Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
TO PONDER:
As I prepared to go through security at the airport last week, it struck me again how conformity is such a powerful force in our lives. Those simple barriers that funnel us down a certain path, snaking back and forth until we get to the front of the line where we are then directed to one of the security scanning lines. Conformity is easy. It requires little effort. All you need to do is follow the path where it leads. It happened at the Tennis and the standing for the National anthem. It happens when we join the line at the checkout in any store. It happens as we follow local customs in countries that we visit in order to fit in. Conformity is easy. Every day the culture in which we live has an impact on us. It subtly squeezes us into its mold of living, thinking, acting.
Paul says, as people who are alive in the Spirit, as people who have received the mercy of God, we are called to live a reimagined life. To daily walk in newness of life. When Paul says, be transformed, he is saying, 'let God continue to transform you'. Let God continue to shape you and mold you. It's not a once off thing. It's a daily occurrence.
Let God shape you in the decisions you make today. Let God's will form you in the actions that you take today. Let God's heart inspire and motivate what you do today. That's hard work. It requires effort. And it always involves radical change. It's walking up the escalator when everyone else is going down. It's being prepared to take a stand for truth, when everyone else has subscribed to Groupthink. It's consciously choosing to see the world through God's eyes. And when we do that Paul says, we will find ourselves being changed by that, we will start living reimagined lives that will begin to impact the world and culture in which we live, move and have our being.
PRAYER:
Lord God, transform my thinking and my actions today, that in everything I am and do, I may consciously choose to live the reimagined life you have graciously given to me. Amen.
I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.
TO PONDER:
The Swiss Army knife. It's a great travel companion. It can help us build things, put things together, fix things, find our direction, get us out of challenging situations. I didn't realise that there are over 800 different tools that have been included in a Swiss Army knife over the years. The largest one has 73 different functions meaning whatever you face on your adventure, you'll have what you need to get you out of challenging situations - a blade, a screwdriver, a magnifying glass, a wood saw, a can opener, a hook, a corkscrew, a wire stripper, tweezers, scissors, pliers, fish scaler, nail file, ruler, hex drive just to name a few.
In our verse today, Jesus promises his disciples something even better than a Swiss Army knife. Jesus called him the helper or as it's translated in the NIV, the advocate. But the word used is parakletos; a word that means a whole lot of things, that performs a whole lot of functions. As an Advocate the Spirit is always by your side revealing God's great vision for your life. He is your Helper, He calls, gathers, enlightens, emboldens you as you carry out Christ's mission...you are never called to help yourself. The Spirit is your Counsellor, providing wisdom and insight about yourself, about Jesus, bringing clarity in difficult and confusing situations, reminding you of who you are. The Spirit is your Encourager; reminding you of who you are in Christ, revealing the beauty of Christ in the world to you to fill you with courage and hope to push on. The Spirit is your Comforter, ever present when the pain of life confronts and overwhelms you.
The Parakletos, greater than any Swiss Army knife, is yours for the journey. There is not a situation or a moment in the adventure of discipleship that Jesus has called you to, where he is not present to give you what is needed to not only survive, but thrive as you follow Jesus Christ. The Spirit is Christ's gift to you; he lives in you. Enjoy today's adventure.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of your Spirit, my companion for the adventure you have called me to embark on in your name today. I step into this new day with courage with the Spirit who lives in me forever. Amen.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
TO PONDER:
When it comes to life, we all have ways of doing things. Our rules of life. How we fold the sheets. How we hang up our clothes. How we go about cleaning the house. How we mow the lawns. How we stack the dishwasher. How we unload the groceries. Chances are you don't think about it much, until someone does it different from you! So are you a one-trip uploader or a multi-trip un-loader? Do you load far more on your arms that you should, grabbing hold of so many bags that some of the handles cut into your arms, that you struggle to close the boot, that you have to awkwardly navigate your way into the kitchen, only to put it down and exhale a breath of relief when the load is removed? Do you find yourself calling to the nearest person, "Can you come and grab this before it drops and break'?
I wonder whether many of us are one-trip carriers when it comes to our way of life spiritually. We carry too much on our own. We try to deal with all the things that life loads up on us, on our own. When life is a struggle, when life is hurting, we just think to ourselves, 'I can do this...I can make it a little further'.
