Daily Devotional for October 30, 2022 – Serving Christ according to His rules, not the world’s…it may be time to make some changes!

Galatians 2:19-21  
What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.

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.

Like many children, our niece and nephews do not like change. You should have seen and heard them last winter when they came to visit – and we had purchased new living room furniture. The oversized sectional that had been here all their lives was replaced by a compact loveseat and two recliners. Immediately, they declared, “We don’t like it!” Once they learned that the furniture was comfy – and the recliners were electric powered – they warmed up to the idea. Now, they appear to be completely on board with the changes.

The kids are also not keen on getting rid of any toys or clothes (even when they outgrow them). I will admit, I have talked of getting rid of some of the “baby toys” only to have a  child play with them like old friends – or brand-new toys! One day, ten-year-old Nathan informed me that… “You are not allowed to get rid of any toys until we are 20!” I guess we have a few years to go!

I get it…continuity is comforting. We gain a sense of safety and security from knowing that we’ve always done something in a certain way – and nothing is changing. Even good changes can sometimes be stressful and challenging. But as we all know, we don’t have to keep doing things the same way just because this is always how they have been done. And this goes for some of the “laws” we have learned in our relationship with God, as well.

This scripture passage is packed with important information. It is a great foundation for teaching us how to love and serve God. If we could all learn to embrace God’s gift of Jesus Christ – and salvation by His sacrifice – and seek His will and follow it, imagine how different the world could be. Consider what could happen if we stopped focusing on what others think, the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality and legalism purported by many followers, and blind acceptance of the “laws” that have governed many church bodies for centuries. If we simply focused on the Jesus’ commands to love God, love others, and treat all people as we wish to be treated, think of how readily the presence of Christ would be evidenced in our daily living.

There are a lot of people who fear change …especially in how they love and serve Jesus. They are afraid to look at scripture with fresh eyes and ask the hard question, “Is this really what God intended?” The shift in thinking and how we love and serve might not be as easy as adjusting to a new living room chair…or accepting that your favorite pajamas no longer fit and must be replaced by new ones. Hopefully, the results will be more profound and bring us into a deeper, more nurturing relationship with Jesus – for us and for those we love and serve in His name.

This is a good day to take inventory and see where we have settled into a rut of following others and doing what we believe will be most popular – and thereby most comfortable. It is time for us to seek God’s will over our own, and to make whatever changes are necessary to ensure that we are following Christ’s commands and honoring His incomparable, gracious gifts and abundance. We don’t have ten years to wait…we’ve got to do this now. Change is hard sometimes…but often so worth it. For many of us, this is one of those times. Alleluia!

©2022 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for February 23, 2022 – It’s time to quit being a “law man” and keeping up appearances – and start being a humble servant of Jesus

Galatians 2:19-21
What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

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.

This week, I watched Just Mercy*, a movie starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx. This film is based on the true story of Bryan Stevenson, a young black man from Delaware who graduated from Harvard Law School and moved to Alabama to provide legal assistance for people who could not afford proper representation. One of his first clients was Walter McMillan (played by Foxx), who was wrongfully accused of murdering a young white woman at a local dry-cleaning shop in 1987.

Following his arrest, McMillan was taken straight to death row at a nearby prison, where he sat for a year awaiting trial. After a jury trial that lasted 2 days, in which a substantial amount of evidence was suppressed and a convicted felon who committed perjury in exchange for removal from death row, McMillan was found guilty and sentenced to death in the electric chair. Through the diligence of Bryan Stevenson and his staff – including great physical risk to their own lives – McMillan was absolved of all charges in 1993, after it was proven that he had nothing to do with this horrible murder. In a span of 30+ years, Stevenson and his staff have saved over 140 wrongfully accused clients from death row.

This is an excellent movie – but I will tell you, it’s very hard to watch. Had I not known ahead of time that there was a positive outcome, I might have had to stop watching. The mental and physical abuse that was inflicted upon not only Walter McMillan and other wrongfully accused men and women and their families – but also upon Bryan Stevenson and his staff – made me heartsick, angry and ashamed for their abusers.

Several people apparently suggested to Bryan Stevenson that he go back to Delaware and quit trying to change things in Alabama. The movie depicts local residents who were worried about their reputations and livelihood…and what others would think of them. They were willing to go along with practices and behaviors that they knew were wrong, just to “save face” and protect their own families. These are not isolated incidents. This happens every day – in every corner of the world – and sadly, you and I are sometimes guilty of the same responses.

You may not be a bigot. You may not perjure yourself to “save face” or to satisfy others. You may not even mistreat people physically or mentally. But maybe you go along with certain policies and politics because you feel it benefits your business – or gives you good standing in your church or community. Maybe you look the other way when injustices are committed – or when someone says or does something you know is wrong – because you don’t want to get in the middle of things or be judged in one way or another.

Maybe you have spent days/weeks/years doing what you thought pleased God, because other people told you it did. Maybe you served on this committee or participated in that activity/ministry because you thought this gained you favor with God and good standing among your peers. And in trying so hard to follow “the law,” maybe you lost touch with the Lord.

