The Tree Church Daily

John 14:23-26 (NLT)

Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

Explanation:

One of the dominant themes in the Bible is the correlation between love for God and obedience to His Word. If you ask me if I love God, I will respond quickly with a resounding YES!! If you ask me if I am obeying God, I may hesitate and give some thought to that question—am I obeying God in all that I know to do? And yet, you are asking me the same question.

Jesus does not mince words when explaining how we can know for sure if we love Him—we will obey Him. Two of the disciples to whom Jesus was speaking confirmed this truth in their letters (1 John 2:3-4, 1 Peter 1:13-15). So, if obedience is proof of our love for God, what does that say about us when our obedience is not perfect? Does it mean we do not truly love God and our hearts are becoming insensitive to His commands?

Thankfully, no, that is not what it means. In this chapter of John, Jesus explains the role of the Holy Spirit, who God sent to live inside Christ followers, to guide our behavior and convict us when we sin. Our Savior knew we would need help obeying Him, and He graciously provides that help the moment we place our trust in Him. True to His word, Jesus did not abandon us (John 14:18). Rather, He equipped us to live a life of progressive holiness. That kind of love should motivate us to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to build a pattern of habitual obedience into our lives.

Application:

1. What is the Holy Spirit’s role in helping Christ followers obey God’s word?

2. Are there areas of your life where you are not obeying what you know God is telling you to do?

3. If so, be honest—what is stopping you from being obedient?

4. How would your relationship with God improve if you made the decision to be obedient?

Devo Plus:

Read James 2:14-17 and consider how this truth lines up with today’s passage.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me everything I need to live in obedience to Your Word. I ask You to search my heart now, and let the Holy Spirit point out any pattern of sin that is hindering our relationship. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19 (NIrV)

You gain a lot when you live a godly life. But you must be happy with what you have. We didn’t bring anything into the world. We can’t take anything out of it. If we have food and clothing, we will be happy with that. People who want to get rich are tempted. They fall into a trap. They are tripped up by wanting many foolish and harmful things. Those who live like that are dragged down by what they do. They are destroyed and die. Love for money causes all kinds of evil. Some people want to get rich. They have wandered away from the faith. They have wounded themselves with many sorrows.

Command people who are rich in this world not to be proud. Tell them not to put their hope in riches. Wealth is so uncertain. Command those who are rich to put their hope in God. He richly provides us with everything to enjoy. Command the rich to do what is good. Tell them to be rich in doing good things. They must give freely. They must be willing to share. In this way, they will store up true riches for themselves. It will provide a firm basis for the next life. Then they will take hold of the life that really is life.

Explanation:

The verse above is talking about having contentment in God, and not in money or possessions. Money isn’t bad; it’s a tool that God has given us to get things we need in life. But when you put your desires just in money, wanting the next best thing, your focus is off God and put on worldly possessions. “Nice things” are fun when you first get them, but eventually they let you down and you are on to the next big thing. When you are content and grateful for what you have right now, your focus is always on God, who will never let you down.

I heard someone talking about their finances a long time ago, who said they approach their finances thinking like it is an open hand. In other words, they don’t think of their money in a tight fist, but open so they can receive and give when God asks. That has always stuck in my head. I want to be ready to help someone when God asks me. I want to have an open hand with my possessions, too. Just as the verse above says, “We didn’t bring anything in this world and we can’t take anything with us.”

This week, I challenge you to tithe for the first time. Give an offering, and listen to what God is asking of you with your finances and possessions. God blesses those who are obedient.

Application:

1. This week, as you are cleaning out things in your house, ask God if there is someone who could use them.

2. Sit down and write a list of things you are not content with, and ask God to give you contentment in those situations.

3. Write a list of things you are grateful for, and put it on your fridge to remind you every day what God has given to you.

Devo Plus:

• Don’t be controlled by love for money. Be happy with what you have. God has said, “I will never leave you. I will never desert you.” (Hebrews 13:5, NIrV)

• Deuteronomy 31:6

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help me today with my finances and being content with what I have. Help me not to long for the next best thing, but be grateful for all the amazing things You have given me. Help me to trust You when You ask more of me. Love You, Father! In Jesus’s name I pray! Amen.

