operating in humility – Daily Devo Time

Daily Devotional for September 20, 2023 – Are you serving God with humble, faithful obedience? It’s time for a self-exam!

Ephesians 5:5
You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you can get out of them—the usual variations on idolatry—will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God.

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 wrote recently about the book I’ve been reading, Dear George, Dear Mary, written by Mary Calvi. This is a historical novel based on the letters and poems exchanged between George Washington and Mary Philipse. I have read other accounts and watched documentaries about George Washington, and this was an enlightening account of the General’s early life that truly “humanized” him for me. In the process, I realized that greed, idolatry, and immorality are truly nothing new.

This book left me with the sense that sinful, greedy people intervened to corrupt and derail the relationship between George Washington and Mary Philipse…to the point that Mary Philipse was deemed a “Loyalist” (to Britain) and a traitor guilty of attainder (treason). By “law” this allowed the Commissioners of Forfeiture of the New York Colony to not only confiscate her entire estate, but also to sentence her to death! In fact, three women were sentenced to death for committing a high treason during the Revolutionary War. Mary Philipse was one of these, but she managed to escape to England and lived to the age of 96.

If even half of the “story” of this historical novel is accurate and true, significant measures were made to keep George Washington and Mary Philipse apart…and to smear their names and reputations in the process. At the crux of it all was a hunger for power, money, and property. It seems that twisting and turning facts and operating in manipulation and outright maltreatment of others has been justified by some for centuries as “a means to an end.” I cannot say this made me feel better about the world we live in today. Clearly, we don’t learn from the mistakes of our past!

So, what does this have to do with you and me? I believe we have allowed these sins to creep into our own daily living, and we may not even realize this has happened. This is a call for us to examine our lives – even down to the daily minutiae that comprise our routines. Ask God to show you where you are compromising your values to fit in with others – or where you may be operating in outright greed. It is easy to fall into a trap of considering, “What’s in this for me?” – and to become selfish in the process. We all want to belong…to be accepted by others and treated well. Sometimes, we become so focused on this that we sacrifice our faithful obedience to God in the process.

Money talks – especially when you don’t have a lot of it. The temptation is there to do what it takes to make a quick buck. But this is a slippery slope. Too often, small success in this area leads to greed and words or actions that are designed to add even more “wealth” to the coffers. There is no substitute for hard work…and God rewards those who operate with honesty, fairness, and diligence in even the smallest of tasks.

Others get carried away with power and authority. God desires humble servants who strive to get along with all others. Too many people these days either seek to be “in charge” – or they want to be closely associated with people who appear to be running the show. Again, God does not play favorites. God genuinely ordains the authority, missions, and ministries of certain people. But His calling on your life is no less significant. And even those who are given authority are not autonomous. They must still listen to our Heavenly Father and seek His will and direction.

I could “name names” and point fingers, but the sad truth is that you and I are likely guilty of these sins in some manner, as well. We are responsible for our own discipleship and witness…the “work” begins at home! Make this a day that you ask God to reveal your weaknesses and shortcomings – and to show you how to make all necessary adjustments. Imagine the ripple effect if we all do this, especially if we trust God to multiply our efforts. Do the work…examine your heart, mind, words, and actions, and commit to serving God in every instance. Let’s see where He takes us when we come together to serve humbly, faithfully, and with full obedience. Alleluia!

Daily Devotional for March 7, 2021 – Learning from the mentors God gives us…it’s time to set aside our pride!

Proverbs 13:10
Pride leads to arguments; be humble, take advice, and become wise.

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Have you ever tried to show a stubborn child how to do something? It seems the more you persist…the more he/she resists. I remember when the children were learning to tie their shoes. We had some pretty frustrating conversations about how to best accomplish this! They knew the mechanics of how it should be done – but they also had their own opinions. And they were not about to let a grownup tell them what to do on this one! So I said, “When you learn to tie your shoes, I will give you $5.” It took a while, but one by one, the children came to me, tied their shoe laces, and got their five dollar bill.

The two take-aways from this are that 1) the kids could have had their money sooner if they had not been so stubborn; and 2) sometimes, it’s better to let things alone than to argue and escalate the situation. When a person doesn’t want to listen to advice, the best approach is sometimes to step back and let him/her “wallow in it” for a while. At the same time, you and I need take a pause when someone is advising us, and ask, “Is this something that I should consider?” There is nothing wrong or weak about listening to another person’s opinion – and taking guidance from someone with more expertise or experience.

The bottom line is that God wants us to get along. He wants us to take advantage of information He plants right in front of us – often from a mentor, advisor, or someone with knowledge and proficiency we simply do not have. Let’s face it…we adults have tied a shoe or two in our lives, so we probably have a pretty strong grasp on how it’s supposed to be done!

I am thankful for mentors and “other mothers” – and those who to this day guide me and advise me. I hope I am respectful and attentive to their words and actions – and pay proper attention to what God is showing me through them. God never wastes an opportunity – or a mechanism – to guide and guard us, or to teach us new things. It is up to you and me to pay attention. How well are you doing these days?

Daily Devotional for December 1, 2018 – Popularity vs. truth – how are YOU serving Jesus?

Luke 6:26
“There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.”

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.

When the sons of my childhood friend, Martha, were small, she once told me…”I don’t care if my children like me…but they will respect me!” I’ve thought about this often…particularly in times when a child has been upset with me and shouted, “I don’t like you anymore!” or “You’re not my ‘fwiend’ anymore!”…or even “I hate you!” I know they don’t mean these things…but I also know that there are times when things just have to be difficult or unpleasant…and I have to be the adult in the room and make executive decisions!