Paul is telling us that we need to stop worrying about what others think and/or listening to what men and women tell us we ought to believe – or how we should comport ourselves. Instead, Paul suggests that we look to Jesus and emulate Him. Paul is telling us that we need to become God’s servants – and seek His truth for our lives and discipleship – and to operate in His grace and mercy. We need to strip away all ego and pretense and ask God, “What would You have me do?” We need to find our true worth as Christ’s redeemed believers…and operate in that, rather than what the world demands. And we need to do it now. Amen!

©2022 Debbie Robus

* Just Mercy

Daily Devotional for April 12, 2021 – Serving Christ instead of our ego and selfish desires…lessons from a mother to a king

Proverbs 31:8-9
But you must defend
those who are helpless
and have no hope.
Be fair and give justice
to the poor and homeless.

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

You have probably heard about Proverbs 31 in terms of a “Proverbs 31 woman,” but there is much more to this chapter. These verses were actually a collection of wise advice given to King Lemuel of Massa by his mother. First, she admonishes Lemuel not to waste time chasing women and drinking. Instead, she tells him to focus on defending the helpless, those who don’t “fit in”, and those who are poor or homeless. Her recommendation is that he pay more attention to taking care of others – and less on satisfying his own whims and desires.

This is sound advice for all of us – man or woman. I did not choose these two verses in order to create my own context…but I didn’t want to make this gender specific. God is calling on all of us to set aside our egos and our selfish desires and thoughts – and concentrate on what He wants. God is calling on us to serve as Jesus demonstrated and commanded…to love all others…and to be ever aware of the needs of those around us.

There are countless ways that we can faithfully serve Jesus every day, and many don’t require anything more than a shift in attitude. When we start looking at every other person as someone of great worth to Jesus, we realize that how we consider others matters. When we judge, disparage, or discriminate against another person, we are saying to God, “He/she is inferior.” Essentially, we tell Him that, “You must have made a mistake!” In truth, God never makes mistakes…it is you and I who are responsible for this error!

We have been commanded to love one another…to treat others as we wish to be treated…to love others with the love of Christ – and as Christ loves us. When we go off on our own, chasing after people and things that satisfy our own selfishness – or we treat others with disdain, discrimination, cruelty, or downright hatred – we have failed as Christ’s disciples.

The words of a mother to her son, the king, are words that you and I need to hear this day…“Defend those who are helpless and have no hope. Be fair and give justice to the poor and homeless.” The words and commands of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ are words we need to take to heart – and put into action. And we don’t have a minute to waste!

©2021 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for September 27, 2020 – You can’t take Jesus…and leave the cross

1 John 2:15-17
Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.

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 am tempted to provide the link for the sermon* of Dr. John Robbins, senior pastor at Pulaski Heights Methodist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, and call it a day. His message this week on humility is one we all need to hear. If you have time, I encourage you to check out the video for yourself. One of the first illustrations Rev. Robbins offers is of thieves who broke into a church in New York and stole a 200-lb. statue of Jesus. They left the cross…only the “body” of Christ was taken.

Rev. Robbins makes the point that too often, we want to “take Jesus – and leave the cross”. And this is the point of today’s scripture passage from 1 John. We don’t always want to do the hard work of serving. We don’t always want to conform to Christ’s ways – particularly when they conflict with those of the world. Too often, we want everything to go our way – and we want all of the glory. For some of us, every decision begins with the question, “How will this affect me?”

I cannot remember a time in my life when I’ve seen more selfishness. Perhaps it’s always been this way, and God has simply helped me to see more clearly in this season of my life. As a kindergarten teacher, one of my daily objectives was to teach young children to be kind to others…to share…to work and play well together and get along…and to respect the property and “space” of everyone else. These were basic tenets that helped everything operate smoothly. When we all got along and treated each other well, learning flowed. When we respected every individual, opportunities to create, play, and experience joy and have fun abounded.

Sometimes, this meant sharing a toy – or a cookie. Sometimes, this meant stepping to the back of the line – or saying, “Here, let me help you with that!” Sometimes, it meant saying, “I’m sorry.” The children quickly learned to put the needs of others – and the group – above their own. This was pretty heady stuff for five-year-olds, who by nature can often be quite stingy and self-centered. But they did it! As the year progressed, they matured and evolved.

I don’t think my classrooms operated in a bubble. So my question is…”What happened?” Where did we get off track and shift focus? How can we possibly think that we can take Jesus – and leave the cross? Do you see that this is where we truly grow and learn? The lessons and struggles of the cross – serving Jesus in suffering and hard situations and circumstances – is where we cultivate the best characteristics of discipleship…love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, inclusion, compassion – and humility.

We cannot truly live as Christ’s disciples without fully embracing Him entirely – cross and all. We cannot serve Him and serve ourselves. We cannot live in a bubble and do as we please. We must start every decision with the question, “What would Jesus do?” or “What would Jesus have me to do?” – and proceed accordingly. This is the day to draw near to Jesus and ask these important questions…to set aside our own selfish desires and take up His cross. Christ is counting on us to make the right choices.

©2020 Debbie Robus

*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJO9ys_HjsI