More Alike than Different

Ephesians 4:1-3—I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

We live in a culture that celebrates individuality in ways that point out differences and separate us one from another.  When we are very young, it can be easy to buy into the myth that if we just work hard enough, we can do it all ourselves.  We can accomplish anything if we just work hard enough and pull up on our bootstraps enough.  The reality, though, is that we are all connected.  Our spirits inhabit our earthly bodies for only a finite period of time, and we have specific and unique purposes while here on Earth.  As followers of Christ, we are called to unify and focus on our similarities to build mutual respect for our differences.  Because it is true that we are each uniquely and wonderfully made.  But we share in common that God loves each one of us.  We share in common that we are all sinners.  And we share in common that we are all forgiven.  The same way that God is patient with us, we must be patient with others.  Seeking peace and loving wholly and vulnerably we grow in Christ.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as the God of peace.  Prayerfully consider your heart and spirit and challenge yourself to set aside any differences, any walls, that are distancing you from others in your life.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would fill you up with love and peace so that you might overcome adversity and bond with your fellow man.  Live humbly and gently with others so that Jesus’ light radiates from your spirit.

What's the Plan?

Jeremiah 29:11—For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.

There is no doubt that God created us individually and with loving care.  He knows us by name, and He knows everything about us, even down to the number of hairs on our head.  He loves us!  So there is no way that He would plot evil against us. There is no way that He would plan ill for us.  He has plans for us, and they are for our welfare.  We have a future in Him.  Now, He never promised an easy road because (let’s be honest) the easy way is not usually going to grow you into your future.  At best, it might help you tread water and maintain the status quo of your life.  But it won’t grow you.  Growth is painful.  Sometimes, adversity will fall upon us. That is part of the human experience.  But what God promises is to use ALL things for good.  He doesn’t rain down adversity – adversity exists, it happens, on Earth.  God simply takes that negative and uses it for good.  He takes that loss and fills it up with something better than we could have imagined.  He takes our worries and provides.  He takes our anxieties and calms our spirits.  He takes our hurts and eases them.  We need only open our hearts and minds to see Him at work in every moment of every day.  It is not ours to understand every detail of His plan – we need only trust that He sees differently than we do, and everything is working for good.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His perfect plan for your life.  Thank Him for the His infinite power to take all things and work them for good.  Praise Him for the blessing of growth in the Holy Spirit.  Cry out to Him with your pain, your fears, your worries, and your angst.  Ask Him to comfort you, welcome Him as your provider, and pray that He would open your heart to see the work of the Holy Spirit.  

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Matthew 5:4—Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Mourning is the natural human reaction to loss, particularly to the permanent loss caused by death.  The human spirit cannot help but feel the physical loss when someone is no longer there.  We need time to adjust to the absence of that physical presence.  As Christians, we also have a great comfort in the Holy Spirit who sweeps in to fill some of those gaps.  We have hope in knowing that our spirits are immortal and part of something ever so much greater than what we know of this Earth.  We have peace in that God will never place on us a burden bigger than we can carry.  We know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that no matter how difficult, how sad, or how challenging a circumstance, God will use all things for good.  His grand design, His purpose, is greater than any one person, yet He cares intimately for each and every person.  Our individual journeys are as important as the whole. And we can take great comfort in trusting God to be in control.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as your comforter. Consider all those who are suffering loss around you, from those in your own church families to those in Baltimore, to those in Nepal.  Our fellow man endures great suffering, yet God is providing great comfort to all those who mourn. Pray that the Holy Spirit would make His presence known and that he would envelop the mourning in His loving grace.

Spiritual GPS

Luke 19:10—For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.

There is great comfort in knowing where you are going.  In our technologically advanced age, just about everyone has access to electronic GPS services.  As long as you are within range of a signal, you can figure out where you are and where you are going.  Gone are the days of flipping through a road atlas to find your way—now, you can just plug in an address and Siri will guide your way.  Just like we trust Siri to show us the way, we can trust God to show us the way.  He sent us His Son to seek us out because we are all lost.  And He wants to save us, to show us how to reconnect with the Holy Spirit.  Sometimes in life, we might feel like we know where we are going spiritually.  We might not feel lost at all, even.  Maybe it’s because we have life experiences that have taught us great lessons.  Or maybe we feel like we are spiritually aware.  But the truth is, the minute we start trusting in ourselves instead of God, we get lost again.  We can spend a lifetime driving around in circles, or we can let go of control and fall into Jesus’ saving arms.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for the gift of salvation.  Thank Him for wanting to save not only you, but every lost soul. Pray that you would feel the Holy Spirit come alive in you and ask God to save your spirit.  

