Tag Archives: christian living

March 30, 2022 · 5:57 AM

The Heart Of A Servant

God put something inside of us that makes us feel good when we’re treated as an important person. Have you ever been the guest of honor before? Or been the most important person in the room? Or treated like royalty when you’ve visited somewhere? When something like that happens, we often say, “I could get used to this!” It’s a natural response to feel that way. What isn’t natural is to be in a moment or place like that, then excuse yourself from being the center of attention to plunging toilets. Most of us would ask someone else to do it so we wouldn’t mess up our clothes or stop the doting on us. However, that’s the example Jesus gave us to follow.

On the night before the Passover, which was a foreshadowing of what Jesus was about to do, He and the disciples were having dinner. John 13:3 says, “Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God” (NLT). He had all authority in the universe in this moment. He knew He was heading back home, yet He noticed no one had washed their feet as was the custom. Instead of telling someone to call a servant or instead of asking a disciple to wash the feet, He did it. Verses 4-5 say, “So He got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel He had around him.”

Doug Stringer, a ministry friend at Somebody Cares, says, “While men reach for thrones to build their own kingdom, Jesus reached for a towel to wash men’s feet.” When Jesus reached the moment His whole life had been pointing to, and had been given all authority, He showed us what to reach for. He denied the pride that lives within all of us and reached for the towel of humility. He served those He was about to die for, including Judas. The example Jesus gives is what He said over and over. If you want to be great in His kingdom, you must reach for a towel and serve. While it feels good to be the center of attention, and to have our ego stroked, it’s eternally better to have the heart of a servant.

Photo by Danique Tersmette on Unsplash

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March 28, 2022 · 5:40 AM

The Comparison Trap

Comparing ourselves to one another is something we all do. It’s especially dangerous when we do it as Christians though. We say, “Ifi didn’t have to go through the things I went through, I would be as close to God as they are.if I had their kind of time, I would pray more. If I had their kind of money, I would give extravagantly.” The list goes on, but the comparison trap begins with the word “if”. It’s the biggest little word out there. When we use it to compare ourselves, what we’re really doing is creating an excuse for not doing something we should be doing now.

When we find ourselves falling into this trap, it’s important to ask ourselves some questions to keep ourselves in check. We need to ask, “What’s my motivation for saying that? What’s driving this statement? What am I doing in this area right now with what I have?” In most cases, were not really doing much in that area, if anything at all. We’re delaying following a spiritual discipline we don’t care to follow, by comparing ourselves to others who only do it because they have what we don’t. The problem is that Jesus said in Luke 16:10, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones” (NLT).

There’s a reason why God said in Zachariah 4:10, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” If you don’t do it when you have a little, you won’t do it when you have a lot. It’s when we’re faithful in the small beginnings that God will know we will be faithful in larger things. So whatever comparison trap you find yourself in, break the lie by calling it out. Then start doing whatever it is with what you have right now. You will stop the excuse making and turn on the fountain of blessings from God by following what He asks you to do.

Photo by Maine Photography on Unsplash

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March 24, 2022 · 5:30 AM

Greater Things Ahead

Have you ever looked at someone and thought, “Man, they have it all. I wish I had their…”? So many times we look at what people have and identify with the end result without stopping to think about what they went through to get there. We want the reward without the work or the struggle. There’s a saying, “The greatest overnight successes were twenty years in the making.” Most of us face our battles and struggles in obscurity. Others don’t see that part of our story. They see us years later after we’ve endured and are enjoying the fruits of our labor. What we forget is that without the struggle, there is no success.

God wanted to promote David from shepherd boy to king, but he wasn’t ready. David faced years of struggles between being anointed king and taking the throne. He was chased by the current king. There were people he knew that betrayed him. He lived in a cave in an inhospitable desert. He fought several battles with very little rest. He had a lot of struggles because God uses them to prepare us for our future. We can choose to complain about the things we face or we can lay them at the feet of Jesus and push through them knowing there is something more ahead.

