Matthew 10:21-23
“When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don’t quit. Don’t cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you’ve run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived.
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.
Early on Election Day, my friend John posted a graphic on Facebook that said, “No matter who is President, Jesus is King!” John also posted this comment from one of his “good Christian friends,” as he described him… "No matter who wins tomorrow, God still reigns. As Christians, our politics should never be filled with hatred or poisonous division. My prayer is that Wednesday morning, Christians all over this great nation will be in prayer for our President to seek wisdom, and that we will love him in the same way that Christ loves us. May the world know we are Christians by our love. And that by doing so may we reflect the fact that God still reigns.”
I was so struck by the sentence in this scripture passage that says, “There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate!” A lot of “Christians” on both sides of the aisle want to talk about how much they love Jesus while spewing venom and hatred that could corrode heavy metal. I have to ask, “Where is their faith? What part of ‘love one another’ was unclear?”
This is not a commentary on the election… this is about more than politics. We must stop and examine our hearts and determine whether we are truly focused on serving God as the hands and feet of Jesus on this earth… or whether we have shaped our faith in an image of our making – turned it into something that suits our personal agenda. In the course of our lifetime, we will win some and lose some – in political elections, job opportunities, relationships, and more. And we can allow these to define us…or we can choose to focus on pleasing God and seeking His will.
If you choose the former, you will be setting yourself up for a lot of disappointments and heartaches… and opening the door for Satan to move in and fill you with hatred and bitterness. If you choose to trust God – no matter what – life may not always be a bed of roses, but you will be able to handle whatever comes your way.
I’ve talked a lot lately about “turning points,” and I think this is a big one. Making the commitment to humbly serve God in every single aspect of your life… to trust and obey Him in all things… and to believe that His will shall come to pass represents a critical obligation – and a significant leap of faith. But genuinely committing to God – completely – will make the difference. He will sustain you in hard times and give you courage to face those who turn on you.
As Christians, we must serve God and obey His commands with everything we have, which means to love others as He loves us… and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with those in our midst and to be His hands and feet on this earth. If we keep our own behavior in check… if we are certain that we are obediently honoring God with our service… what others do and say makes no difference. It’s not about us – or them… it’s about Jesus.
Where is your focus? Are you defined by your faith and service… or by your defeats and those who disparage you? Do you trust God to work in and through you… and are you trustworthy? Are you truly operating in God’s will and believing Him for perfect outcomes in all things? Isn’t it time you did?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label keeping Christ first. Show all posts
Showing posts with label keeping Christ first. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for November 2, 2012
Matthew 8:18-22
When Jesus saw that a curious crowd was growing by the minute, he told his disciples to get him out of there to the other side of the lake. As they left, a religion scholar asked if he could go along. “I’ll go with you, wherever,” he said.
Jesus was curt: “Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.”
Another follower said, “Master, excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have my father’s funeral to take care of.”
Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Pursue life.”
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.
Priorities matter. Whether you are choosing to do your homework or study for a test before you go out with friends… electing to get a job, show up for work, and support yourself and your family before you spend money on non-essentials…or going on a diet before you buy smaller clothes… it matters what you choose to do first! And our Christian Discipleship is no different!
Most of us seem to comprehend that we have to work and earn money before we can spend it – and that doing our school work and studying really do help us pass the tests and make the grades. I think we all have enough “smaller” clothes hanging in the closet by default to know that this is not a reasonable incentive to lose the weight! The trouble is… fewer of us seem to grasp the importance of putting God and our service to Him ahead of our own desires and pleasures. So when we would rather go out with friends than show up for mission work, we give ourselves a pass. When we don’t feel all that great or we’re in a bad mood, we say, “I’m not well… God will understand!” Who among us wouldn’t say, “I have to bury my father before I do anything else.”? Yet the correct answer depends totally on WHO ELSE is doing the asking!
God expects us to get this right. He calls on us to order our priorities wisely… to put “first things first!” So you may have to ask Him if going to a party or sporting event with friends trumps staying home and helping a family member who is sick. You might have to choose between an afternoon on the lake… or attending the funeral of your buddy’s grandpa. It’s possible that the mission trip you think God wants you to go on might not be as important as staying home and helping your own family, church family, or community!