Luke 12:13-21

Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”

Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Explanation:

I never read this passage without thinking of comedian George Carlin’s famous routine on stuff...how we have to get a job to buy stuff, then buy a car so we can go get the stuff, and a house for our stuff, then we spend our time organizing our stuff and then get insurance for our stuff, buy things to store our stuff in, get a better job to buy more stuff, rent a storage unit to store our extra stuff, and eventually buy a bigger house to have room for more stuff. Imagine the fun he could have with best-selling author Marie Kondo, who launched a whole career to help us organize and tidy up our stuff!!

But don’t for a minute think that stuff is the problem.

Greed is the problem.

Greed:

• That lie you believe that makes you gnaw with a hunger for more.

• That anxiety that eases with a purchase, only to return.

• That self-absorbed living that ignores the needs of others.

• That craving for more, more, more without the slightest concern for who is without.

• That intense fixation on status, power, and accumulation, with the inclination to justify having no time or resources to contribute.

Jesus said we have to guard against greed. It takes mindful, proactive steps. The reason I know this so well is my father modeled it for me. He lived his life storing up treasure in heaven. He actually spent his retirement nest egg on planting and building a church in a little town that had none. He lived in a small, modest pre-fab home and drove an inexpensive, small car. Mom and Dad made hard, sacrificial choices so souls could be saved. When dad died, I was very emotional when I called Matthew to discuss Dad’s funeral. I felt some huge need to make his funeral grand because I wanted him recognized. He had always been so modest about his accomplishments.

Matthew said, “Mom, release it and don’t worry about it. Grandpa’s legacy is what he lived and deposited in all our lives and others. That will live on forever and he is the one that built that legacy. God is rewarding him in heaven.”

Dad made the right choices. He invested in the right things. He made his deposits in heaven for his eternal reward. What he is enjoying now far exceeds the most lavish retirement he could have indulged in, on earth.

Four things dad taught me to fight greed:

1. Practice generosity. It really is more fun to give than receive.

2. Pursue contentment. It brings peace. Enjoy the feeling of enough.

3. Don’t even play with comparison. It is a booby trap designed to kill contentment.

4. Practice gratitude. When we focus on our many blessings, it quenches our thirst for more.

Application:

1. The most successful people I know are always looking for a way to help others. Who will you help today?

2. If today was your last day on earth, what would be your legacy?

3. Jesus warns us to be on guard against “every kind of greed.” Can you think of five kinds of greed?

4. Why would greed snuff out a rich relationship with Jesus?

Devo Plus:

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5, NLT)

Prayer:

Lord, You said, “Ask and you shall receive.” I’m asking for satisfaction. Satisfy this hunger in my soul that convinces me I need more where really I need You. Deliver me from the lie of avarice that chokes out my connection with You. I desire that rich relationship You spoke of, and I need Your power to walk out of old habits. Give me strength to replace old reactions and habits. Bless me with Your presence today and move in my heart. Amen.

Matthew 6:19-24 (ESV)

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Explanation:

There are popular phrases that we throw around every once in a while, like, “You’d better check yourself before you wreck yourself!” On the surface, they may be intended for humorous intentions, but in all actuality, there is some level of truth to them. In the NIV translation, Proverbs 4:23 reads, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Ever wondered why you respond a certain way? Ever curious why certain things hurt so bad? Ever considered how your heart influences the decisions that you make?

The physical heart is a vital organ that pumps blood throughout our bodies, but the spiritual heart that the Bible often refers to is the control center for the desires and emotions that we experience. It’s essentially what drives our behaviors. It is what answers all the questions stated above. We are told by the writer of Proverbs to guard it because if we truly desire to live a life that imitates Christ, we need to monitor what is in our hearts. We need to invite God in to change whatever is broken, and then protect it from anything else that would influence those desires to walk apart from God.

