The Tree Church Daily

Romans 14:1-12 (NLT)

Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.

In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable.  Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.

So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say,

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,

‘every knee will bend to me,

    and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”

Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.

Explanation:

In the past year of 2020, the culture of the world has been that we all have an opinion we need to share, and if someone doesn’t agree with my particular opinion, they are wrong and I should fight with them over it. We have seen the huge mess this has caused. People have been arguing and fighting over differences in opinions and not facts. Friendships have been lost, families have separated, and so much damage has happened because of this. We have allowed our opinions and the opinions of others to dictate how we will respond to each other. Unfortunately, we have even let it creep into the church and how we interact with other believers.

Like He always does, God gives us a warning and calls us to make sure we live differently than the world. To make sure that how we are acting is a reflection of Him, and not of the world. When I choose to let my opinion be more important than the love I show others, I have missed the mark. When I decide to fight with someone because they disagree with me, I miss out on the opportunity to listen, to learn, to disciple, and to show Christ’s love. That is what Paul is reminding us of in this passage. Don’t get bent out of shape with others just because they have a different viewpoint than you! Instead, choose to love them by how you listen and interact. Don’t get discouraged with new believers because they don’t know everything you do about God. Instead, be open to helping, teaching, discipling, and even learning from them. Don’t let your need to be right or to feel like your voice is heard get in the way of showing love and grace to others.

God is not concerned with our opinion; He is concerned with our hearts. What Christ calls us to do is to be unified, to make disciples, and to show others we belong to Him. How do we care for and show others we belong to God? By the way we choose to love, especially those who we may not agree with.

Application:

1. Why do we find it so important to share our opinions with others?

2. Can you think of a time when your opinion mattered more to you than being Christ-like to the other person? If so, what happened? How did that effect your relationship?

3. What do you need to do in order to grow in this area?

Devo Plus:

There are two Bible verses I have found to be helpful whenever I am trying to decide if I should share my opinion, but also when others may not agree with me. I hope these verses help you process this week.

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. James 1:19 (NLT)

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

Prayer:

God, we live in a world where it feels as though we need to constantly share our opinion, and also to turn away from those who do not think the same as we do. Will You please challenge and help us with this. We know that You call us to be loving, to show grace, and to lead others to the light. We can only do this by being more willing to listen, slow to speak, and patient with each other. Help us today to put our opinions aside and to instead put on Your love, Your grace, and Your compassion. We long to be more like You, Jesus. Amen.

Proverbs 17:19 (NIV)

Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;

whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.

Proverbs 20:3 (NIV)

It is to one’s honor to avoid strife,

but every fool is quick to quarrel.

Explanation:

Sometimes, I cannot help but notice the strife and the pain that people inflict on themselves simply because they stir up contentions with people everywhere they go. They walk down a path of destruction. Destruction in interpersonal relationships, destruction of their self-esteem, destruction of their marriages, and destruction of their peers.

I have had to cut ties with a friend before because our friendship was too draining on my conscience. He was always getting himself into trouble, always saying the wrong things to people, and treating others poorly. He surely did not know how to respect others or their boundaries. His work life and marriage were total messes. He struggled to keep any friends at all, especially close friends. This person literally stirred up trouble everywhere he went. He was always on the defense, just looking for ways to be offended. He was not afraid to call people out for something when he felt wronged, and he thought he was always right. He was Proverbs 17:19 and Proverbs 20:3, and his relationships all around him showed this so clearly.

We should avoid contention, and if at all possible, live peaceably with all men. We should stop looking for ways to be offended by others. We should truly and humbly avoid strife. This has brought much peace and security to my life in the past.

The burden of strife is heavy, but we can rest in the peace of knowing that we can cast all our cares upon the Lord to help change us from the inside out. We can find rest today by turning away from our insatiable appetites for argument. We can lay down our defenses and humbly seek peace in every circumstance.

Application:

1. In what ways can we change our own behavior in regard to gossip, slander, inappropriate conversations, or causing/adding to contention?

2. In what ways would modifying our quarrelsome behaviors impact our personal relationships for the better in the workplace, in our marriages, in our families, or with our acquaintances?

Devo Plus:

Every morning this week, start your day by thinking about 3 things for which you are thankful.