In Psalm 55:22 David wrote, “So here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Leave all your cares and anxieties at the feet of the Lord, and measureless grace will strengthen you” (TPT). Our struggles are meant to strengthen our faith in God so we are prepared for what’s next. We can either get lost in the pain, bitter in the disappointment or we can find strength to keep going by giving it to God knowing He’s with us through each battle. The greater things God has for you, the greater the struggle you will go through, The great news is you’re not alone and you don’t have to do it in your strength. Lay down your worries and trust that God is at work and in control.

Photo by Tim Bogdanov on Unsplash

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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March 23, 2022 · 5:41 AM

Distracted Lives

We live in the age of the distracted driver. Because I’m a nosy person, and I’ve spent a lot of time in traffic, I’ve seen a lot of distracted people. I’ve seen someone reading a book while driving on a highway. I’ve also seen a lady applying mascara while traveling at least 70 mph. It seems theres a new video or story each week of Tesla drivers who are asleep while the car drives. Most of us are guilty of eating while driving, and there’s probably just as many who are on their phones while cruising at a high rate of speed. These distractions take our eyes off the road, and often causes us to veer out of our lane, which is very dangerous.

The Bible is full of people just like that, except they weren’t driving. They were living their life with the right intentions, but got distracted from the truth. Adam and Eve kicked off the human race by turning their eyes from God to the forbidden fruit. David was supposed to be on the war path, but ended up getting distracted on his balcony. Judas followed Jesus wherever He went, but got distracted by greed. Temptation happened to all of them, just like it does for us. It’s goal is to get us to take our eyes off of where we’re headed so that we will veer. Once we start veering, the road can get pretty rough and bumpy.

Solomon, who also got distracted, gave us this advice in Proverbs 4:26. He said, “Watch where you’re going! Stick to the path of truth, and the road will be safe and smooth before you” (TPT). It’s important for us to keep our eyes on Jesus each day. Temptation is lurking at every corner trying to get us to leave the path God set out for us. Like Jesus, we need to know the Word of God so we can use the truth of it to combat the lies. We can’t afford to live distracted lives. Commit each day to following the paths of truth. When you find yourself getting distracted, and notice the road is getting bumpy, refocus your attention on the One who laid out a path before you. There’s no better way to get back on that path than seeking forgiveness and repenting. Look to Jesus and live distraction free.

Photo by Cristofer Maximilian on Unsplash

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March 21, 2022 · 5:44 AM

Jesus’ Gate Keepers

If you’ve ever done cold calling, you know how tough it can be. Whenever you call a business to try to get an appointment to pitch your product, the person who answers the phone is the gate keeper. They stand between you and the decision maker. Their job is to make sure only relevant people get through to the decision maker so that their time isn’t wasted. Some gate keepers are easy to bypass. You just need you to be nice to them in order to get through. Some are more difficult than others. No matter which method you use to try to get through them, they won’t let you pass.

In Matthew 19, Jesus’ ministry was in full swing. People knew who He was wherever He went. Little old ladies would try to press through the crowd to touch His garment. The sick would line up for hours in hopes that He would heal them. Religious leaders would come to see Him to try to discredit Him. In verse 13, a group of parents tried to bring their kids to Him, but the disciples denied them. They were His gate keepers and wanted to make sure only relevant people got close to Him. Kids, blind guys outside cities and other outcasts were not on their list. However, in this situation, and the others, Jesus would say, “I want little children to come to me, so never interfere with them when they want to come, for heaven’s kingdom realm is composed of beloved ones like these!” (TPT)

In today’s world, somehow you and I have taken on the responsibility of being His gate keepers. We’ve decided in our minds who’s worthy of His grace and who isn’t. We can be willing to let some people know about Jesus, but we don’t want to show His love to others because of how we feel about them. However, we need to remember 2 Peter 3:9 that reminds us, “This means that, contrary to man’s perspective, the Lord is not late with his promise to return, as some measure lateness. But rather, his “delay” simply reveals his loving patience toward you, because he does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance.” God doesn’t want anyone to perish. That means you and I need to open the gates and let everyone through to Him. Even the people you don’t think deserve forgiveness.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

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March 17, 2022 · 5:30 AM

Fighting Peer Pressure

I was in a meeting when a group of coworkers decided to go downtown for dinner and to check out the night life despite being told by our supervisors not to. They were asking one guy to go with them and he said, “I don’t like to be out late. I’m a bear when I don’t get my sleep.” They continued to pressure him until finally he agreed. They all cheered and he smiled sheepishly. The group then turned to me and said, “Let’s go! Are you in?” Matter of factly I said, “No.” The leader of the group said, “Well, that was definitive.” He turned to the group and asked what time everyone wanted to leave.