In today’s reading, we see that a desire to love our money, or love what our money provides us, can result in behaviors that will lead us away from actually pursuing God. For instance, if our desire is to gain wealth for selfish gain, we may find ways to acquire money that do not align with how God has called us to love. We may mistreat people, we may lie, cheat, steal, and so on. These types of behaviors reveal that our hearts are not set on honoring God with our choices and finances, but rather to meet some selfish desire we have established. Anything can truly lead us away from God if we are not careful, but the scriptures often tell us that money has a unique ability to turn our hearts, and that is why Jesus communicates to us today in Matthew to make Him your treasure and not money. We must pause regularly and ask God to help us check ourselves, to ensure that money has not created unhealthy desires in us. If it has, then we must make the necessary changes before we do something to wreck ourselves.

Application:

1. If our heart is so important to following God, what must we do to ensure that our desires remain pointed toward God?

2. In what ways have you seen money influence your desires to shift away from God?

3. How does someone know if they are “serving” money?

4. Why can’t someone serve both God and money?

Devo Plus:

Read Hebrews 13:5. How does the promise of God to “never leave or forsake” help us in not making money an idol in our lives?

Prayer:

Jesus, to love anything above You would be to settle for something that is guaranteed to leave me less fulfilled. Keep my heart free from the love of money. Help me see any way that I am loving money above You. I want to trust You for all provision, and I want to use whatever resources You have given me to honor You. Thank You for never forsaking me.

Matthew 5:23-24 (ESV)

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Explanation:

The above verses in Matthew reference someone giving their tithe (10% of income) or offering (special gift) to God at the altar. The altar for the Israelites would have been a raised area inside the temple where sacrifices and gifts would be given to God. It was a way for the Jews to worship God, give Him thanks and praise. This specific passage is from a larger sermon that Jesus preached, where He talks about all sorts of various topics including lust, adultery, anger, and retaliation. Here, Jesus discusses the importance of reconciliation, and how that can affect one’s heart when they are entering God’s presence to offer their gift.

If I have offended, lied to, hurt, or wronged someone in my life, that is a sin, or at least a stumbling block that keeps me from experiencing all that God has for me. If I say “I love God,” but then treat others unfairly and take advantage of them, God’s love is not really in me. None of us want anything to come between our relationship with God and how we interact with other people. Reconciliation can sometimes be really difficult; not many of us like to admit when we are wrong, or ask for forgiveness. But it is a necessary process for us to learn, mature, and allow time for healing for the one hurt. It is important for us to forgive just like God has forgiven us.

Our “offerings” (money, possessions, talents, gifts) are an important part in our relationship with God. Not that we could offer anything God would need, but we tend to put our trust in our “things” and not in Him. Our finances are no different, especially the way we think of money. Often, we associate having larger bank accounts with our generosity, but that’s not always the case. It doesn’t mean we need more money, and then we will be generous with our finances. God wants us to be a cheerful giver with what we have. He looks at the heart of the giver and the purity of their intentions.

When you tithe, do you trust that God will provide for your needs in the future? Challenge Him in this area, and He will come through.

Application:

1. Is there a person or relationship in your life that needs to be reconciled? If so, what steps can you take today to begin this process?

2. We cannot always control how others feel about us, but have you allowed a relationship to grow cold or distant because of your actions? If so, pray about the next step God would want you to do to reconcile this.

3. How do you think of your finances? Does the more money you have affect how you act or give?

4. When you think about God the Father, is God the Provider also how you think of Him?

Devo Plus:

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. (Mark 11:25)

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, show me if I have unforgiveness in my heart toward a person. Help me to work on reconciliation with that person. Help me to give my finances to You, and do the things You have called me to do with them. Let me remember that You are my provider and You always take care of me. Love You, Father! In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

Malachi 3:6-10 (ESV)

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Explanation:

In this part of Malachi, the Israelites are finally done with exile and wanting to start their lives fresh, a new beginning. But unfortunately, that’s not the case for them. They are still whining and moaning, acting corruptly and being unfaithful to God. Unfaithful with their tithes, offerings, marriages, worshiping fake gods, just everything. When our verse takes place, the Israelites are not tithing properly or at all. The temple where they are supposed to take their tithes is falling apart. The building is falling down, not able to function with its day-to-day operations.