Every night this week, thank God for continuing to create in you a clean heart, and for making you more like Him every day.

Prayer:

God, I thank You for what You are doing in my life. I thank You for continuing to change me for Your good. I thank You for the peace that You are bringing me, and the wisdom with which You will continue to bless me. Use me as a vessel for Your peace in my workplace, in my marriage, in my family, and in my friendships. Let my heart always point them to Your abounding grace and mercy. Let my soft answer turn away wrath, and my caring heart show Your love. Make me more like You. Amen.

Daniel 3:10-18 (ESV)

You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Daniel 6:6-11 (ESV)

Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.

Explanation:

When Paul writes in Romans 13 for Christians to submit to the government, he paints an ideal situation. The members of a community gladly submit to the leadership of an institution that is working toward the good of the community. The government is meant to serve the community, to protect it by making judgment on evil and rewarding good.

But I am not sure there is a biblical character that experienced this type of government. The New Testament specifically points out the brokenness of Israel’s leadership and the Roman government. Jesus, the Apostles, and even Paul himself, suffered at the hand of the government. Many times, they stood in opposition to that leadership, not in open rebellion in an attempt to overthrow the leadership, but as a prophetic voice that highlighted the fact that the leadership had abandoned their purpose of honoring God and protecting their people. They never became violent…they simply chose God’s command over the command of the authorities in those moments (and they were willing to endure the consequences of making that stand).

The same is true of today’s stories. These men were asked to do something that would have dishonored God and led them to idol worship. They very publicly refused and chose to do what they felt honored God in that moment. They never made plans to overthrow the government, they never created a rebellion, they never became violent. They simply stood and prayed, and in doing so, made the statement that honoring God was the higher good in that moment. The men didn’t do it because they had a different preference than the leaders, because they were inconvenienced, or because their rights were threatened. They stood and prayed because Nebuchadnezzar and Darius forgot who put them on the throne, and because their consciences would not allow them to give in to idol worship and forsake what they knew to be true about God. In doing so, they model for us the only real reasons to stand in opposition to authority.

Application:

1. Today, I want you to think through a time when you had a hard time submitting to authority, and I want you to gauge whether or not it was a valid reason to rebel. Identify a time when you were frustrated with a decision a leader has made.

2. Were you frustrated because it personally inconvenienced you or was a decision you didn’t like? Or was it because it was leading you into immorality that would hurt someone else or cause idol worship?

3. What were the solutions to the frustration that came up in your mind? Was it to tell the person off, leave, make a scene, try to get that person/situation removed from power? Or was it to ask questions, go through the proper channels, and make known what is right in that moment in a respectful way?

4. Did you seek the Holy Spirit and His leading in that moment?

5. Are you willing to live with the consequences of being a prophetic voice in that moment?

Devo Plus:

Read Exodus 1-2:10. Pay close attention to the women in the story and how they lived out a higher ethic.

Prayer:

Father, submission is such an important concept for us as believers. We cannot relate to You or Your people if we do not learn submission. But at times, the people You put in authority forget that You put them there, and lead us into situations that require us to trust You by standing prophetically in opposition. Help us to carefully weigh these moments out with the leading of Your Spirit, and give us the courage to always first and foremost obey You as we seek the good of the community You have put us into. Amen.

Matthew 22:15-22 (ESV)

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

Explanation:

Herodians were a party of the Jews who supported the Roman-backed Herodian dynasty. The Herodians were not a religious party, like the Pharisees, but a political party, probably consisting largely of Sadducees (including the rulers of the temple). The Pharisees hated Roman rule and the Herodian influence. The fact that these groups would conspire together to trick Jesus reveals how seriously both groups saw Him as a threat. Herod himself wanted Jesus dead (Luke 13:31), and the Pharisees were already plotting to kill Him as well (John 11:53). They decided to join forces to complete their common goal. They posed the question to Jesus, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” Jesus’s dilemma was simple. If He said that taxes should be paid, He could be accused of denying the sovereignty of God over Israel (making Himself unpopular with the Jewish people). If He said that taxes should not be paid, He made Himself an enemy of Rome.

