#topical devotion

Think about that for a minute. 

In order to serve God, we have to serve the people around us. Why? Because God doesn’t need anything from us. Instead, He wants something for us. So He calls us to serve people. And we’ll never lock eyes with someone whom God doesn’t adore. Those are the people we get to serve.

We may wonder what we have to offer someone. God equipped us with distinct spiritual gifts before we inhaled our first breath. He formed each of us in our mother’s womb, and He knows every intricate detail of our being. And, He made us to operate in a certain way, so that others will be blessed and encouraged by our contribution. So, how we are wired is God-driven and God-ordained. Maybe you are: 

…an entrepreneur who knows how to execute the most remarkable plans. 

…people-oriented, and you know just what to say and do to bring comfort to someone in need. 

…a “behind-the-scenes” person, and you always ensure that tasks are done even if no one ever notices. 

…a hospitable person who knows how to make a room inviting and brings a calmness over others.

…an amazing writer who is able to convey truths about God in ways that help others understand Him more. 

Whether we stand on a stage in front of hundreds of people, meet with a hurting friend over coffee, perform a human resources role for our company, or pick up our children from the school carpool line, this is our act of serving God. We may be using our spiritual gifts to impact fellow believers, or we may simply be performing our daily duties: satisfying our earthly responsibilities is our way to serve God. It really is that simple. Why? Again, it’s less about our activity and more about our heart’s disposition. It’s not what we do… but why we do it. 

The believer did not always live to Christ. He began to do so when God the Holy Spirit convinced him of sin, and when by grace he was brought to see the dying Savior making an atoning sacrifice for his guilt. From the moment of the new and celestial birth—the man begins to live to Christ. Jesus is to believers the one pearl of great price—for whom we are willing to part with all that we have. He has so completely won our love, that it beats alone for Him; to His glory we would live, and in defense of His gospel we would die. He is the pattern of our life, and the model after which we would sculpture our character.

Paul’s words mean more than most men think; they imply that the aim and end of his life was Christ—nay, his life itself was Jesus. In the words of an ancient saint, he did eat, and drink, and sleep—Christ. Jesus was his very breath, the soul of his soul, the heart of his heart, the life of his life. Can you say, as a professing Christian, that you live up to this idea? Can you honestly say that, for you to live is Christ?

Your business—are you doing it for Christ? Is it not done for self-aggrandizement and for family advantage? Do you ask, “Is that an evil reason?” For the Christian it is. He professes to live for Christ; how can he live for another object without committing a spiritual adultery?

Many there are, who carry out this principle in some measure; but who is there that dare say that he has lived wholly for Christ as the apostle did? Jesus alone is the true life of a Christian—its source, its sustenance, its model, its end, all gathered up in one word. Lord, accept me; I here present myself, praying to live only in You and to You. Let me be as the bullock which stands between the plough and the altar, to work or to be sacrificed; and let my motto be, “Ready for either.”

“We never grow closer to God when we just live life. It takes deliberate pursuit and attentiveness.” – Francis Chan

“Remember as you go about your day that you may be the only Jesus some of your friends, neighbors, and family will ever see.” – Wanda E Brunsetter

For some of us last year was one in which we did not acquit ourselves very nobly as Christians, considering the infinite power available to us through the indwelling Spirit. . . .

The man of illuminated mind will learn from his mistakes, yes even from his sins. If his heart is trusting and penitent, he can be a better man next year for last year’s fault—but let him not return again to folly.

Repentance should be radical and thorough, and the best repentance for a wrong act, as Fenelon said, is not to do it again....

Brother Lawrence expressed the highest moral wisdom when he testified that if he stumbled and fell he turned at once to God and said, “O Lord, this is what You may expect of me if You leave me to myself.” He then accepted forgiveness, thanked God and gave himself no further concern about the matter.

Philippians 4:13 says that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. This verse is encouraging but think of the hope it brings when we truly understand who we are. When we understand that we are…

God’s children

Forgiven and not condemned

God’s masterpieces

More than conquerors

New in Christ

Safe from the evil one

Citizens of heaven

That is when we will truly be able to do all things through Christ’s strength. Not just some things or a few things, but all things. In fact, the Bible says that it’s in our weakest moments where Christ’s strength is made perfect. The moment we want to tap out or call it quits is the exact moment when His mighty power is a 100% guarantee. 

By the power of Christ, nothing can keep its grip on us. Not fear, worry, doubt, defeat, discouragement, loneliness, hardship, or pain. We just have to adjust our stance from cowering down to rising up and recognizing the power that is within our grasp.

The next time a daunting situation comes onto your path or a threatening thought approaches your mind remember that you can overcome it by Christ’s power working in and through you. You don’t have to do those difficult things in and of yourself. No, you just have to speak the truth that you can do all things through Christ and trust that God will supply His perfect, neverending power. 

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. - 2 Corinthians 12:9

We all get stuck sometimes. Stuck in cyclical patterns of discouragement and disillusionment. Oftentimes, we keep going in the same toxic pattern, making the same poor decisions that lead to the same unfortunate outcomes. 