Peer pressure isn’t only something that kids face. We as adults are exposed to it almost daily. Most of it is harmless, but there are those moments when it’s trying to get you to sin. I’ve learned that disobedience likes company. It’s a way of justifying your desires that are counter productive to what God wants you to do. If more people are doing it, then it’s the popular opinion and we must be misinterpreting God. That kind of peer pressure is what got Adam and Eve to sin.

Proverbs 1:10 says, “When peer pressure compels you to go with the crowd and sinners invite you to join in, you must simply say, ‘No!’” (TPT) If you haven’t decided before a situation arises how you are going act or what you’re going to say, it becomes increasingly difficult to respond the right way. We need to purpose in our hearts to say, “No” when temptation comes. We must be firm and have a desire to please God more than man. Remember that peer pressure only works when they think you can be influenced to go along with the crowd. Ask God today to help you stand firm in the areas where you normally give in.

Photo by Vishnu Prajapati on Unsplash

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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March 16, 2022 · 5:26 AM

Power In Praise

There’s a worship song out that says, “This is how I fight my battles. It may look like I’m surrounded, but I’m surrounded by you.” I love that song because it’s a great reminder of the power of praise. It also reminds me of a time when I was in high school and I came under a spiritual attack that presented itself in a very physical way. A guy I knew attacked me in my home. One of my parent’s friends was there at the house and walked in at just the right moment. She told me to go collect myself. I went to the bathroom and began to praise because I recognized what was happening. When I came out, I was ready for battle, but God had already delivered me from the situation.

The story was similar in 2 Chronicles 20. A massive army came out against Israel. They prayed and fasted Seeking God’s help. They still had to go to battle, but they understood that the battle belonged to the Lord. On the way, the king consulted the people and they decided to send singers out in front of the army who were worshiping God. Verse 22 says that the moment they began to praise, the other army started fight among themselves and killed each other until no one was left. It took Israel 3 full days to gather the plunder left behind by the army. The Israelites were so grateful to God for the victory, they named the place “The Valley of Blessing”.

Verse 26 says, “On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Blessing, which got its name that day because the people praised and thanked the Lord there. It is still called the Valley of Blessing today” (NLT). If you’re in a valley facing defeat, spend time praising God. Not only does it invite His presence into your situation, it gets your focus on Him rather than your problem. Praise is a powerful weapon that we must learn to use in our darkest moments. People all throughout the Bible used it (Joshua at Jericho, Paul and Silas in prison, etc), we should be too. You may not feel like praising God in your current situation, but that’s precisely when you need to. There’s power in praise.

Photo by Nico Smit on Unsplash

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March 15, 2022 · 5:48 AM

Learning From Seasons

I remember seeing Time Life commercials when I was growing up. One of them was for music from the 60’s. They would list all the songs that this package came with. Every so often they would pause on a hit and let it play. One of those belonged to The Byrds. The song was “Turn! Turn! Turn!” The first time I heard it, I recognized immediately where it came from. Ecclesiastes. I can still hear that song playing in my mind. I didn’t understand then why it was such a big hit, but after studying history, it’s clear it resonated with people because it let them know that the war wasn’t going to last forever. The season would come to an end, and a new season would begin.

