Ephesians 5:20
Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Imagine that someone threw you a lavish party. You’d be grateful and thank them afterward…right? But what if you knew that the person who hosted the party truly did little more than write checks to cover the party venue, catering, gifts, and whatever else was provided? What if all he/she had to do was dress up and show up…and greet you and your guests? Of course you would still thank this person and be grateful for his/her wonderful hospitality and generosity. But there would be “behind-the-scenes” individuals and groups who deserved acknowledgment, too!
Quite often, I see posts on Facebook with photos of amazingly-decorated party cakes, or beautiful family portraits…or even a wonderful party or event – and the person who posted will say, “Thank you to So-and-So for the great cake/photos/effort of some sort.” These people acknowledged those who worked in the background. They understood that they could not have accomplished such things on their own. They needed the expertise and care of someone else to make it happen. In a nutshell…they gave credit where credit was due!
So often, we fail to give Jesus the credit for what is happening in our lives. Oh, we are right there to gripe and complain to Him when things go wrong. But when life is rolling along pretty well, we “zone out” and tend to forget Who is really “driving the car” or “preparing for the party”. And many times, if we DO acknowledge our blessings…we actually take most of the credit for them. “I worked so hard!” or “I had such a good day on the court or field…at work…at school…on a date or outing with friends.” We fail to recognize WHO did all of the work in the background to power our “good day or event”!
Every minute, Jesus is working in the background to affect your life and the activities that embody it. He is orchestrating the good things, “troubleshooting” the “bad” ones, and propelling you forward through it all. As much as we need to be grateful for His presence in our lives…we also need to be sure that we give Him the credit and glory. Pretty much all we do in life is show up…Jesus does the rest. Don’t you think it’s time you acknowledged His efforts?
©2014 Debbie Robus
John 3:23-30
At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism. (This was before John was thrown into prison.) A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing. So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.”
John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
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.
All teachers know that Halloween is a turning point in the fall semester, particularly for little ones. Once the kids get their Halloween “sugar high,” it’s pretty much “Katy bar the door” until Christmas! So when my niece told me that Timothy’s teachers had declared him to be “rowdy” on November 1st, I can’t say I was surprised. I told her that my experience had proven that there would be lots of “rowdiness” between now and Christmas… and she said Timothy’s teachers had pretty much said the same thing.
This explanation doesn’t excuse “rowdy” behavior in young children… and they must accept responsibility for their actions. So when Timothy told us on Sunday, “I didn’t get to come to your house after Halloween,” I reminded him that it was because he had misbehaved… that in order to visit us overnight on Saturday, he must be good at school – and at home – during the week. That’s a tall order for a four-year-old. But he can do it. And at some point, we must hold him more accountable for his actions and intervene on his behalf less and less. Even now, as he learns in Sunday school that God created everything… that God wants us to do our very best…that God will help us with our challenges… we must allow Him to lean more on God and less on us for these things.
Learning to let go – even of your child’s spiritual journey - is a hard “parenting” lesson. It’s even harder for us sometimes as we become adults. We often have trouble recognizing Who is really in charge. We want to do things ourselves… our way…and to receive credit for our independence. So we find it hard to admit that God is in charge… that while we are allowed to handle things somewhat on our own at times, the end result came from Him – by His hand, not our own.
By the same token, we must accept responsibility for our actions and not try to blame God. Rather, we must learn to rely on Him. Just as young children must learn to develop a trust in God… to listen to Him and follow His lead… to acknowledge right from wrong and strive to do what He desires… we must do the same. And we must lead by example…not because we are wonderful, strong and mighty… but because we are made so by God’s great sacrifice – His love, grace and mercy over us.
It’s not about us… it’s about Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. It’s about God and the love He has for us that is so great that He was willing to sacrifice His only Son for our sins. It’s about the privilege of serving Him… of allowing God to use us to reach others in His name… and giving Him all of the glory and credit. We are very much still the rowdy child who has lessons to learn... but it’s high time we grew up a bit and started comprehending what we have been taught!
Where are you in this journey? Are you taking credit for the things that God has done in and through you? Are you showing the proper respect for your position in life… or do you think more highly of yourself than you ought? Are you trying to be the bridegroom instead of the best man? Do you need to acknowledge your “rowdiness” and make an effort to behave better? Isn’t it time you got started?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Matthew 6:1
“Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding.”
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.
