if we are living by faith then we can have peace knowing that God is at work in our lives in every situation (even though we may not see the activity).  Are you trusting God with your decisions, your desires, and your life?  Are you really living by faith?

We’ve now been through the ‘what’ and the ‘how.’  Now, Paul moves on to the ‘why.’  Why should we give up our own wants and dreams to pursue God’s will?  Why should we trust Him and live our lives by faith?  Paul tells us that we can and should do those things because He loved us and gave himself for us.

The more that struggles enter my life and the more that I seemed to be faced with tough situations, I find myself in need of this Scripture more and more.  As I try to navigate life and try to do things on my own, I find myself further from God and further from this example that Paul sets.  That’s why my devotion time is so important – because I read the truth of who God is and I learn about His character and come back into line with who He wants me to be.

 As we close out today’s devotion, pray that God will show you the way to crucify yourself and give up selfish desires.  Ask Him to increase your faith so that it truly does become a way of life and pray that you will trust him at a deeper level.  Finally, ask that He reminds you daily of His love and His sacrifice for you.  Feel free to leave a comment telling everyone how today’s devotion has touched your life.

DEVOTION - Day 1

Galations 1:10 (NIV)

 ¹⁰ Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Here we see the Apostle Paul writing a letter to the churches in Galatia.  In it, Paul is calling them out for so easily leaving the faith and turning their backs on God and the message that was preached to them.  One of the ways that they are turning their backs on God is by focusing on what others will think of them and trying to win their approval.

For far too many of us, we base our actions on what someone else may think of us.  As we consider things like what we will wear tomorrow all the way to where we’re going to attend college, we often place a high value on what someone else may think of our choice or action.  But, Paul tells us here that if we do that, we are not doing what God has directed us to do.

Today, I was having lunch with my boss from work and I knew that I needed to pray over my meal.  But I didn’t.  Why?  Because I thought it would feel awkward.  I didn’t know how he would react.  Instead, I acted in a way that I thought would “please” my boss rather than doing what I knew would honor God.

So, in what areas of your life are you trying to please people rather than God?  Who in your life are you trying to win the approval of?  What is God asking you to do that may go against the ‘norm’ and may not win the approval of those around you?

Pray to God today that He will give you the strength and the courage to stand out.  Commit yourself to living a life that, in all things, honors Him.  Remember, change is a process not an event – so be consistent in your devotion to Him and live your life according to His truth.