Reading those few verses make me think, how dumb were the people of that time? They were just delivered from exile. I don’t know how bad exile really was, but I can imagine it was crazy. No food at times, no shelter, nothing to call your own, people around you were mad, sad, confused, angry with God. But they saw miracles around them…miracles happening to them, for them, from God. Then I realize, we are seeing the same miracles they saw. And I think, how dumb am I for being so blind and conceited.

God is telling the Israelites to turn from their wicked ways and return to Him. God wants to bless them. Now think about yourself. God wants you and me to turn from our wicked ways as well. Stop robbing Him, chasing after the false gods in our lives…money, drugs, fame, relationships, careers, followers on Instagram. Whatever is pulling you from God. But the big item in these verses are the tithes and contributions.

I’m about to get real for a minute. Robbing God of the tithe. I used to struggle with this one. Money, my money, the money I worked for. The one thing that would change my life and get me whatever I wanted. I always used the excuse that I didn’t have much growing up, so I’m going to go get it myself. I thought money would change how I feel. It didn’t; money only made life harder because I was looking at it all wrong. God says to put Him to the test. Test Him with your tithe. A word of advice…we can’t outgive God.

Once I gave in to even trying to tithe, God moved in crazy ways. I didn’t want to tithe; I wanted all the money. But when I did start to give, God broke down walls and built new ones. Because of tithing, I have been given vehicles when I had no money. Three different times to be exact. I’ve been given money because the person said God told them to do this. Multiple times. Bills vanishing, new friendships being made, income going up without us knowing, paying off debt faster than we thought. But the most important thing…God. My wife and I saw miracles happen to us and around us because we trusted God with a tithe. This little word can change your life and the lives around you. Like I said, I DIDN’T want to tithe. But next to God’s grace and mercy, the tithe changes our hearts.

Application:

1. Pray to soften your heart for the preparation of tithing.

2. Put your trust in Him and take that first step to give 10% of your finances to God.

3. Sit back and watch God provide in ways you couldn’t even imagine.

Devo Plus:

Take some time this week and ask God to make you aware of needs around you, and to give you opportunities to bless others. Look around when you are at work, the grocery store, even at home, for opportunities to be generous, not only with your finances but also your time.

Prayer:

God, thank You for today. Thank You for loving us and chasing us. Thank You for giving us Your Word to live by. Soften our hearts for generosity. Move with us and for us as we work through money situations. Give us situations to be generous with our money but also our time. We pray for miracles to happen to those who think about tithing and the ones who are going to start tithing. Lord, thank You for the challenge You put on our hearts. We love and praise You, Lord. Amen.

Nehemiah 5:14-19 (ESV)

Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.

Explanation:

When Nehemiah mentioned his stance on taking the food rations from the governor, he wasn’t trying to be haughty—he wanted others to follow his lead. The previous leaders had been taking away the rations that were meant for the people, including the silver that was allotted to the public as well. Those leaders encouraged their servants to follow suit and take as much away from the people as they could.

Nehemiah didn’t believe that it was morally right for a leader to oppress the people, as former governors had done. Nehemiah had a healthy fear of God, and knowing he would be held accountable for his actions, he refused to be unjust to the people. He took the “anti-oppression” attitude a bit further by being generous in the eyes of God. He decided that he would not acquire land while he was in charge, and accrue wealth as the result of his power. He saw the effects of previous leaders’ oppression, and refused to add to the burden. At the closing portion of this scripture, Nehemiah prays that God will be honored because of his generosity, and if God chose to find favor on him, that would be his reward.

Application:

1. Nehemiah was in a situation where he could have behaved very differently. Consider this statement as you reflect on today’s scripture: “As leaders, we need to confront problems and not just ignore them, hoping they will go away.” (Rick Warren)

2. How did Nehemiah show integrity as both a leader and a follower of God?

3. When Rick Warren of Saddleback Church taught on this passage, he stated, “We need to see in every problem an opportunity for the Lord to work.” What was the opportunity in this story? How do you think the Lord worked here?