The Gift of Joy

Psalm 126:5—May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.

Faith in the Lord gives us the great gift of contentment and stability in a chaotic and fluctuating world.  There are no guarantees that life will be easy or that you will avoid hardship.  Just take a look at every major Biblical figure – not a one escaped adversity!  What we are guaranteed is the fruit of the spirit, including joy.  Certainly there are times when we will feel sadness, loss, tragedy, anxiety, and a host of other negative emotions.  But when we have faith, we understand that God is always in control even when the world seems to be spinning out of control.  We can find peace in His perfection and joy in the harmony of the universe. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for the gift of joy.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would fill you up and overflow you with the fruit of the spirit. Notice the joyous song of nature all around you, and thank God for His Perfect Plan in your life.

A Kingdom of Love

Luke 17:21—Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is within you.”

The Holy Spirit has breathed life into each and every human being, and His Holy Spirit dwells both among us and within us. God is love, so it stands to reason that His kingdom is love.  When His kingdom comes, it will not be hailed with gold and treasures, for the treasures of God are far more spiritual.  We have the ability to welcome in the kingdom of God every day when we choose to live by Jesus’ example.  When we choose to love and forgive instead of hating and judging.  When we love others, the kingdom of God comes alive.  When we forgive others, the kingdom of God comes alive.  The only power that can overcome evil is love because love is the only thing evil does not have.  So, if we want to see the kingdom of God, all we have to do is open our hearts and minds to love and forgiveness.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His unending love and mercy.  Consider your heart and release any negative feelings and resentments you’ve been holding onto.  Pray that you find the ability to forgive others who have hurt you, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in living love toward others.  Pray that God’s light would shine forth in you and through you so that others might see the kingdom of God, too.

To Give, To Believe

Luke 21:1:4—He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.

This passage always puts a mirror up for me to evaluate where in my life I am holding back.  It is so easy to give out of our abundance – whether that abundance is time, money, hospitality, or something else.  It is much harder, however, to give sacrificially.  Have you ever truly put another’s needs above your own?  Have you ever done something for another person that put you at a disadvantage?  There is something wildly liberating about putting another’s needs above our own.  It forces us to confront our fears about not having enough, it forces us to give up control, and most importantly it forces us to have faith in God.  It’s easy to say that we know God provides, but it is quite another to really trust that and behave as if we really believe it.  The truth is, no one is really in control of anything in our lives—control is an illusion we have come to believe is reality.  When we push ourselves, when we stop holding back and we help our fellow man, we live out our faith.  And God does provide.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as your Provider.  Consider those areas of your life where you may be holding back, where you could give more.  Pray that you would live into your faith every moment of every day. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into opportunities to give sacrificially, just as the poor widow. 

It Takes God Power to Love Your Enemy

Matthew 5:44-45—But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

One of the hardest things to do is show compassion and love toward someone who is not being nice to us.  Our emotions get in the way and we focus on how terrible that person has made us feel.  Those negative emotions seem to take over and shadow out the love that God has placed in our souls.  We must be diligent about protecting and growing that gift of love.  Love is an action, it is a choice.  It is not often an easy choice, but it is a choice nevertheless.  We must keep in mind that God created all of us, and he sent His Son to die for all of us, and that He loves all of us – even those who don’t hear, see, or believe in Him.  It is not our job to declare who is a child of God or who is getting into Heaven – Jesus said He came to save us all, and He asked His Father to forgive us all.  Even Jesus reserved passing judgment by saying only His Father in heaven could do that. He chose to love, and He left us such a perfect example of how to love.  Perhaps the only way for some people to see God is when we love despite our own instinct to run away and hide.  This gift of love, it’s not meant to be hidden, it cannot be extinguished – but it must be nurtured so that it may grow and shine out.  After all, it is easy to love someone who loves you back – it takes God-power to love your enemy.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as the God of Love.  Thank Him for filling you with His Holy Spirit and His perfect love.  Pray that you would be a worthy vessel to shine His Love into this world.  Pray that He would guide you in choosing to love those who hurt you.  Ask Him for strength and wisdom as you nurture His gift of love.