For the record, both of my friend’s sons are grown and appear to be fine young men who love and respect their mother. But imagine what could have happened had she indulged their every whim. I shudder to think what would happen if we never told children “No!” or tried at every turn to be their pal rather than their mentor and guide – or parent or teacher.

We all seem to understand that this is not good “parenting” or “teaching”…that adults must have rules – and stick to them – for the benefit of not only the children, but for everyone concerned. We’ve all seen situations where the children run the show…and rarely is it ever pretty! So why is it that we adults have such a hard time setting boundaries with others? Why do we find it hard to give total allegiance to God and trust Him in all things? Why do we compromise our values…and our relationship with Christ to win the approval and attention of others?

Why do we go along with sinful words and actions…gossip, racial slurs, judgments, disparagement of others, and more, just to “fit in” with the group? Why do we participate in activities that are not our mission and ministry, just so others won’t judge us? Why do we stretch ourselves too thinly and hang out with people who say and do ungodly things, just so we will be liked and included? Why do we take on projects that put us in the spotlight, even when we know that this is not where God wants us to be?

Our job as Christians is not to make others like us, to be popular, or to stand out in some way. We are heirs to the throne of the King of Kings. But even Jesus did not demonstrate any arrogance or superiority in His time on this earth – and neither should we. If we do Christian discipleship right, people will respect us. There will be some who will reject us, because they reject Jesus and our representation of Him. But we must not get distracted or discouraged by this. We must keep our focus on humble Christian service and a genuine, honest reflection of Jesus Christ and His teachings.

There is no better time than this to be the “real deal” for Jesus. Maybe more than any month of the year, opportunities will abound for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to others…do demonstrate His love, grace, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, acceptance, patience and more. Just as importantly, there will be countless opportunities for us to humbly – and even anonymously – serve and bless others on His behalf. What will you do? Will you make every effort to fit in and be included and/or popular? Or will you follow the lead of a humble baby born in a manger to ordinary parents – and operate in His simple truths?

Christ’s mandate is clear…but ultimately, the choice is yours. What are you going to do?

Daily Devotional for August 24, 2017 – Are you “sneaking a peek”?

James 4:4-6
You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it that “he’s a fiercely jealous lover.” And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.”

I’ll be honest…the solar eclipse that occurred on Monday made me pretty nervous. I’ve been around children enough to know that one of them was bound to peek, despite the best efforts to assure that they donned “approved” eyewear – and kept it in place at all times. Even our president stared at the sun, with aides standing by shouting, “Don’t look! Don’t look!”

Prior to the eclipse, I read online accounts of people who had looked at these events in the past without any ramifications – or so they thought. Years later, a spot occurred in their vision, which was determined to be a retinal burn that could be traced back to staring at the sun during a solar eclipse. So it is easy to see how people would take the chance and say, “See…nothing bad happened!”

This is what too many of us do with God. We “flirt with the world”. We say and do things that we know are not what God desires – or endorses. We tell ourselves, “Nothing bad happened, so we must be okay.” And then we are baffled when the ramifications of our words and actions are brought to bear later.

I’ve said before that it may seem like more than a few people skate through life unaffected by their words and actions…that they appear to “get by with murder”. I have said of some, “If I said and did those things, I would be in jail!” Let’s be clear…nobody is “getting away” with anything. There will come a “day of reckoning” for all of us. My mother always said, “Two wrongs don’t make a ‘right’!” In other words, just because we can say or do something doesn’t mean that this is what God wants us to do – or that He approves of our behavior.

When we choose to go our own way…to put our wishes above those of God…to “throw caution to the wind” and “let ‘er rip”…we essentially offer God a slap in the face. We say to ourselves – and the world – that we are superior to our Creator…and that we really don’t care about anyone but ourselves. When we do this, we break God’s heart…and we rob ourselves of the potential for the fullest abundance of His grace.

Will God stop loving us if we go our own way? No. Will He withhold blessings – or even punish us? I can’t say for certain. But why would you test this? Is a “quick peek at the sun” really worth losing even a moment of grace from the Son? Are you humbly serving God today with all of your thoughts, words and actions? Isn’t it time you were?

Daily Devotional for July 25, 2017 – Pot, meet Kettle!

July 25 ~ Romans 2:1-3
“Well,” you may be saying, “what terrible people you have been talking about!” But wait a minute! You are just as bad. When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are talking about yourselves, for you do these very same things. And we know that God, in justice, will punish anyone who does such things as these. Do you think that God will judge and condemn others for doing them and overlook you when you do them, too?

Anyone who has ever worked with kids has heard plenty of “Well, HE started it!” or “What about HER?”. Sadly, we see this type of behavior in adults, too…even world leaders! I call this the “Pot, meet Kettle” syndrome. And Paul makes it clear in this passage from Romans 2 that God is NOT amused – or tolerant – of such behavior.

If you have been following these devotionals for the last week or so, you have probably noticed a theme of sorts…tenets and commands that have been threaded through the daily delivery. Some of these include…

Let go – and let God have control.
Do not judge others – leave this to God.
Mind your own business – focus on YOUR relationship with Jesus.
Demonstrate tolerance and acceptance for ALL people – let Christ’s love be the mediation and healing “balm” that brings us together.

Last night, I talked to the preschoolers at VBS about how God loves us…how He made each and every one of us unique and special…and we are all precious to Him. The God who holds us so dear also judges each of us for our words and actions…and nobody gets a “pass”. None of us is more significant to God…none of us gets to put ourselves above others and expect God to endorse these judgments.

If you are practicing “Pot, meet Kettle” behavior…it’s time to stop. There is not a minute to waste. We must all get busy tending to the business of serving Jesus…and let God handle the judgment and justice. Will this be the day that you begin?

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