Devo Plus:

Read more about generosity in the following verses: Leviticus 25:35-37, Deuteronomy 15:7-8, Psalm 41:1-3, and Luke 6:37-38.

Prayer:

God, today we ask that You help us to see the opportunities to be generous with our time, talents, and resources as we walk through this day. Give us open eyes and hearts to the things around us, and help us to have a heart of generosity like Nehemiah did.

Haggai 1:2-9 (ESV)

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.

Explanation:

At the time this passage was written, the temple was lying in ruins, and God had called and commanded His people to rebuild it. But what we see is that they are not doing what God has commanded them to do. Instead, they are essentially living for themselves, only concerned with meeting their own wants and desires. They have forgotten what is more important…using their resources to rebuild God’s house, using their resources for the work of the Kingdom. It wasn’t because the time wasn’t right, or they didn’t have the resources, or even that they didn’t know what to do. They simply were choosing to use their resources for self instead of for the work God had called them to do. So, God is challenging them to consider their ways, their “spending habits,” and what needs to change so they can get back to doing the work God has commanded. They can then experience the blessing that comes.

A few years ago, my husband and I had a “consider your ways” moment with God. We came to the realization that we were not being the best stewards with our money. We had many conversations about how we wanted to be generous with people, but it wasn’t the right time because of our finances. But what we soon came to realize is we needed to take a really good, long, hard look at our spending. When we sat down to look at our finances, what we discovered was that we were not spending our money well or wisely. We used credit cards to pay for things we wanted and were in a lot of unnecessary debt. So, we made a change. We knew it would be tight for a while and was not going to be easy to change, but we made a choice in that moment to work toward paying off our debt. We made that choice because we wanted to have an open heart and open fist toward God. The first year was definitely a struggle. We didn’t go out to eat, we limited unnecessary spending on wants, but because we considered our ways, God did so many things we never expected. He blessed our obedience in ways I would have never expected.

Although we still have debt we are paying off, our finances are in the best place they have ever been. Why? Because we considered our ways and allowed God to be in control of our finances. We have found so much freedom, and now we are able to be generous to others in the way we have always desired. So today, take time to consider your ways and allow God to direct your spending habits. Yes, that first step of faith is hard, but let me tell you from my experience, it is most definitely worth it!

Application:

1. Why do you think God wants us to consider our ways (especially in the area of our finances)?

2. If you were to truly consider your ways right now, would you say that you are honoring God in your finances?

3. In what ways could you either begin to honor God in this area, or grow deeper in honoring God with your finances?

4. What do you think will happen if you begin to take small steps toward change in regards to your finances?

5. What is currently holding you back?

Devo Plus:

I encourage you to take the next 5-10 minutes to pray. Begin by simply considering your ways when it comes to your finances. Maybe take some time to think through your spending habits. Make a list of the things that are actually needs, the ways you are generous with others, and also those impulse or desire purchases. Take some time to listen and ask God where you need to add Him into your financial decisions.

Prayer:

God, finances is such a touchy subject for us. We work hard to earn money, and so we feel as though we should get to choose how to spend it. But we want to have an open heart and an open fist. Will you help us this week to consider our ways, and the areas where we could be honoring you more? God, we want to be used by You, and we know that means in all areas of our lives. We surrender it all to You, for Your glory. Amen.

Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV)

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Explanation:

Paul is writing to the people and the church of Colossae, and is placing an emphasis on the complete redemption we have in Christ because of the Gospel. He is encouraging the church to live in excellence in all that they do. In Colossians 3, Paul is emphasizing the need to put on the new self and to put to death the things that are worldly.

When living for Christ, we no longer have the ignorance of living in sin. Paul wants us to know that because we have been raised with Christ, our actions should follow suit. He goes on to talk about submission, not just for appearances or for man, but in sincere heart and a fear for God. Paul has brought up this idea we can see paralleled in Ephesians 6, where all masters and servants are to remember who the true master is in Heaven, and are to represent Jesus in the way they serve.

