Daily Devotional for May 24, 2012

Romans 12:4-5
A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. That’s how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Have you ever stubbed your toe, smashed your finger, or gotten a paper cut? Doesn’t it seem that all you can think about for the next day or so is how your toe or finger throbs in pain? Or maybe you have gotten a tender spot on your gums, and all you can focus on is how much your mouth hurts! One seemingly tiny, insignificant part of your body is elevated in importance when it causes you pain!

Like many people, I have had my appendix surgically removed. I’m sure God had a perfect purpose for the appendix, but in my case and that of many others, it posed a potential health risk and had to be removed. Thankfully, we can still function without our appendix… just as countless people learn to function without limbs, sight, hearing, and the ability to speak or move parts of their body. Even in our “brokenness,” we can find ways to live happy, healthy, productive lives.

In the body of Christ, every part is significant… and every part is broken. We all come with sinful pasts – and the potential for sin to creep into our futures. Yet God uses us for His purposes… and together, we create a whole “body” that can function in ways we never could individually. Where one is broken, another is whole. Where one is weak… a brother or sister is strong. Where one is lacking in skills and abilities, others are gifted. And together, we bring our unique attributes before God to create the very vehicle He needs to achieve His plans.

I don’t know what your unique qualities are… I don’t know what significant role you are called to play in accomplishing the missions and ministries of God. But I know that we all have a part to play – and each is incredibly important. The question is… are you seeking your unique role? Are you communicating with God and asking Him to reveal your purposes… to show you how to serve others – and contribute to the body of Christ?

As you consider your importance to the body of Christ, ask yourself these questions… What will you bring to the table? What will be missing if you don’t?

©2012 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for February 7, 2012

Isaiah 42:1-4
"Take a good look at my servant. I'm backing him to the hilt. He's the one I chose, and I couldn't be more pleased with him.  I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life. He'll set everything right among the nations. He won't call attention to what he does with loud speeches or gaudy parades. He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won't disregard the small and insignificant, but he'll steadily and firmly set things right. He won't tire out and quit. He won't be stopped until he's finished his work—to set things right on earth. Far-flung ocean islands wait expectantly for his teaching."

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.

Those of you who know me well know that I am currently fascinated with repurposing objects and giving them a new life. I have turned the sleeves of shirts and dresses into leggings and pants for toddler girls. I’ve learned how to make vests and other garments from old t-shirts, and tired sweaters have become caps and mittens for babies. Vintage linens… doilies, tablecloths and bed sheets… have become dresses, jackets, collars, and bibs for babies and little ones. An old skirt became part of a bathrobe for my cousin Owen for Christmas, and I have a chenille bedspread that is begging to become several more robes!

And it’s not just fabric. A friend asked me for a piece of gum at the ballgame recently, and I opened my purse and whipped out a little plastic container that had once held Gerber baby food… now it houses my stash of gum! I melt leftover candle wax and pour it over wicks I bought at Hobby Lobby to make new candles and keep from wasting that last third of the jar of scented wax. An old box that held disposable coffee cups and lids was covered with paper and now holds my sewing patterns.

If I can figure out another use for something, I do not throw it away, no matter how small and insignificant it seems. That’s why I have a handy stash of fabric scraps and lace trims that are perfect for patching stains and holes… I almost always have a button when I need to replace one that is missing… and the rich chicken broth that I used to make soup last week came from boiling the leftover bones of our rotisserie chicken!

Have you ever considered that WE have been repurposed by God? Through the blood of Jesus, we are given a new life. In the scheme of things, we are each so seemingly insignificant and small… yet God sent His only Son to die for us and set things right! I like to imagine that God’s “craft room” is full of broken hearts and beaten-down spirits… sinners and downtrodden souls that He is repurposing into something wonderful for His glory!

We have very much become a “throw-away society.” Yes, I use disposable coffee cups on occasion – but only if I want to take coffee with me somewhere that it would not be convenient to rinse out a mug and stash it. And if I buy a cup of coffee at McDonald’s, I often bring the container home to wash and reuse a few times until the plastic lid disintegrates. The point is that God sees the potential in us. Recently I used a tiny piece of lace trim to cover a stain that threatened to ruin the leg of a pair of little girls’ leggings. That tiny scrap of trim turned something unlovely into something quite beautiful. In the same manner, God can use the tiniest “scrap” of a person to create something wonderful for His desires!

What is our “take-away” from this today? I believe there are two lessons:

1. God won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt… he won't disregard the small and insignificant, and
2. God won’t quit… and neither should we.

Let’s look beyond our flaws and imperfections… and those of others. Let’s look at every situation with an eye toward how God can use us and others for a new purpose. Where is He at work in your life to patch the stains, to use something seemingly insignificant and small to create something wonderful and huge for His Kingdom? How have you limited God with your “throw-away” attitude… and how can you start to change? You may never carry your gum in a Gerber container or repurpose your clothing, but you can open your heart and mind to the possibilities for a “Spiritual repurposing” in God… and allow Him to make something truly beautiful and glorious. What will God create with you?

©2012 Debbie Robus