John 14:11-14
“Believe me: I am in my Father and
my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you
see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m
doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am
giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on
it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and
what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who
he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
I’ve created something of a
“monster.” Ever since Timothy was little, I’ve drawn things for him –
and “sculpted” objects out of Play-doh®…animals,
superheroes (well, in HIS mind they were superheroes!)…and more.
Timothy has finally gotten to the point where he will draw and sculpt
his own creations…but his two siblings still insist that “YOU make it!”
The trouble with this is twofold…1) I can’t get them to do
things for themselves; and 2) they will not let their Uncle Greg or
anyone else help them…it has to be their Debbie! They do not trust
their own abilities…or what they have learned from observing me draw and
“sculpt” dozens, if not hundreds, of animals, characters, landscapes
and more.
In our relationship with Jesus, we are often like
these little kids. Countless times, we have “seen” Him model what we
should do. But when push comes to shove, we want “My Jesus” to do it for
us. He tells us, “YOU can do this…I have shown you how.” But we whine
and complain and say, “I can’t!” No matter how much Jesus says, “It’s
okay…I am with you, and you CAN do this!”…we kick and scream and say,
“NO, I CAN’T!”…or even, “I WON’T!”
You may not think you behave
this way. You may insist that you would never refuse Jesus…that you are
ready, willing and able to go wherever He sends you and do whatever He
calls on you to do. But are you? Are you really ready to give up your
time and energy to help someone else? Are you willing to turn off the
TV and phone someone who needs to hear from you…especially if that
person is not a close friend? Will you step up and out for Jesus – and
trust Him to equip you for whatever task He sends you to complete? Are
you truly committed to feeding the sheep of Jesus…and are you ready to
begin today?
I am fairly confident that in time, Nathan and Zola
will follow in Timothy’s footsteps and happily create their own
“masterpieces” with art supplies and Play-doh®. I
keep showing them the steps and encouraging them to try on their own.
And this is what Jesus is doing with us. He is far more patient with us
than we deserve. But it is time for us to take responsibility…to step
up and out… and to feed the sheep in Jesus’ name. As long as Jesus is
totally behind what you are doing, you will be able to accomplish it.
What is He calling you to do today? Who do you need to “feed?”
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label doing the work of Christian discipleship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label doing the work of Christian discipleship. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for December 5, 2015
Colossians 3:22
Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
My friend Shelton said the other day, “You are not wasting your retirement time, Deb…I am envious.” Shelton still runs a printing business…and he does plenty in his “off hours” to see after his mother and several other family members and friends. But it made me think about what we do with our time. And I was once again reminded that every second belongs to God…and even the most mundane of “chores” deserve our best work.
I have said often that when I was teaching kindergarten, I wish that I had better realized how holy that work was…how important it was to be a light for Christ every minute of the day to each one of those precious children. I know that I did my best at the time. But as my relationship with Jesus has deepened over the years, I realize how much more I could have done. Don’t let this be said of you!
In everything you do, give your all. Do not allow yourself to “get by” with shoddy work. Recognize that everything you do to keep your household afloat – from shopping to cooking, cleaning and laundry – is serving not only yourself and your family – but God, as well. Whatever your “paid position” may be…work as if God Himself were paying you - because ultimately, He is.
Regardless of what you do with your day, do it to the glory of God. Even when you rest, remember that you are storing up energy to be able to serve God better afterward. One section of this passage really resonated with me…“The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.”
Remember that as a faith-filled Christian, you are a representative of Jesus Christ…always, and in all ways. Do your best to continually give Him “good work” and a joyful attitude - filled with gratitude for His blessings, humility for the privilege of serving Him, and confidence that He is using you to make a difference. Examine your “work” and make sure it is never shoddy…and give God the glory for all that He is able to accomplish because of your faithfulness.
©2015 Debbie Robus
Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
My friend Shelton said the other day, “You are not wasting your retirement time, Deb…I am envious.” Shelton still runs a printing business…and he does plenty in his “off hours” to see after his mother and several other family members and friends. But it made me think about what we do with our time. And I was once again reminded that every second belongs to God…and even the most mundane of “chores” deserve our best work.
I have said often that when I was teaching kindergarten, I wish that I had better realized how holy that work was…how important it was to be a light for Christ every minute of the day to each one of those precious children. I know that I did my best at the time. But as my relationship with Jesus has deepened over the years, I realize how much more I could have done. Don’t let this be said of you!
In everything you do, give your all. Do not allow yourself to “get by” with shoddy work. Recognize that everything you do to keep your household afloat – from shopping to cooking, cleaning and laundry – is serving not only yourself and your family – but God, as well. Whatever your “paid position” may be…work as if God Himself were paying you - because ultimately, He is.
Regardless of what you do with your day, do it to the glory of God. Even when you rest, remember that you are storing up energy to be able to serve God better afterward. One section of this passage really resonated with me…“The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.”