Paul has given many real ways to put off the old self and to physically put on the new self. The driving force of it all is the dramatic impact of the way Christ lived and died for us. That very Gospel demonstrates for us the way we are to live…in joy for the Word of the Lord, as disciples sharing His Word, and as image bearers of the King of Kings. In all we do, from the everyday mundane things to the difficult and extravagant, we are to work hard, knowing that we are serving Christ and our reward is with Him in Heaven.

Application:

1. Why is it so biblically important for us to physically work hard and to serve others?

2. In what areas of your life are you living for man or the world, instead of Christ?

3. How has the Lord blessed you when you whole-heartedly live for Him?

4. Are you finding that you are living for the world, or living with an empty heart in serving the Lord? If so, how can you challenge yourself to find joy in living for Him completely?

Devo Plus:

Read Ephesians 5:22-6:9, 2 Chronicles 31:21, and Romans 14:8 to get more insight into this passage.

Prayer:

Lord, we thank You for the power behind your Gospel. We thank You for sending Your Son to die a brutal death on our behalf. God, we ask that You would purify our hearts to live in pursuit of a life pleasing to You, not the world. Help us to find joy in living for You and in serving others. It is such a powerful thing in remembering that we are image bearers of You. God, use us well to further Your Kingdom and to bring You glory. We love You and praise You, and give You all the glory. It’s in Your name we pray. Amen.

1 Peter 4:10-11 (NLT)

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

Explanation:

My daughter recently posed the question to me, “What do you think the world would be like if everyone’s house was the same?” My response was I thought it would be super boring, because I think it is fun to have a wide variety. Each house has personality and stories, and is designed to fit the family or people who live there. Even though we were talking about physical houses, it led us to go a little deeper in talking about people. If we were all the same, it would be incredibly boring. So instead, God created each of us to have different quirks, personalities, and gifts. He knew each of us would be able to reach others based on the traits He gave us. God has blessed us with different gifts; it is our job to then steward those gifts well.

That is exactly what today’s passage is telling us. God has given each of us gifts, talents, and abilities so we can use those gifts to serve Him and to lead others to Jesus. What is amazing to me is it isn’t a one size fits all. Rather, He gave each of us a unique personality, with different passions and gifts so we could reach more people. I think we often get caught up looking at the talents and gifts of others, wishing we were more like them, all the while we are missing out on utilizing the gifts God has given to us. I would even say that in our current season, we think others need to have the same passions and gifts so we are all doing and supporting the same thing, but that was not God’s design at all. Each of us has different gifts and passions on purpose, so our outreach can be greater.

Therefore, each of us has a different calling (or passion) based on our gifts. I am not called to be the lead pastor, but I am called to be a warm, welcoming face to those who are new to The Tree. I am not called to be a worship leader through music, but I am called to share life with and lead my Connect Group. I need to home in on my gifts and talents, and discover ways God longs for me to use them for His glory.

We are not meant to keep these gifts to ourselves; we are meant to share these gifts with others. This is what it means to be a good steward of the gifts God has given to us. Don’t keep them for ourselves, but use them to bless others and bring glory to God. Let’s be people who steward our gifts well.

Application:

1. Write a list of the gifts and talents God has given to you.

2. Why do you think God has given you those specific gifts and abilities?

3. Are you being a good steward of the gifts God has given to you?

4. In what ways could you be a better steward of your gifts, time, talents, finances?

5. Take action steps to be a better steward of the blessings God has given to you.

Devo Plus:

If you have not ever done so, I encourage you to find a spiritual gifts test to take (just google “spiritual gifts test”). It will give you insight into what gifting God has given you, and help you discover how you can use those gifts to further His Kingdom. Think about other talents and passions God has given you outside of these gifts. I encourage you to begin to use your gifts to serve and lead others to Jesus.

Prayer:

God, we first thank You for the gifts, talents, passions, and abilities You have given to us. You knew us and the people we would be able to influence and help. Will you please show us how we can be good stewards of these gifts? We want You to be glorified in the ways we utilize these gifts. We know with each calling, with each person, with each gift, You can do something that is greater than we are. So please lead us, help us, and use us today to bring glory and honor to Your most Holy name. Amen.