Tough Love
Father, I need Your help this morning. Things in life are crowding into my mind. Help me to give them over to You. My rehashing over them is accomplishing nothing. This is our time. Lead me down the paths You would have me go.
1 Thessalonians 5:14 (<<click here)
Lord, this verse truly shows Paul to be a proponent of tough love. In my mind’s eye, I see him as a tough nut, not one to put up with much foolishness but also one who literally give you the robe of his back. He was a man of great love but also one who would not back down on the truth. Of course, he was just as human as I am but he truly strove to be like You in all he did.
Lord, help me, too, to be like You in all I do! This verse pulls out one small snippet of life but shows clearly how we must respond to life. Life is all about discerning situations, responding in love and patience, for myself and others to do the very best we can, even if there is some pushing involved.
Way too often we go the easiest route. We don’t warn the lazy – it’s easier to complain behind their back. It’s just too much work to change them. But if that is our response, nothing improves. Things don’t get done. We are frustrated. We think poorly of others and tear them down. Warnings with patience! Love is best.
Sometimes we respond the same way to those who are timid, though their lack of activity may be due to shyness or fear of doing something wrong. Again encouraging them with love and patience will move everyone farther down the desired path.
The path of least resistance may be easy, but unfortunately, it doesn’t really get us anywhere. Tasks don’t get done with efficiency but more importantly, we miss opportunities to love and lift each other up.
Lord, help me to invest in people with love and patience.
July 30th, 2015, Thurs, 7:46 am
Not Just Thoughts but Faces
I am eager to see what You have in store for me today, Father, both in our time here this morning and throughout the events of this day! Enable me to hear Your voice and to act upon Your direction. It’s exhilarating to realize that You choose to use me! Thank You for the privilege.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (<<click here)
Lord, there is much in these last few paragraphs of 1 Thessalonians and I don’t want to miss any of it! In these two verses, Paul speaks of honoring our leaders in the Lord’s work. I feel the people I serve do so but I also strive to honor the other leaders of my churches as well. I am definitely not in it for the money but I am compensated well enough. The other leaders of my churches are volunteers. I respect them, I cherish their input. I look forward to worshipping with them each week and for the most part even enjoy our time together even when we must conduct the “business” of the church.
I work to live out my relationship with You, Lord, before them. I learn from You each and every day and want to pass that learning on but their lives teach me as well. My leaders pull weeds and scrub pews – servant leadership is a lifestyle for many. I watch as they struggle with difficult situations of aging parents and wayward children – yet their faith holds. I see them valiantly fight against cancer and remain strong though death pulls loved ones from their arms.
Lord, as each of these examples goes on paper, they are not just passing thoughts. Each one has at least one face that fills my mind’s eye – sometimes there are several faces. These scenarios involve those who are still with me today but I can think of many others that involved those who are no longer with me but with You.
Your faithful followers continue to build Your church and all of them deserve to be honored and respected. I do my part but most assuredly I have not and cannot do it alone. Lord, give us Your direction and fill us with Your love to carry on. Amen.
July 29th, 2015, Wed, 7:06 am
Light Piercing the Darkness
Father, this day is Yours. Use me however You wish to accomplish Your will, at work, at home, with family. Help me to listen, enable me to obey.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (<<click here)
Lord, I truly believe that Your return is imminent. Help me, as Paul says, to encourage and build others up. Everyone needs this.
My brothers and sisters in You – that is fellow believers need to be encouraged and built up to not give up in their faithful service to You. Our world keeps getting darker and darker but they and I cannot allow our lights to grow dim. From a reality viewpoint, darkness cannot snuff out the light! Light pierces the darkness and will not be defeated. Darkness is merely the absence of light. So, Lord, help us to encourage one another to let our light shine all the brighter!
Those outside the faith need encouraged and built up, too! Help me to touch them with the light You have so graciously given me. It is treacherous walking about in the darkness. We’re to show them the truth of who You are, then shine Your light upon their path. Enable me to be patient and loving in all my interactions today. Permeate my person with Your presence!
Yes, Lord, You are coming soon, that is Your promise and it will happen. And as 2 Peter 3:9 states, You are not slow about Your promise, as some people think. No, You are being patient for our sake. You don’t want anyone to be destroyed, but You want everyone to repent.
Lord, praise Your name for your patience and love!
July 26th, Sun, 7:03 am
Authentically Genuine
Father, thank You for Your presence this morning. Thank You for making it possible for me to come before You. Only because of the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ, only because His blood covers my sins which are many can I be here with You. I can never begin to thank You enough for Your grace and mercy, so undeserved but so generously extended. Take this day of mine and use it, use me, as You will. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 (<<click here)
Lord, I am called to love other believers and for the most part that is an easily achievable goal. But how I live my life before those who don’t believe, that can be a bit more difficult. You are surely working with me in this area. I know Your Spirit often stops me mid-thought from speaking or doing something that would be a poor reflection of You. I am to live and respond as You would, as someone who is authentically genuine and considerate, strong and insightful. Enable me to be more discerning in my conversations. May all my interactions be saturated in love – in Your love channeling through this vessel of clay. May I be found worthy to be called by Your name. I give myself over to You today, Jesus.
July 24th, Fri, 6:26 am
SEX!!!!!
Another beautiful day, all thanks to You, Father! May I use the time given to me, to do and say and be what You would give You the most glory! For You alone are worthy, praise Your holy name!
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 (<<click here)
Lord, today’s passage is totally pertinent in the world in which I find myself. In our downfall, we are a sex driven society and it is nigh impossible to not be impacted by it. TV, internet, magazines, email, music, Facebook, movies, our attire – EVERYTHING is sex laden! It is very difficult for me and most everyone else to not be affected in some way! But you call us to be HOLY and being holy means to be set apart. Being “like You” means being “different from the world.” (biblehub.com)
Lord, following You means I want to be like You! You are holy, so I am to be holy. Your Word clearly calls us to sexual purity. I am called to love You with all of my heart, soul, strength, and mind, and to love others as I love myself (Luke 10:27). To be very clear here this is to be Your definition of love, not the world’s. So if I am to fulfill the command to love I will not do anything that would make me hurt someone else from a sexual perspective. Obviously, I will take no physical action sexually but even thinking sexual thoughts is harmful outside the context of my marital relationship. It is detrimental to me and if it became known to Karen or any other party to whom I am having sexual thoughts, it would be detrimental to them as well. Detrimental does not equal love.
Lord, the culture in which I live bucks this like crazy but sex outside of a marital relationship is sin! This is the only context in which we can be 100% committed and that is to our husband or wife. Marriage is a covenantal relationship – to love (by Your definition) till “death us do part.” I know it’s not easy but it’s the way it is supposed to be! Anything else and in any other context, and we are outside of Your will…no matter how solid a relationship is.
Lord, protect our marriages – keep them pure. Help us to love each other as You have called us to. Lord, help those outside of marital relationships to be pure and to avoid the pitfalls of sexual interaction. For those who have not crossed that line – keep them strong and help them wait. For those who have fallen, give them a fresh start, a clean slate as they seek Your love and forgiveness. Help us all, all followers of You, to be set apart – to be different from the world!
July 23rd, 2015, Thurs, 7:17 am