Jesus showed that He was in complete control with His wise answer. He rebuked the wickedness and hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Herodians. Jesus affirmed that the government makes legitimate requests of us. We are responsible to God in all things, but we must be obedient to our government. Plain and simple, He says if you owe any tax to Caesar, pay it. If you owe God anything, pay Him. When they saw they could not trap Him, they just left. You see, with whatever they tried to trap Jesus, they wound up being trapped themselves. Jesus is teaching us not only to “render unto God” but also to “render unto Caesar.” Christians are responsible for obeying laws, paying taxes, praying for those in authority, and actively speaking out and standing for God and His laws in government.

I think sometimes as Christians, we try to find the easy way out. We want to do the bare minimum and still reap all the rewards. I find myself doing this in multiple areas of my life. What delicious food can I eat and still be able to fit into my jeans? How much exercise do I HAVE to do to maintain my current weight? We do this in our relationships as well. What is the minimum I must do to keep my spouse happy, instead of thinking how can I go above and beyond to love my spouse well? When I was studying this story, I felt God convicting me on this truth. God has more for us than the bare minimum. He wants us to strive for more. He wants to give us abundant life, which means we must put in the work and not just try to find the easy way out.

Application:

1. When you read this story, do you feel any convictions?

2. Is there any area of your life where you feel God is calling you to put more work in? If so, how can you achieve that this week?

3. Spend some quiet time with God, asking Him to place someone on your heart to love better and to encourage.

Devo Plus:

Romans 13:1-7

Prayer:

God, thank You so much for the way You love us. Thank You for showing us grace when we fall short. I pray that You would show us the areas in our lives where we need to be striving for more. Show us our shortcomings. Help us to strive to be obedient in every area, and not to try to find the easy way out but to find Your way. Your ways are always better than our own. I pray that You remind us of that this week. Amen.

Romans 13:6-7 (ESV)

For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Explanation:

Submission to authorities has been a constant battle throughout humanity. I mean, the fall of man was because of a lack of submission, so of course it has spilled out throughout time! Paul knows this. He recognizes the innate struggle that even Christians face on the difference between submission and obedience. As a Christian, we need to have the faith that ANY authority or governing body was put into power because God willed it; they are ministers of God.

Paul reminds us of this and touches on the biggest struggle first…money. Money, the only common denominator for the entire world. It’s the one thing that connects every country, religion, and human, no matter the belief. So being called to pay to all what is owed to them, we are putting faith in God that He will use it to further the work of His kingdom…ALL OVER THE WORLD. To submit to the governing authorities means we are also walking in obedience to God. This doesn’t mean the authorities are being obedient to God. I’m reminded of Romans 8:28 that all things (including the bad, disobedient, corrupt) work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. We are called to be submissive to the governing authorities in the ways they ask. When we do, we are promised it will work out for our good.

Our submission to the governing authorities goes beyond taxes and money. Paul continues and says, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Respect and honor. In current culture, those feel like two things that have been lost. We have based whether someone is owed respect or honor on our own opinion of them. They have to earn it. But that is not how Jesus or Paul lived. They never once gave an opinion of whether the authorities deserved their respect and honor. Why? Because there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. God knew that the authorities in place would sacrifice His son. They were the right people in place to accomplish His will in bringing us salvation. Now, we are asked to trust, to have faith, that He is continuing the work promised.

Application:

1. Do you struggle with the way you view your authorities?

2. Have you conducted yourself in a way that would represent Christianity the way Paul tells us to?

3. Make a list of who has authority in your life. Write the ways that you have been asked to submit and how. (i.e., federal taxes, state taxes, governor mandates, school board of education, etc.)

4. Take a moment and pray for the leaders placed in those positions, and pray for your heart toward them.

Devo Plus:

Dive deep into this question: “According to the Bible, to whom are we to be submissive, and why?” https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-submissive.html

Prayer:

God, it is difficult to be submissive to authorities that don’t align with our understanding. I ask that You first open my mind and heart to the ways I can be obedient and submissive to You, so I can then reflect the honor and respect that is owed to the authorities You have put into place in my life. Amen.

1 Peter 2:13-17 (ESV)

Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Explanation:

When we first explore this passage, it’s easy to jump directly into a discussion of how we are to behave in the political hotbed we live in. While I don’t want to discredit the overall command for us to submit to authority that’s present in this passage, I want to focus on a bigger, overarching message that we sometimes miss when we immediately look at this as a political passage: God’s will.

