Devotion: 24/7

“I pray that out of God’s glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you be rooted and established in love.”  Ephesians 3:6-7

 

John Calvin was one of the main pastors who started the Presbyterian Church, and this week I heard a Calvin scholar lecture on his understanding of time and work ethic.  One thing she shared was that Calvin understood God’s presence to be with him 24/7; God dwells in our hearts at every moment. 

I figured that could go two ways for us.

Some of us may find that to unbelievable to be true because of the tragedies in life we have experienced.  We will have felt abandoned by God at different points, and surely God could not have been present when the bad stuff happened.

Or perhaps some of us may find that too much like an overbearing parent or a clingy significant other.  We would rather relegate God to a few hours in a month, then have him stalk our every move and thought.

The truth is though that God’s presence in our life is far more gracious.  He does not do it out of a lack of trust like an overbearing parent, nor does he do it out of his own self-deficiency like a clingy date.  He does it out of genuine love for us.

And while we may feel abandoned by him at certain points—even Jesus felt abandoned by his Father on the cross—the reality is that God’s hope and love goes into even the most difficult of situations.

The kicker is that for God’s presence to be so pervasive means that every thing we do, everywhere we go, every thought we think, God is with us.  It actually challenges us to consider the ways in which we interact with the world.  

Are we demonstrating to the world around us that we believe that God is with us at this moment?  When a coworker goes off on us or a salesperson is less then attentive?  When our spouse disappoints us, or our kids push every button?  Are we aware of God’s supportive and gracious love in those moments?

Devotion: Hospitality

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”  Hebrews 13:2

 

I was reading a book, The Long Walk, about 7 men who escaped a Soviet labor camp and walked over 3,000 miles to India.  Near the end of their journey they came across a small Tibetan town that sheltered, fed, and cared for them; the tribal leader gave the men his home while his family slept outside.  As they left that village, one of the prisoners reflected:  “These people make me feel very humble.  They do a lot to wipe out bitter memories of people who have lost their respect for humanity.”

One of the main missions of the church is hospitality; not only the institutional church but also individual Christians.

            The gift of hospitality is an act of spiritual discipline because by opening our resources, our homes, our finances—our lives—to someone, it becomes an act of selflessness.  We are saying that their needs precede our needs.  Hospitality is a form of sacrifice because we give without expecting anything in return.

            What caught my attention in The Long Walk was how the gift of hospitality was able to wipe out bitter memories.  By giving in such a dramatic fashion, the evil of the past was redeemed.  It restored hope for these men.  That is why God calls us to be hospitable, in order that we may demonstrate the love of God which brings us hope.

            It helped me see that hospitality goes far deeper than responding to someone’s immediate and basic needs, but also offers dignity, worth and hope to people.

            What ways do we offer hospitality to strangers?  What prevents us from being hospitable?  When were you on the receiving end of someone’s generosity, how did it make you feel? 

Devotional: Devotion

I just heard a random fact:  At one point Starbucks was opening a new store every 4 hours.  Starbucks was devoted to their mission—to make expensive coffee available on every street (not their official mission statement).

That reminds me of the explosive growth the church experienced in the book of Acts.  After the first recorded sermon, Peter baptized 3000 people.  That is an impressive response to a sermon that lacked an organ, microphones, well crafted order of worship, powerpoint and all the other things we now incorporate into worship. 

Peter’s message though was interesting, and it clearly resonated in the hearts of these people.  They realized that the church’s message is one that challenges us to live differently then the world around us.  Having become part of the community, it says that the 3000 people were “devoted” to the church.

The Greek word used here implies more than devotion, it also suggests perseverance.  To be devoted to something or someone, it also means that we will have to persevere through some challenging.  It means that we will make personal sacrifices in order for that thing to succeed.

The truth is devotion is not something that comes to us naturally and easily.  It is something that takes focused effort and perseverance.  I wonder if “devotion” is a term we through around loosely (i.e. I call this my weekly devotional email) when in reality devotion is something far more powerful. 

What are you devoted to?  What would it look like we were devoted to God?  What prevents us from being as devoted in our faith than those first converts?  Can we be devoted to multiple things?   

 

Devotion: To Be Blessed

 

Mark 9:35  If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.

 

I was listening to Mark 9 being preached and this statement popped into my head:  “To be blessed, you must be cursed.”  Not much of a bumper sticker phrase, but if we look carefully at the heart of Christ’s message—not only what he said, but how he lived—we will see that is core of Christianity.  We have been called to follow Jesus Christ, and where did he go? 

He was rejected by the authorities, betrayed by his friends and put to death because of his radical message.  He was mocked in his hometown.  The disciples left everything to follow him.  The rich young ruler went away upset by Jesus’ words.  A mob of faithful people wanted to push Jesus off a cliff.

I wonder if we have sanitized the message of God so that we do not have to step out in faith and trust that to be blessed, we must be cursed.  That we would rather have our faith identity help propel us forward, rather than be humbled and become the servant of all.

            Kinda of a downer, but it makes me wonder how I may better follow in the ways of Christ?  Am I willing to be cursed?

 

 

 

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