Jesus never meant us to do life that way. He has a way of life that is really quite simple. Jesus says come to him, Take his yoke. Learn from him, And find rest in him. That's discipleship...it's a way of life that leads to an abundance of joy. Are you willing to learn a new way of life? Are you willing to come...today...to Jesus? To leave your self-reliant, I do this myself, efforts. To let Jesus carry the baggage of sin you hold that will do permanent damage? To hand over the weight of shame, guilt, disappointment, struggle that is painful and leaving marks on your soul and weighing you down so much that it is making your journey awkward and unbearable?
A new way of life begins just by coming to Jesus. Jesus says it's not complicated. Come + take + learn = a rest you never thought possible. That's his promise and invitation to you today.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I need a new way of doing things, of living. Help me hear your invitation and to come to you today, for I long for the rest you alone can give. Amen.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
TO PONDER:
Happy Valentine's Day! Valentine's Day is big business. Retailers love it, so do restaurant owners!. It's all about showing love, whether it's penning a few words that express your deepest feelings in a card, buying flowers or chocolates or both to give to someone you love. But today is also Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent where tonight, ashes will be placed on our head to symbolise the dust from which God made us. The ashes also symbolise grief - the grief caused by sin and the the resulting separation that occurs in our relationship with God. It's a time of reflection...as we remember who we are, and more importantly who God is.
Yet in many ways, it is fitting that they both come together on this day...for the cross of ashes on our head also points to the deep love of God that could not let us go. God gives you his heart forever. He gives you unfailing love, a love that would pay the ultimate cost to make you his forever. A love that would stop at nothing, not even death, to reveal his love, to demonstrate his love, so you could experience the fullness of his love. It's a love that is yours, not because you deserve it, but because you are worth it. Whether you get flowers, chocolates, a card or not, you have God's heart, a love that is patient and kind, a love that always trusts, always protects, always hopes, always perseveres. A love that will never fail you. There is no greater demonstration of that love, than the love God declared in his Son who was nailed to a tree for you. Happy Valentine's Day to you...with love from God.
PRAYER:
Wow God, I struggle to comprehend the lengths to which you have gone, to demonstrate your love for me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I receive that love and will step out embraced by your love for me today. I love you too. Amen.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
TO PONDER:
Families and marriages suffer as a result of it. Relationships are ruined because of it. The Church's mission is diminished by it. Community is destroyed from it. Self-centredness. In a world where we are told, "You're worth it" and you deserve to have everything you want, in a world where humility is seen as weakness and an opportunity for other's to walk right over you, Paul urges the Church at Philippi to live a different way. Jesus' way.
It's a life that sees the world through a different lens. It's a walk that values community and relationship over self. It's a generosity of spirit that gives without seeking something back in return. It's a heart of service that looks for ways to help and add value to the lives of others; that reveals the truth about how much they are worth to God. It's a mindset that gives other's the benefit of the doubt rather assuming the worst in their motivations.
It's the life of Jesus revealed in us. It's the love of Jesus shining vibrantly through us. It's the way of Jesus that turns lives upside down and brings real transformation. It's the wisdom of Jesus that leads to thriving community, fulfilling relationships and a vibrant church.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, forgive me when I put my own needs first. Give me a heart of humility that loves you and lives to serve others. Amen.
As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—eternal life.
TO PONDER
When our kids were younger we bought them a trampoline for Christmas. It got a lot of use! The kids would do backward flips and somersaults and all sorts of tricks. But the only reason they would attempt it, is because there was a safety net right around the perimeter of the trampoline. The safety net was not just there to protect the kids as they jumped, but it also gave them courage to attempt to do so.
Grandpa John, in writing to his spiritual grandchildren, reminds them of the safety net of God's promises, that helps them live as disciples. In a world which was confusing, in a world which was distracting, John tells them to hold on to the promise of eternal life they have been given; a promise that was given to them the day they became God's children. This gift of eternal life changes our perspective. This gift of eternal life gives us confidence to live. This gift of eternal life gives us boldness to try new things, to do the right thing, to listen to the voice of Jesus in the midst of the other competing voices. The gift of eternal life is more than a safety net...it propels you into action, into living as a disciple of Jesus. Let the promise remain in you today...and tomorrow...and the next day.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, give me boldness to try new things for you today, because the promise and gift of eternal life in you will keep me safe. Amen.
Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. Mark 9:8
TO PONDER:
Have you heard of the Gruen Effect. It's named after Victor Gruen, the father of the shopping mall. He designed shopping centres to have blank facades, with no signage on them, so that consumers would then enter and be dazzled by the interiors. The more beautiful the displays and surroundings, the longer consumers are will want to stay in a shop. The more time shoppers spend in a store, the more they will spend. Part of the genius in his design is what we see in shopping centres still today. It's hard to find your way out. you have to walk past shop after shop with their great displays to get to the escalators. That is deliberate. We get so overwhelmed or distracted, or disoriented that we forget what our intentions were, and buy something we didn't;t know we need.
The disciples were distracted by their circumstances too. Peter James and John had front row seats to the glory of God. Before their very eyes they see the Kingdom of God. They see the power of the Kingdom. They see the glory of the Kingdom. It was a moment of transfigured clarity where they see the humanity of Jesus suffused with the eternal glory of God. For the Kingdom of God, the power of the Kingdom, the glory of the kingdom is fully in Jesus. The Kingdom of God is wherever Jesus is present. Nothing else matters...only Jesus alone...listen to him, the Father says...everything else is a distraction. As people of the resurrection, the glory of God is not a moment to be captured, but a reality to be lived as we follow Jesus daily in lives of intentional, vibrant discipleship. May you embody the glory of God today, revealing his presence wherever you go.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me not get distracted by the world and the circumstances around me, but to focus only on Jesus, who transforms my life and circumstances with his presence. Amen.
But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbour, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously. (MSG)
TO PONDER
The word used in the New Testament translated as ‘hospitality’ is the Greek word philoxenia, which is made from two words ‘philo’ (love) and ‘xenia’ (stranger) when combined translates to ‘love of stranger’ which is an ‘eagerness to show hospitality’.
This past week we have looked at a couple of times where Paul has reminded us to ‘practice philoxenia’ with our church family (Romans 12:13) and to make sure we don’t ‘forget to show hospitality to strangers’ (Hebrews 2:13)
In today’s verse we see the (Minor) Prophet Micah reminding God’s people what it is to be a follower/disciple of God and then we see some 800 years later the Apostle Paul mirrors the teachings of Micah, including the ‘love of stranger’ (placing the needs of others a head of our own).
If we jump forward over 2800 years after those words written by Micah, his reminder of what a disciple is still echo in our lives in 2024.
PRAYER: Almighty God, your love of stranger displayed daily towards me is a constant reminder of the grace you have called me to reflect to everybody I encounter daily, whether they are family, friends, or strangers, I am empowered by your grace to show your hospitality. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
TO PONDER
We are told that it takes 10,000 hours of intensive practice to achieve mastery, to become an expert in any field. (“Outliers” Malcolm Gladwell).
While Malcolm Gladwell popularised the “10,000 hour rule” in his book, Paul was already talking about this principle thousands of years earlier when he was discussing the need to practice hospitality in a letter I mentioned earlier this week. He tells the church plant in Rome to intensely practice expansive hospitality in-house, amongst fellow believers to make this type of hospitality second nature, a natural response.
In today’s verse Paul encourages the church in Jerusalem to continue in practicing expansive hospitality to each other but also to strangers, to share meals with even the non-Hebrews, to help meet the needs of the stranger, to treat the outsider as family.
The Jerusalem church was the original church, the first church dedicated to following the teachings of Jesus, a church burdened with staying true to God’s commands, but a church struggling with an "us and them" mentality.
Paul encourages the Hebrews (Jewish people) to continue in practicing expansive hospitality to each other (fellow Jews) and to also to take it outside the walls, expand it beyond their comfortable community to the strangers. Today I would encourage you to re-read this verse and imagine Paul is talking to you about LifeWay’s Table Moments, sharing 600 meals, across all of our sites, by inviting the stranger to your house for a meal demonstrating expansive hospitality.
PRAYER: Mighty God, I give you thanks that even when I was a stranger to you, you reached out to me, demonstrating your unconditional expansive hospitality inviting me to your table welcoming me as family, no longer a stranger. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Danny Brock, LifeWay WestSide.