Good Friday, Good God

Hebrews 12:3-4—Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

We call today Good Friday, which seems somewhat paradoxical since today is the day we observe the crucifixion death of Jesus Christ.  Death by crucifixion is one of the most painful and tortuous ways a person can be put to death.  To make matters worse, Jesus was an innocent man who was put to death.  He was even eligible for a pardon, and the people cried out against Him – the very people who cheered for Him just days earlier.  To me, one of the most amazing attributes of God is that He asks nothing of us that He is not willing to endure Himself.  He did not have to come to Earth at all.  When He came, He did not have to fight for us.  He did not have to die for us.  He gave up Himself for us, a people who consistently failed to see Him for all He truly was and is.  He died to save people who refused to believe in Him.  He died to save mercurial people who wavered in their devotion to Him.  He died to save people who turned their back on Him.  When we see what He was willing to do for us, we know that there is nothing in our lives that He can’t understand.  He has literally walked in our shoes.  He has endured what we endure, under far worse circumstances even.  So, how can we ever lose heart? How can we ever grow weary?  Looking to Him, we can renew our spirits, revive our bodies, and persevere.  That is what makes today Good Friday.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His Love, Mercy, and Devotion.  Pray for His Holy Spirit to fill you with strength and courage to persevere.  Worship God for the enduring sacrifice He made to connect with us, His Creation.  Thank Him for continual strength and renewal of spirit.

Be More than the Person Everybody Thought You Were

Matthew 14:54-58—He came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?” And they took offense to him.  But Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor except in their own country and in their own house.” And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.

Do you ever feel like living life is more about overcoming the expectations others have of you than really living into God’s purpose for you? One of my favorite songs begins with these lyrics: “I tried to so hard to be the person everybody thought I was/I pushed myself, and everyone, almost over the edge.”  So often, we confuse the voices of our family and friends for God’s voice and leadership.  Of course, that is not to say that God never speaks through family and friends, but often, our family and friends are far more limited in how they see us and what they expect of us.  God has a great plan in store—we only need courage to trust His infinite wisdom.  Jesus went through essentially the same thing during His time here on Earth—in fact, the main purpose of Him coming to Earth was to experience life as a human with all the same challenges, fears, and emotions we all do while at the same time preserving His deity.  In this passage, we see that Jesus, too, came from a community with expectations, and those expectations shaped the work He did there.  Like Jesus, we sometimes must heed the call to leave our homes so that we can do God’s work.  Sometimes, we must leave the comfort of what we know to fulfill our great purpose. Perhaps the very challenge of the change is what prepares us for the challenges of new experiences.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His steadfastness in the midst of a chaotic world.  Pray for wisdom and insight as He prepares you for the continual changes life presents.  Open your heart to His call and prepare yourself as a vessel of His Will.  Ask God to lead you in making every moment, even the most challenging ones, count.

Clean the Inside First

Matthew 23:26—You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.

On the Tuesday of Holy Week, the Bible records Jesus’ rebuke to the Pharisees.  The Pharisees were religious leaders of the time who hid behind the law as a shield.  They persecuted those who they perceived as unrighteous or less holy than they were.  During Holy Week, Jesus called them out as hypocrites.  You see, the Pharisees pretended to be perfect, holy, and righteous on the outside.  But inside, their hearts were hard, they were uncompassionate, and they did not protect and defend the oppressed.  This day and age, I see so much behavior that reminds me of the Pharisees.  You know the person who is quick to condemn another without taking a moment to help or lift up?  Perhaps we are all prone to a little bit of that kind of judgment, but when we work on the inside, when our heart is right and full of love for others, then our outside actions fall in line.  We don’t need to follow a bunch of rules that get in the way of relationship – we need to build relationships, and then our behavior will comport with the rules we have been taught for how to treat one another.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, prayerfully consider your heart.  Praise God for His Compassion and Mercy.  Pray that He would fill your spirit with compassion and mercy toward others.  Ask Him to guide you in loving others the way they need to experience love.  Offer yourself as a vessel to be used for His Purposes, that the world might see His Light in you.