Daily Devotional for May 16, 2013

May 16 ~ Ephesians 4:1-3
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
 
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
 
A wonderful Christian friend of mine shared a video on Facebook from Upworthy.com* about how we look at adulthood… and the choices we make.  A lot of what seems boring or mundane to us has to do with how we choose to see things. We can look at a long grocery check-out line as an aggravation and inconvenience… or a chance to pray.  We can be irritated by the lady ahead of us with two kids tugging on her who is in a discussion with the cashier over a grocery coupon… or see her as a busy working mother who is struggling to make ends meet and really needs that extra $1 off her bill. We can see the oversized cars in the traffic lanes as road hogs… or we can recognize that this may be a vehicle that young parents chose because of its sturdiness and safety factors for hauling their little ones back and forth to daycare and other destinations.
 
And so it is with those who try our patience.  We can choose to see their faults and flaws and the things about them that drive us nuts… or we can try to see what God sees… another of His creations…someone who is just as precious and has just as much potential – and is just as flawed - in His eyes as you and I.  We can be humble and gentle and recognize that every person has a story… there is a heartache on every pew (as my pastor often says) – and in every grocery line and traffic lane.  We can recognize that we do not corner the market on God’s love… or on His patience.  We can do better at making an effort to stay united in the Spirit and operating from a place of peace.
 
If we are truly born-again, Spirit-filled Christians, we must choose to operate more from the place in our hearts where the Holy Spirit resides and less from our human desires.  We must call on the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts, actions… and choices… and to grant us an extra-hefty dose of patience in many instances.  And He will do this… and the shift in our attitude will be palpable and fully obvious… in our own daily living – and in the lives of those around us.
 
What do you say?  Are you leading a life worthy of your calling by God?  Are you seeing even the most trivial and seemingly insignificant moments as opportunities to exercise humility, gentleness, and patience… a chance to choose peace over stress, strife, or even momentary irritation?  Isn’t it time we shifted our attitude in this area and began to choose according to the Holy Spirit?  Are you ready to answer the call?
 
©2013 Debbie Robus
 
*http://www.upworthy.com/the-earth-shatteringly-amazing-speech-that-ll-change-the-way-you-think-about-adulthood-4?g=4