daily devotional

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Get up and do it … or don’t

Jesus was talking to a crowd when He went straight to the bottom line of what it would mean for anyone to follow Him:  “You’ll have to quit being so selfish.”

I imagine that He’s talking to quite a crowd of us today, too. I’ll not point fingers this morning, though, because this word hit the target when it hit my own heart.

Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?

There’s so much in this familiar passage, but I was stopped today by His first statement: Stop being so selfish.

Selfishness is the root of so many of our problems; it tarnishes our relationships and ruins our witness and discipleship. We want what we want, we have our “rights”, we need to express ourselves, fulfill what we were born to be …

But for the children of God, all of those things have changed. Christ asks His disciples to be expressing Him. Our purpose now is to achieve His mission. We were born (the second time) to be children of the Father, the image of Christ. 

Jesus’ statement is blunt: To be my disciple, you must turn from your selfish ways. How can we possibly hem and haw and try to dodge what He’s saying there? Every one of us knows exactly what He’s talking about. 

George MacDonald tells us how to be a disciple in very simple instructions. “Get up and do it,” he says. “Or don’t do it.”

I will tell you. Get up, and do something the Master tells you; so make yourself his disciple at once. Instead of asking yourself whether you believe or not, ask yourself whether you have this day done one thing because he said, Do it, or once abstained because he said, Do not do it. *

That’s a pretty simple, clear test.

Spirit, alert me when I’m going down selfish paths today.

. 

*from Creation in Christ

Scripture: Luke 9:23-25 (NLT)

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New and Improved New Year’s Resolutioning

Yes, I know the title of this post uses a word that is not a word. But that’s the only thing that came to me at 3:30 this morning, and you know how that goes — once a thing like this is stuck in your head, it’s … stuck. You can’t seem to clear it out to make room for new ideas. So we’ll just have to live with that title.

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, I am — to use a phrase from James — a double-minded woman. I tend to scoff just a bit at this yearly practice, knowing quite well what happens to most promises made just because the calendar says January 1.

And yet, precisely because the calendar says January 1, most of us do find ourselves thinking about new beginnings, a fresh start, and new hope.

So just as James’s double-minded person is blown to and fro like wind-driven waves of the sea, my own January 1 practices have been inconsistent and contradictory. In the past, I’ve sometimes said, “Nope, no resolutions. That’s useless.” But I have also sat down on New Year’s Day with six friends and written out my goals for the year. Then we tucked away our lists, read them again after 365 days, and reported on our progress. Now that’s accountability, right? Don’t be too impressed … items on my list have been “carried forward” for about three years now … 

So if you’re going to do this New Year’s Resolutioning thing, may I suggest a new and improved way? Actually, it’s not my idea. I’d only like to point you to Marc Kinna’s post on Letters of Truth and recommend that you write your own letter as he suggests, letting the Holy Spirit help you.

“Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.”
       — Jesus

I think this is the key to all we do. Our human efforts produce human results … and those often are not impressive or pretty. The wind of the Holy Spirit blowing through our lives, though, leads us into truth, produces fruit we might think impossible, and births life within us.

Try writing a Letter of Truth today. I did, after reading Marc’s post yesterday, and tomorrow I’ll share with you how the Spirit startled me. 

Blessings in your New Year.

*

Scripture: John 3:6 (NLT)

P.S. Thank you, Marc!

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Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged.

For I have chosen you
     and will not throw you away.
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
     Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
     I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

These are promises not only for contemplating a New Year, but also for every morning, every beginning, every step of your pilgrimage on this earth. Here is reassurance for times of uncertainty, strength for days of weariness, courage for moments of fear.

Your Father has chosen you and He will be with you through everything!

Isn’t that amazing?

And so, do not lose heart, no matter what obstacles loom on your horizon, because the LORD of the universe is with you. Your strength will come from Him. He will help you. When you know you are too weak, when you fear you are losing the battle, He will keep you going. When you think you struggle alone, His victorious right hand is working for you.

Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged. He always holds you, and His hand is always victorious!

*

Scripture: Isaiah 41:9-10 (NLT)

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Every Knee Will Bow

We sat at a table surrounded by stacks of boxes, shelves of books, and cartons of gifts. The Christian book store had graciously created a space in its warehouse for this meeting of a writer’s group.

I admit to being bored, and my eyes roamed around the big room, taking inventory. On a high shelf, one box advertised its contents with a large picture attached to one side:  Santa Claus.

There was no backdrop, no setting, nothing in the picture except a red-clad figure, bent in worship, hands clasped in prayer. The artist had captured a spirit of reverence, a soul kneeling before the King of kings.  The epitome of the world’s Christmas bowed down to the God of all creation.

No matter what the world thinks of God, He alone rules! No matter that many have turned Christmas into a mere “holiday”, someday every knee will bow to the Baby born in a stable. 

“… For there is no other God but me,
a righteous God and Savior.
   There is none but me.
Let all the world look to me for salvation!
    For I am God; there is no other.

Every knee will bend to me,
    and every tongue will confess allegiance to me.”  
             (Isaiah 45:21-23 NLT)

… that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
              (Philippians 2:10-11 NLT)

These days, when Santas dance in windows and perch on housetops and wave from snow-covered yards, the Spirit reminds me of that kneeling Santa and the Scripture’s promise:  Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess — There is only one God, and He is King! 

 Turn on your audio, and worship the Lord of all creation:

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It’s Always Christmas

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in the dark streets shineth
The everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight. *

 

In the dark streets of Bethlehem, a child comes into the world and brings the everlasting light. Immanuel. “God is with us.”

Albert Edward Day says, “God is present in reality no matter what unreality our practices and our ponderings imply.” **

And my youngest grandson, who just turned three, told me yesterday that “It’s always Christmas.”

God is here. Although every one of us has turned away from Him, has forgotten Him, and has looked to other gods, yet He has come. Come to save us and destroy our enemies. Come to heal us. Come to meet “the hopes and fears of all the years.”

He is here. The everlasting light shines in the dark streets of Bethlehem and of our world today. You and I may forget that He is here, but He does not abandon us. He waits for us to seek Him so that He can heal us and meet all our hopes and fears.

So the Lord must wait for you to come to him
     so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the Lord is a faithful God.
    Blessed are those who wait for his help.

Remember, and come to Him.

Immanuel. It’s always Christmas

*

Scripture: Isaiah 30:18 (NLT)
* “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, Phillips Brooks
** The Captivating Presence, by Albert Edward Day