Did you know that our spiritual enemy loves this? He is absolutely hoping that we’ll stay in a place that is not only far from God but one where we doubt the goodness of our God. 

The Bible calls the devil the father of lies. He isn’t called the father of divorce or hatred or fear. He is the father of lies. He can’t not lie for it is his native language. There is never an ounce of truth that departs from him or any of the demons he sends on harassing assignments. But don’t let that alarm you. Because…

Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.

Let that sink in. 

The God of the universe resides in you as a Christ follower, and He is greater than our spiritual adversary. Yes, our enemy seeks to wreak havoc in our lives. Yes, he wants to steer us away from following God. Yes, he wants us to feel defeated so we will live in shame. 

But he does not have the final say. God does. 

This doesn’t mean the devil won’t still come after you to convince you to live for yourself. He will. What it does mean is that he has no hold on you. And the more you spend time relishing in God’s truth within the pages of the Bible, the more you’ll see the devil for who he really is—a measly pest that can be swatted away with God’s holy Word.

The devil wants to strike fear in you and make you feel unsafe. That could not be further from the truth. Because of what God has done and will continue to do in your life, you are safe from the evil one. Stand on that truth.

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. - John 8:44

I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. - John 17:15

That’s just the way I am.

Ever said that phrase about yourself? We probably all have at some point in our lives. We are so accustomed to doing things the way we’ve always done them that imagining making a change fills our minds with discouragement. Maybe we said this to our best friend after they told us we hurt their feelings. Perhaps we told our spouse this so that they won’t expect too much from us in a certain area. It’s possible we have believed this about ourselves because changing the thing that makes us have this mindset feels incredibly overwhelming. 

So, we just stay the way we are.

There’s good news, though. The Bible tells us that if we are in Christ, we are new creations. That’s right— as Christ followers, we are literally new people. Our old lives are gone and our new lives have begun. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (TPT) says, “the old order has vanished.” 

But, we aren’t just hard on ourselves, are we? Let’s turn this to those we encounter. Have you ever said, “He’ll never change”? If we haven’t let the phrase leave our lips, most assuredly it’s been in our heart. We see people mess up again and again. They do the same awful things and say the same dreadful words that tear down and annihilate others, and they never change. And we don’t think they ever will. Yet, if 2 Corinthians 5:17 is true for us, then it can be true for them as well. 

Instead of us thinking that change and spiritual growth will never occur in their lives, let’s believe and hope for the best—not only in ourselves but also in others. Let’s recognize the things about our character that need adjusting and strive to bring the best version of ourselves to the table. We are all works in progress, but while we are in that state of progress, we can still rest in the truth that in Christ, we are made new.

But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." - Matthew 19:26

The human body is fascinating. Not just in the way it looks but in the way it manages all of the systems. Take illnesses, for instance. When a foreign object, like a germ, gets into our body, our white blood cells congregate to eradicate the germ. Most of the time, the germ is annihilated and we stay healthy.  

Or take a bone in the human body when it’s been broken. Bone repair begins within a few hours of the injury. A blood clot forms, cells are sent in to clean up the area, and new blood vessels are formed to expedite the healing process. Collagen moves in and forms a callus, which mimics a new bone, but is much softer. This holds it all in place while the new bone forms. 

Does all of that just happen? No, this type of precision in forming the human body and the ways it works was created by God. And because of that, we are considered God’s workmanship, His masterpiece. We are literally God’s works of art. 

But we don’t always feel like it, do we? On any given day, we…

...complain about our personalities.

...wished we were taller.

…aspire to have someone else’s body.

...prefer to be gifted like our friend.

God didn’t make a mistake in creating you. He did not miscalculate any part of bringing you into existence. He knew every aspect of your being before you took a breath of air outside your mother’s womb. He set your hair texture, eye color, height, and personality makeup. And in doing all of this in His perfect way, He knew exactly how He would use your unique composition to impact our world. 

So, the next time you feel bad about yourself or wish you looked differently, remember that God did not make a mistake. Quite the contrary. You are His work of art. You are His workmanship.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. - Psalms 139:13‭-‬16.

Every human being who has lived has a biological mother and father. Whether we have met them or not, we have them. We are their offspring. Some of us have parents that chose us, and we became their children through adoption. 

Remembering your upbringing as a child might evoke great memories and cherished traditions. For some people, your experiences conjure up negative thoughts. Maybe your relationship with your earthly parents has positively enforced your view of God, or maybe it tainted how you see God’s love for you. 

Regardless of your past viewpoint of your family, your Heavenly Father longs to fill your life with love and peace. John 1:12 says that if we receive Jesus and believe in His name, we get the right to become children of God. So, we’ve all been adopted! We are God’s kids and nothing can change that. His love for us and commitment to us is steadfast even if we sin catastrophically. Because of Jesus, God’s vast love covers us every single day. 

So, whenever we face situations where we feel utterly defeated, we must remember that we are chosen, children of God. Whenever we feel like no one loves us and feel completely alone, we must remember that we are chosen, children of God. Whenever we feel neglected and overlooked, we must remember that we are chosen, children of God. The Creator of the universe, the Great I Am, the Almighty God chose you. You are a child of God!