Remember that as a faith-filled Christian, you are a representative of Jesus Christ…always, and in all ways. Do your best to continually give Him “good work” and a joyful attitude - filled with gratitude for His blessings, humility for the privilege of serving Him, and confidence that He is using you to make a difference. Examine your “work” and make sure it is never shoddy…and give God the glory for all that He is able to accomplish because of your faithfulness.
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 27, 2015
Matthew 6:13-14
“Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention."
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Pretty much every single one of us would love to be able to snap our fingers and drop a few pounds – forever! And “the world” stands ready to help us do just that! From pre-packaged food programs to magic drinks to liposuction and “lap-band” procedures…there are hundreds of formulas for shortcuts to help us lose weight and have the body of our dreams.
The trouble is that for the most part, even these formulas are not easy. Time and hard work are involved…and ultimately, the only sure way to lose weight and keep it off is to control your diet (how much and what you eat) and to exercise. I have watched several of those “My 600-Lb. Life” shows, and on each one, the surgeon asks the patient to lose as much as 50 pounds or more using this method before he will approve them for gastric bypass surgery or some other weight-loss inducing procedure. It is his opinion that if the patient is not willing to do the work and make some lifestyle changes, nothing will really change after surgery…and the procedure will have been a waste of time.
Jesus tells us in this passage from Matthew that there are no shortcuts to a true and lasting relationship with God. Too many of us have claimed a short-term victory in Jesus…then returned to our old, sinful (and often what seems more comfortable) ways of living. Nobody ever said the life of a Christian would be easy…and if you’ve been told this, someone lied to you! Just because you give your heart to Jesus and promise to love Him and serve Him and share His gospel with others doesn’t mean that your life will be free of troubles, you will never get sick, and all of your bills will always be paid.
Being a Christian does not guarantee you harmonious relationships, a perfect family, a high-paying job, or that you will have the body of an athlete or model! It does not ensure that your children will all become Christians and impeccable citizens…that natural disasters will never befall you or your loved ones…or that all of your troubles are over – in any way, shape or form! Being a Christian does NOT mean that you will never sin again.
But when we do the work and make the effort to be the best Christian disciple we can, Jesus stands in the gap and makes the difference. When we stay focused and give God our full attention, He guides us every step of the way…even when the paths are rocky and confusing…or even upsetting. Quite honestly, THIS is when we grow in our faith the most! When we “work out” hard with God and monitor our “life diet,” we see the best, most consistent and lasting results. We are blessed with a body, mind, and soul that are fit in all the right ways…and God is glorified.
The time has come for us to toss aside all of the shortcuts and knuckle down for the hard work of following Jesus. This is the moment to recommit yourself to making this effort…and reaping the tremendous benefits that He has in store for you. Are you ready to go “all in” with Christ? Will this be the day that you get started?
©2015 Debbie Robus
“Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention."
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Pretty much every single one of us would love to be able to snap our fingers and drop a few pounds – forever! And “the world” stands ready to help us do just that! From pre-packaged food programs to magic drinks to liposuction and “lap-band” procedures…there are hundreds of formulas for shortcuts to help us lose weight and have the body of our dreams.
The trouble is that for the most part, even these formulas are not easy. Time and hard work are involved…and ultimately, the only sure way to lose weight and keep it off is to control your diet (how much and what you eat) and to exercise. I have watched several of those “My 600-Lb. Life” shows, and on each one, the surgeon asks the patient to lose as much as 50 pounds or more using this method before he will approve them for gastric bypass surgery or some other weight-loss inducing procedure. It is his opinion that if the patient is not willing to do the work and make some lifestyle changes, nothing will really change after surgery…and the procedure will have been a waste of time.
Jesus tells us in this passage from Matthew that there are no shortcuts to a true and lasting relationship with God. Too many of us have claimed a short-term victory in Jesus…then returned to our old, sinful (and often what seems more comfortable) ways of living. Nobody ever said the life of a Christian would be easy…and if you’ve been told this, someone lied to you! Just because you give your heart to Jesus and promise to love Him and serve Him and share His gospel with others doesn’t mean that your life will be free of troubles, you will never get sick, and all of your bills will always be paid.
Being a Christian does not guarantee you harmonious relationships, a perfect family, a high-paying job, or that you will have the body of an athlete or model! It does not ensure that your children will all become Christians and impeccable citizens…that natural disasters will never befall you or your loved ones…or that all of your troubles are over – in any way, shape or form! Being a Christian does NOT mean that you will never sin again.
But when we do the work and make the effort to be the best Christian disciple we can, Jesus stands in the gap and makes the difference. When we stay focused and give God our full attention, He guides us every step of the way…even when the paths are rocky and confusing…or even upsetting. Quite honestly, THIS is when we grow in our faith the most! When we “work out” hard with God and monitor our “life diet,” we see the best, most consistent and lasting results. We are blessed with a body, mind, and soul that are fit in all the right ways…and God is glorified.
The time has come for us to toss aside all of the shortcuts and knuckle down for the hard work of following Jesus. This is the moment to recommit yourself to making this effort…and reaping the tremendous benefits that He has in store for you. Are you ready to go “all in” with Christ? Will this be the day that you get started?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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