Job is someone who went through a difficult season. He went from a season of plenty to a season of loss and pain instantly. He responded by worshiping. He didn’t allow the changing seasons to affect how He viewed God. He understood that God allowed seasons to change and didn’t need his permission to do it. When his season lasted a long time, there was a temptation to curse God rather than to bless Him. It’s the same temptation we all face in difficult seasons. When we can’t see the bigger picture of what God is doing, and when we forget there is a season for everything, including loss, it’s easy to give in to that temptation. However, we must remain faithful, trusting in God’s plan even when we can’t see how He can turn it around for our good.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us, “There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven” (AMP). Solomon had seen it all and understood it better than anyone when he wrote this. God has a purpose and a time for every season of your life. Just a quickly as you entered this season, you can enter another one. Whether your in a season of planting or reaping, bless God. If you’re in a season of tearing down or building up, worship. Seasons aren’t permanent, but your worship is. Faith is trusting God even when you don’t understand or like the season you’re in. Trust in His all sufficient grace that is our strength when we’re weak, and use the season you’re in to grow closer to Him.

Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash

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March 14, 2022 · 5:09 AM

Feeding 5,000

If you haven’t watched “The Chosen” yet, let me encourage you to do so. To me, it is the best written, best acted and best directed Christian show I’ve ever seen. The director is Dallas Jenkins who had been in Hollywood, where you’re only as good as your last movie. He was paid to direct a film that would bring Christians to the box office in 2017, but it bombed at the theater. He was pretty much run out of Hollywood. However, one fan sent him a message that changed how he thought about the failure. The person said, “Remember, it’s not your job to feed the 5,000. It’s only to provide the loaves and fish.” All he, and we, have to do is make the best bread and be the best fisher of fish we can be. It’s up to God to do the heavy lifting.

If you remember, in Matthew 14, Jesus was mourning the loss of his cousin John the Baptist, but people found Him. Word got out and people lined up to bring anyone who needed healing. After healing them all day, the disciples asked Jesus to send the people away so they could eat. But Jesus replied that they didn’t need to leave and told the disciples to give them something to eat. They replied, “But all we have is five barley loaves and two fish” (TPT). In verse 18, Jesus simply said, “Let me have them.” When they did, He blessed what they gave Him, broke it and gave it back to them to hand out.

We often look at the giant task in front of us and go to God in a panic telling Him what to do the way the disciples did. However, His response to us is the same. What do you have that He can use? It might look insignificant up against the problem, but it’s not your job to solve it. You need to offer Him what’s in your ability and hands. Let Him bless it, break it if necessary and give it back to you to give. When we do our part, He does His. When we act in faith, He moves mountains. It’s not just about His ability. It’s about your willingness to give Him what you have as well. Our act of faith in our weakest moments can produce the greatest results. When we’re at the end of our ability, we find the beginning of His.

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

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March 10, 2022 · 5:30 AM

A Grateful Heart

As we were headed somewhere, my son, who was in the backseat, out of the blue asks, “Dada, who is your favorite leper?” I said, “You know, I haven’t given it that much thought. Who is yours?” He replied, “The one who praised God and went back to thank Jesus.” Then he asked, “Why didn’t the other nine who were healed go back and to thank Jesus for healing them?” I replied, “That’s the same question Jesus had, but we weren’t given the answer to.” He thought for a second then said, “We should always thank God when He answers prayers.”

He’s right, but many times, we forget. For many of us, what is urgent right now is what gets all of our energy and attention. Once it’s taken care of, we move to the next most urgent thing. For those 10 lepers, the most urgent thing was to be healed before the leprosy claimed their lives. Because it was considered “unclean” and contagious, the people who had it were cut off from family, friends and society. It was a lonely disease where everyone avoided you. So once these people got Jesus’ attention and their healing, they were ready to rejoin their families. Only one felt his most urgent need was to go back and give thanks.

Luke 17:15 says, “One of them, a foreigner from Samaria, when he discovered that he was completely healed, turned back to find Jesus, shouting out joyous praises and glorifying God” (TPT). The Bible records many healings Jesus performed, but this story records someone giving thanks for their answered prayer. Gratitude is a godly quality we could all get better at. When we look back at our life, we can see many times God has answered our prayers. Can we also see moments of gratitude like this leper’s? Take time today to thank God for all He’s done for you. You’ll find that the more you grateful you are, the more you’ll have to be grateful for.

Photo by Xan Griffin on Unsplash

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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