On August 21, 2013, a New York City cab jumped the sidewalk and plowed into a cyclist, then hit British tourist Siân Green and severed her leg. People in the area sprang into action, including a plumber named David Justino, who removed his belt and applied it to the leg as a tourniquet. Max Crespo, a food vendor brought ice and packed the severed limb, and an unnamed nurse guided all of the life-saving efforts. The story gained national attention when celebrity physician Mehmet Oz emerged from his office across the street to offer his assistance. If you GOOGLE this story, you will see that several of the heroes in this story are named… Justino and Crespo are among them. Of course, onlookers readily recognized Dr. Oz. The nurse did not give her name, and I am not sure whether she has ever come forth. As I write this devotional, there is an ad running on television for an upcoming Dr. Oz Show episode that will feature Siân Green and some of her “heroes”.
There are countless events in our world every day where people rush to make a difference in the lives of others. And in Dr. Oz’ defense, he cannot help that he is widely recognized. It might seem like he is exploiting this event. And in the eyes of some… maybe he is. But I visited Dr. Oz’ blog and learned more about “Plumber Dave” (as some have dubbed him) and the other unsung heroes of this tragedy, and Dr. Oz appears to be giving them all the credit for saving the life of Siân Green.
Imagine if every time your doctor saved a life, he/she called a news conference! What if you put out a notice on social media every time you helped a neighbor, bought someone’s meal in the drive-thru line, or sent a note of appreciation to someone who had touched your life in some manner? Would your efforts appear to be genuine and offered out of true discipleship and service? Or would stroking your ego seem to be the driving force behind them?
Ask yourself these simple questions… “Why am I doing XYZ? Is it so people will notice me and be impressed? Or is it because God has called me to serve Him by serving others… in whatever manner and format are appropriate at the time?” Remind yourself that God does not applaud when you “toot your own horn”! He does not reward ego and self-serving talk and actions. Nothing about Christian discipleship is truly about us!
On Dr. Oz’ blog (http://blog.doctoroz.com/dr-oz-blog/our-common-kindness), he states…
Dave is an inspiration to me. His example reminds us all that we are not alone in moments of crisis. If you ever need proof of human goodness, remember the people who opened their doors or handed out free soup and sandwiches to people affected by Hurricane Sandy. Think of people who hurried to pull victims from the rubble after a building collapsed in Philadelphia in June. Look to the elementary school clerk who fearlessly talked down an armed shooter in Georgia before he could hurt a single student.
It can be easy to lose perspective as we find ourselves caught up in minor irritations and arguments throughout the day. But we must remember that when it comes down to it, kindness is our best defense against disaster, and absolutely no one is too ordinary to be a hero.
God wants us to be ordinary servants who do extraordinary things. When we accept the challenges, He will provide us with opportunities…and bless us in ways we cannot even imagine. But the choice is ours. We can do what is asked of us with quiet humility and a spirit of servitude. We can answer the call… and brag about it afterward. Or we can do nothing and “let the chips fall where they may”. How will you choose? Your answer matters… maybe more than you think! Is the world your “stage”… or are you quietly serving as a Christian disciple and basking in the applause of heaven?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Romans 12:3
I realize how kind God has been to me, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
The final two contestants on American Idol were 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez, from San Diego, California… and 21-year-old Phillip Phillips, from Leesburg, Georgia. Both have amazing talent. Sanchez sings like someone almost twice her age. Phillips has a knack for sounding like a lot of musical artists… and creating his own “sound” as well. Neither of these young people were taught how to do these things… their talent is a God-given gift. For either of them to take personal credit for their abilities – or the ultimate title of American Idol – would be ludicrous. With coaching and instruction, each would probably be a good singer/entertainer. But what sets them apart from the average singer in any town in America is an extraordinary talent – a gift from God.
There are things we can accomplish on our own, perhaps. We can study and learn… we can exercise and build muscle mass and strength… we can practice playing a musical instrument and become fairly adept at creating a pretty sound. But for everything we can do “on our own,” there are countless things that we would never be able to accomplish without God’s help… His grace, mercy, love and blessings. And honestly, our ability to learn anything is in itself a gift from God. If God had not blessed us with the capability to absorb knowledge… or to move physically… we would never be able to learn or move! Everything we have and are is a gift from God!
Knowing this… why on earth would we ever take credit for things? Why would we ever think we are better than we really are? We are only as good as the gifts God gives us – and what we do with them. Does that mean that some of us could not do a whole lot better? Do many of us squander what God has given us? Absolutely! Do most of us fail to fully recognize and acknowledge God’s presence in our lives? Most certainly! So what are we doing about this? Shouldn’t our aim become to do better at giving credit where credit is due? Isn’t it time we focused on praising God for all He has done for us… all He has given us… and putting our own ego in the back seat?
God may not be calling us to be the next American Idol, rocket scientist, or CEO of a major corporation. He may be calling us to be the best “ordinary” servant we can be. Our job is to pay attention… to be ready to serve however and wherever God desires… and to give Him all the glory for what He accomplishes in and through us. Are you in?
©2012 Debbie Robus