The key to setting your priorities straight is to take yourself out of the equation. Ask God, “What do YOU want me to do? How do I serve YOU best?” Notice that nowhere in those questions did I mention what WE want or what is best for US! I’ll admit… asking God for this level of honesty – and committing to do whatever He proposes – is sometimes daunting! We might not like God’s answers! But if we are really “all in,” we’ll agree to them anyway.
God’s business is the business of life… a life in Christ – being His hands and feet to others. Which business are you in these days?
©2012 Debbie Robus
When Jesus saw that a curious crowd was growing by the minute, he told his disciples to get him out of there to the other side of the lake. As they left, a religion scholar asked if he could go along. “I’ll go with you, wherever,” he said.
Jesus was curt: “Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.”
Another follower said, “Master, excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have my father’s funeral to take care of.”
Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Pursue life.”
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.
Priorities matter. Whether you are choosing to do your homework or study for a test before you go out with friends… electing to get a job, show up for work, and support yourself and your family before you spend money on non-essentials…or going on a diet before you buy smaller clothes… it matters what you choose to do first! And our Christian Discipleship is no different!
Most of us seem to comprehend that we have to work and earn money before we can spend it – and that doing our school work and studying really do help us pass the tests and make the grades. I think we all have enough “smaller” clothes hanging in the closet by default to know that this is not a reasonable incentive to lose the weight! The trouble is… fewer of us seem to grasp the importance of putting God and our service to Him ahead of our own desires and pleasures. So when we would rather go out with friends than show up for mission work, we give ourselves a pass. When we don’t feel all that great or we’re in a bad mood, we say, “I’m not well… God will understand!” Who among us wouldn’t say, “I have to bury my father before I do anything else.”? Yet the correct answer depends totally on WHO ELSE is doing the asking!
God expects us to get this right. He calls on us to order our priorities wisely… to put “first things first!” So you may have to ask Him if going to a party or sporting event with friends trumps staying home and helping a family member who is sick. You might have to choose between an afternoon on the lake… or attending the funeral of your buddy’s grandpa. It’s possible that the mission trip you think God wants you to go on might not be as important as staying home and helping your own family, church family, or community!
The key to setting your priorities straight is to take yourself out of the equation. Ask God, “What do YOU want me to do? How do I serve YOU best?” Notice that nowhere in those questions did I mention what WE want or what is best for US! I’ll admit… asking God for this level of honesty – and committing to do whatever He proposes – is sometimes daunting! We might not like God’s answers! But if we are really “all in,” we’ll agree to them anyway.
God’s business is the business of life… a life in Christ – being His hands and feet to others. Which business are you in these days?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 31, 2012
Colossians 1:26-29
This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.
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 been reading my grandmother’s journal again, and on the first page, she has written a tribute to her mother. I never knew this great-grandmother, Mary Caroline Cullum Thrasher. She died in 1946, more than a decade before I was born. But my grandmother speaks of her with great reverence… “She was a saint, a Godly woman and very strong willed. One of the things was her reading of the Bible every day, even in her last days. When she sat down to rest, it was her Bible she reached for.” On the subject of her personal appearance and attention to detail, my grandmother writes, “I can see her now as the early morning chores were done. She took time for herself… to be ready for the day… took her bath, combed her hair, put on a pretty little apron, cleaned her shoes, and – believe it or not – she polished her shoes with soot from the chimney.”
My grandmother concludes her tribute by saying of her own mother… “She was a very neat lady… one who had a real hard life. But when she went to be with her LORD, she left behind a legacy that it’s better to be true and loyal than to be what some might call ‘great’.” When I think of my great-grandmother Thrasher – and even my grandmother, I think of this passage… and the words… “Christ! No more, no less.” Some of us are so busy trying to add to the message… to make ourselves look better with “things”… fancy clothes and makeup, nice houses and cars, the latest gadgets and gizmos… when what we really need is a clean apron and a little soot on our shoes – and the word of God in our lap at the end of the day.
All I know of my great-grandmother Thrasher is what my grandmother, aunts and others have told me… and for the most part, it has all echoed my grandmother’s journal entry. I have always been told that she was a hard worker who made the best of what she had… and her circumstances. I know she bore ten children, and the eldest five died before my grandmother turned six. Then when my grandmother was not quite a teenager, my great-grandfather left and started another family in another state. Yet I have never heard anyone talk about my great-grandmother saying a negative or unkind word toward this man.