Let’s start with something we can all agree on. Peter did not have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Reddit. He didn’t engage in the often-frivolous debates that many of us get sucked into with total strangers. He did, however, live in a culture where there had been corruption in the government, people’s motives weren’t always genuine, and bad stuff happened to seemingly decent people (Peter included). Sound familiar?

That’s one reason I think Peter’s message of nearly 2,000 years ago still applies today. Peter told us that trials are going to come our way, and we shouldn’t be shocked when they do. That doesn’t mean they are going to be easy, but if we put our focus on the hope we have in Jesus, we can navigate every one of those mountains, no matter how high.

Sometimes those roadblocks still catch me off guard. I am surprised by how things are motoring along nicely at one moment, and then suddenly something rocks my world. Peter wants us to be reminded that we are the CHOSEN of God. He doesn’t just love us, He made us HIS! Regardless of the earthly impact of any of these trials, we are protected by God’s love and by understanding that He has a WILL for our lives.

One of the hardest things for me to do is to give up control. Submission has never been easy for me, but I’ve been asking God to help me through that process. It’s a delicate balance between having to be “in charge” of every aspect of my life and relinquishing that control to God. The scripture is very clear, though. In order to be free in God and live in His will, we have to submit. We have to honor each other, honor authority, honor and fear God.

We can’t have it both ways. Living in God’s will is living in submission. I still have a lot of work to do, but I know that I want God to be the ultimate authority in my life, so I continue to work on submission. Giving Him control in the trial and giving Him control in what’s happening all around me is difficult. But remembering that God has a plan and a will for everything in my life helps me to level-set in the midst of the swirl. I encourage you to do the same.

Application:

1. Are there areas of your life that you need to submit so God can do His will?

2. What’s your immediate response when a trial comes your way? Are you surprised?

Devo Plus:

Read more about submission and how it fits into God’s plan in James 4:7. There are countless worship songs that have the theme of God being in control of the trials and having a will for our lives. Take some time today to sit quietly in worship, giving God thanks for His plan.

Prayer:

God, help me to live a life of submission to Your will. Give me the humility to submit to others in the way that Jesus did. Allow me to serve them in a way that You find pleasing. Help me to understand that You are the God over all of the trials that come my way, and all control lies with You. Give us the direction we need to navigate the hard times, to push through the trials, and to honor You, regardless of what happens. Help us to live a life that models the love Jesus showed to others, and demonstrates that You are real and You have a will for every one of us. Thank You for loving us and making us Your own.

Romans 13:3-5 (NLT)

For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

Explanation:

My son was mad! I had sent my three oldest children upstairs with specific instructions on getting ready for bed, but instead I had listened as the raucous sounds of their feet pounded up the stairs in a top speed race to the summit, after which a rousing game of chase had commenced! I knew I needed to address their disobedience, so had taken away two points from each child’s weekly rewards system before doing devotions and tucking them into bed. My son’s face tightened up in anger and his feet stomped into bed, pulling his covers up over his head. He was saving up for a new Lego set! How dare his mother give him consequences when he had just “forgot” my expectations?

Sensing an opportunity, I sat down on his bed, and explained that I would not be doing my job as a mom if I didn’t teach him how to be responsible, how to obey, and how to honor authority. I reminded him that I loved him more than he could imagine, and wanted him to thrive in every way as he grew up. I watched as his head slowly emerged from the blankets, but his eyebrows still looked like thunderclouds. So I reminded him that God loved him even more than I did, and that rules and expectations were in place to help him flourish to the fullest, not to harm him. I reminded him of one of our favorite verses: “He came that you might have life, and that life more abundantly!” (John 10:10 ESV) I watched as his face brightened and his eyes got round. “You mean He isn’t just making rules? God wants me to be happy and have an abundant life?” My eyes filled with tears as I pulled my little son close, praying he would get that lesson deep into his spirit and never forget it.

Paul speaks of respecting authorities, having honor, doing what is right, and submission. The temptation to dismiss this passage is strong when we repeatedly hear of those in places of authority being found in blatant wrongdoing and corruption. However, God asks us to do what is right, submit to authority, and to keep a clear conscience, ultimately answering to Him. Allowing the spirit of disobedience, disrespect, and dishonor to get a foothold in our hearts and minds is dangerous, and will have consequences we never intended. May we hold on to a heart of honor, cultivate respect, and live in obedience, remembering that our God doesn’t just make up rules, but longs for us to grow and flourish and have an abundant life!

Application:

1. Who do you have as an authority in your life? Think about how you view them. Do you submit with respect and have honor in your heart, considering them God’s servants? Or do you sometimes badmouth them, complain, or think of ways you could do a better job? How can you better cultivate a spirit of submission and respect?

2. Do you sometimes view God as punitive, making rules from somewhere up in the sky and leaning down with a microscope to make sure we adhere to them? Remind your spirit today of God’s attitude toward you of welcoming, grace, kindness, and abundant love.

3. Who or what has God placed you in authority over? Do you have a spirit of love, kindness, and wanting them to thrive? How can you better help them reach toward an abundant life?

Devo Plus:

Read Hebrews 13:17 and James 4.

Prayer:

Lord God, You are the ultimate authority in the world, in our nation, and in my life. Thank You for placing those in authority over me, and help me to submit with a heart of respect and in good conscience. Help me also to pour into those I am in authority over, pointing them to the abundant life You have planned for them. Create in me a heart of honor, Oh God, and bless me today, Lord!

Titus 3:1-2 (NIV)

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.

Explanation:

Paul wrote a personal letter to Titus, his son in faith. Paul trusted him to deliver stern messages to Crete, a culture bloated with immorality. This personal letter was a reminder of Christian behaviors and responsibilities, and how to correct problems within the church.

Why should I submit to anyone? Even the word submit makes me cringe. And I’m not supposed to say negative things about someone who has harmed me? Why not? They hurt me. It’s hard enough to submit wholeheartedly to God. Now I have to submit to authority on earth, too?

Absolutely I do! This is where faith comes into play. God is the ultimate authority. We are to submit to Him, obey, and be ready to do necessary good works. To fully submit to God, we must submit to the authorities He has put in place as well. If I’m a believer, then I must live my life according to scripture, and do it in love.

If we constantly fight against what God has put in place, we will never fully enjoy life. If we aren’t kind to one another, we close ourselves off from doing good works and we dishonor God.

It helps to think of Jesus as our example. Jesus submitted to His Father in everything He did and every word He spoke. In Matthew 26:39, Jesus prayed for God’s will to be done. He was to be brutally crucified, and yet He obeyed. The ultimate submission. The ultimate love.

The pattern of the world is rebellion. The human point of view is spiritually sick. We cringe at the phrase, “Just do as your told,” because we are pinballs in a sin machine, shoved and trapped in a cycle of rebellion. We all want to be equal, but this is not what Jesus taught. We are called to put our behaviors on display in order to draw others to Christ. God causes all things to work together for good, and this includes the leaders He has put in place. The world says submission is bad. Jesus taught submission is beautiful.

Application:

1. Identify areas of authority you may be struggling with, and ask yourself why.

2. As you go through your week, take time look for and recognize rebellion around you–in music, social media, relationships, etc.

3. What are some steps you can take to submit to authorities immediately?

Devo Plus:

Romans 12:2: John 8:28, 12:49, 14:31; Matthew 26:39

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for gently reminding me that I am not smart enough to know all You have put in place. Thank You for Your word as a light to my feet, that I may travel through this life as You intended. Help me to remember if I’m going to live the life I’ve been called to, it includes submission to authority, with a positive attitude and faith in Your plan. Your will be done. Amen.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NKJV)

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.

Explanation:

It was the end of long, hard-fought day, and my husband and I were sharing our thoughts and struggles with each other as we stepped outside to take out the trash. The day was slowly ebbing away, replaced by a peaceful dusk settling on the trees, and we ceased our work to take in the beauty of God’s creation. Suddenly, we saw one tiny light glowing near our poplar tree. As we watched, more and more twinkling lights were set ablaze, until the woods around us were magically alight with tiny glowing fireflies. We watched in awe as they danced around us, their bright lights transforming our surroundings into a magical fairy land, and suddenly the day no longer weighed heavy on us as we smiled and felt the love of God descend, lifting our burdens and enveloping us in a warm embrace.