My point in sharing this is that challenges and heartaches are nothing new… and neither are great examples of faithful, common-sense discipleship to Jesus Christ. If anything, it seems like we have more of the former and less of the latter these days. And this might explain the imbalance! We need to humbly seek the wisdom of God. We need to pare down and simplify our faith. It’s not about big churches, amazing sound systems, rock-star quality praise music or even a compelling evangelist who can deliver earth-shattering sermons. It’s not about what we have, how much we can spend, or who we know, as long as we know Jesus. What matters is Jesus Christ… no more, no less… who lives in each of us who have professed a faith in Him. Our job is to simply love Him, serve Him in whatever capacity He designates, and truly share His love and care with others on His behalf.
Today, I encourage you to sit quietly for a few minutes and ask God to show you where you need to “trim the fat” – and where you need to step up to the plate. Who needs to see Jesus through you today? What wisdom is God trying to give you… if only you would stop and listen? Are you operating with a spirit of profound common sense? Are you neat, orderly, humble and faithful? How will you live for Jesus this day? What – and Who – will others see when they look at you?
Are you the “real deal” for Christ – no more, no less? Shouldn’t you be?
©2012 Debbie Robus
This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.
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 been reading my grandmother’s journal again, and on the first page, she has written a tribute to her mother. I never knew this great-grandmother, Mary Caroline Cullum Thrasher. She died in 1946, more than a decade before I was born. But my grandmother speaks of her with great reverence… “She was a saint, a Godly woman and very strong willed. One of the things was her reading of the Bible every day, even in her last days. When she sat down to rest, it was her Bible she reached for.” On the subject of her personal appearance and attention to detail, my grandmother writes, “I can see her now as the early morning chores were done. She took time for herself… to be ready for the day… took her bath, combed her hair, put on a pretty little apron, cleaned her shoes, and – believe it or not – she polished her shoes with soot from the chimney.”
My grandmother concludes her tribute by saying of her own mother… “She was a very neat lady… one who had a real hard life. But when she went to be with her LORD, she left behind a legacy that it’s better to be true and loyal than to be what some might call ‘great’.” When I think of my great-grandmother Thrasher – and even my grandmother, I think of this passage… and the words… “Christ! No more, no less.” Some of us are so busy trying to add to the message… to make ourselves look better with “things”… fancy clothes and makeup, nice houses and cars, the latest gadgets and gizmos… when what we really need is a clean apron and a little soot on our shoes – and the word of God in our lap at the end of the day.
All I know of my great-grandmother Thrasher is what my grandmother, aunts and others have told me… and for the most part, it has all echoed my grandmother’s journal entry. I have always been told that she was a hard worker who made the best of what she had… and her circumstances. I know she bore ten children, and the eldest five died before my grandmother turned six. Then when my grandmother was not quite a teenager, my great-grandfather left and started another family in another state. Yet I have never heard anyone talk about my great-grandmother saying a negative or unkind word toward this man.
My point in sharing this is that challenges and heartaches are nothing new… and neither are great examples of faithful, common-sense discipleship to Jesus Christ. If anything, it seems like we have more of the former and less of the latter these days. And this might explain the imbalance! We need to humbly seek the wisdom of God. We need to pare down and simplify our faith. It’s not about big churches, amazing sound systems, rock-star quality praise music or even a compelling evangelist who can deliver earth-shattering sermons. It’s not about what we have, how much we can spend, or who we know, as long as we know Jesus. What matters is Jesus Christ… no more, no less… who lives in each of us who have professed a faith in Him. Our job is to simply love Him, serve Him in whatever capacity He designates, and truly share His love and care with others on His behalf.
Today, I encourage you to sit quietly for a few minutes and ask God to show you where you need to “trim the fat” – and where you need to step up to the plate. Who needs to see Jesus through you today? What wisdom is God trying to give you… if only you would stop and listen? Are you operating with a spirit of profound common sense? Are you neat, orderly, humble and faithful? How will you live for Jesus this day? What – and Who – will others see when they look at you?
Are you the “real deal” for Christ – no more, no less? Shouldn’t you be?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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