Usually, we either stick love into an emotional category, a feeling that rises and falls, or into an action category, thinking that loving others requires a whole lot of effort on our part! But this passage encourages us to let all that you do be done with love. The one word that stands out to me here is the word LET. To let something happen means we have to allow it space to work! It is standing aside and giving a position to God’s love, allowing it to light up our actions and feelings to produce the light we were created to produce.

Entomologists have found that fireflies produce light by combining luciferin, enzymes, and oxygen to produce ATP, the fuel for cellular work. Enzymes are catalysts that allow reactions to happen; without them, the ingredients can hang out without producing real energy! Similarly, the love of God is the catalyst we need to produce the energy and light we are seeking. We can have the right ingredients and all the right intentions: feeling love for others in our heart, striving on our own efforts, coming up with ways to share with others. But until we allow God the space to work, and invite Him in, our efforts will fall short of producing a real light that others can see. The only thing that sets us apart from the world around us is the light of God’s love that shines through us! When we allow the love of God to ignite our feelings and actions, the light produced is impossible to miss, transforming a darkening world into a visible display of God’s amazing handiwork. Let all that you do today be done with love!

Application:

1. How have you been sharing the love you feel in your heart with others? Do you just hope that others know you love them? Do you tend to strive in your own effort? Or have you been letting God into your daily life, allowing Him to catalyze your love into action that others can feel?

2. Have any relationships or roles been weighing heavily on you lately? Spend some time talking with God about them, letting Him have the space He needs to work to produce an effortless love!

Devo Plus:

“There are no great acts, only small acts done with great love.” Mother Theresa

Prayer:

Lord God, thank You for Your love that continually reaches out to us! Thank You that Your love is not only surrounding us, but also available to us as a resource and catalyst to bless others around us. Help us, Lord, to let Your love saturate all we do, and illuminate our hearts so much that others can see Your glory shining forth out of us daily. We love You, Lord!

Mark 13:32-37 (ESV)

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

Explanation:

Growing up, I did a lot of babysitting. The parents didn’t always give me an exact time, but more of an “around” time of when they would be returning home. Sometimes I didn’t even get that much detail! One of my goals with babysitting (besides making money!) was that I always wanted to be ready for the parents to return. I wanted the kids to be doing what I was supposed to be doing with them, I wanted to have the dishes done and put away, the kitchen and other rooms cleaned up, and the house looking presentable. I wanted the parents to be happy with what they came home to. I would say that I actively waited for the parents’ return.

In this passage, Jesus is telling us to be ready for the Second Coming of His return. He shares a parable of a man going on a journey and leaving his servants in charge to do their work. This is representing Jesus leaving earth and putting His followers in charge of doing His work. In the parable, the servants don’t know the master’s return. As followers of Jesus, we don’t know when His Second Coming will happen, but we need to be ready! We need to be purposed in what we are doing as we are waiting for His return.

I realize that my story of babysitting and actively waiting for the parents to come home isn’t quite the same as us waiting for Jesus’s Second Coming – ha! But I think we’ve all had situations where we have opportunities to actively wait…or to become lazy or complacent, distracted or unmotivated, and lose track of what we are being called to do while we wait. In each part of our relationship with God, we have to be purposed, or we will be easily distracted from what He is calling us to do. We are called to be living out a life of love as we wait for Jesus’s Second Coming. We are called to be an example of God’s love to the people around us. Let’s actively wait!

Application:

1. Take a few minutes to think about your life and what you prioritize. Do these things fall under “actively waiting”?

2. What do you need to change in your life so you can better live out God’s calling to love others as we actively wait for Jesus’s return?

3. Be super practical. What is one thing you can do today to show the love of Jesus to someone else? Do it.

Devo Plus:

Write down three more practical things you can do this week to “actively wait” for Jesus’s return. That might include reading the devotions this week and putting the application steps into practice. It might be listening to a message and putting into practice what is taught. It might be sending an encouraging note to a friend. It might be praying with or for someone. Don’t just write those things down, but also do them!

Prayer:

God, we don’t know when Your Second Coming will happen. We do know that it will happen. Help us to actively wait for You and to be purposed in how we live our lives. We are broken people who need Your grace, and we are so grateful that You generously give it to us. Help us to accept Your grace and love as we pursue living a life that is an example of Your love.