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Tiny decisions matter…. (devo reflection)

1 Corinthians 5:6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 
Paul is using a very effective extended metaphor in these verses. Yeast, leaven, makes dough rise. Even a little will start the process. (Think of sour dough starters. It’s a similar concept).
1 Corinthians 5:7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Boasting, and by extension any other “small sin,” acts like yeast, like leaven. It may seem harmless, but just like a tiny bit of yeast can make an entire loaf of bread rise, a tiny, “acceptable” sin (like boasting) can permeate our lives in the same way.
1 Corinthians 5:8a Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness…
Lord, Thank You for the reminder that all of the tiny decisions we make in a day matter. Help us to diligently guard our hearts and our minds in You. Always. Amen.
1 Corinthians 5:8b …but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Have a blessed day.
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Judgment…. (devo reflection)

1 Corinthians 4:3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.

Humans are really quick to judge others. My caustic inner critic seems to support that we are really quick to judge and criticize ourselves, too.

1 Corinthians 4:4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.

But Paul reminds us that judgement is reserved for God alone. Truly, it is an incredible act of pride for humans to stand in judgment of others. We are instructed to edify each other, to build each other up, not tear each other down.

1 Corinthians 4:5a Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart.

Lord, The world we live in makes judgment of others second nature. Thank You that this world is not our home. Help us to combat the inclination to judge and instead to encourage each other and build each other up. Help us to bring You glory in all things. Amen.

1 Corinthians 4:5b At that time each will receive their praise from God.

Have a blessed day.

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A co-worker in God’s service…. (devo reflection)

1 Corinthians 3:5-6 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.

I believe that God is present and active in my life, that He created me for a purpose, assigned me a task, loves me completely and beyond measure. I believe that God created us to crave connection and community—with Him and with His people.

1 Corinthians 3:7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

I believe in the need to work together, that our stewardship of God’s resources can best be served when we lean on each other, supporting and uplifting each other as we fulfill our purpose and glorify God.

1 Corinthians 3:8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.

Lord, I am human, fleshly, and fallible, yet You love me completely and unconditionally. Thank You. I am prone to taking credit for work that is of You and for You, getting my nose out of joint when my efforts are not recognized, yet You have made me a co-worker in Your service. Help me to live into that humbling responsibility. Help me to give You the glory in all things and always. Amen.

1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Have a blessed day.

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Being myself…. (devo reflection)

1 Corinthians 2:1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

Paul was far from a perfect man. He zealously murdered Christians because He thought it was the right thing, had a blinding religious conversion, saw the light (literally and figuratively), and became a leading figure in the spread of Christianity.

1 Corinthians 2:2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

I love that Paul not only doesn’t try to be something that he is not, but he doesn’t try to put on any airs at all. He doesn’t try to eloquently persuade. He doesn’t want anyone’s conversation to be about him but to be only about Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.

Lord, You only ever ask me to be myself, the person You created me to be. You don’t want me to put on airs (or to stress or to be angry or overwhelmed). You ask me to be myself and to center myself on You and in You alone. That’s enough. Help me to live out Your purpose for me. Amen.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

Have a blessed day.

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Be my strength…. (devo reflection)

1 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes….

I find myself these days in a perpetual state of overwhelm. There’s not enough of me to do all that needs to be done—to plan, teach, grade, reteach, encourage and cajole those struggling, etc etc.

1 Corinthians 1:2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours….

But commentary on today’s scripture showed me the problem and the solution: “In these first 10 verses, Paul refers to Jesus in every verse, for a total of 11 times. In this emphasis on Jesus, Paul promotes the sure cure for the problems of the Corinthians: getting your eyes off self and on Jesus.” And so it is with me.

1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord, Forgive me for trying to do life in my own strength. I can’t. Thank You for the reminder that it’s not about me—my ability or strength—it’s about You, through You, for You. Help me to focus on You alone. Be my strength. Amen.

1 Corinthians 1:4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.

Have a blessed day.

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Solely and completely…. (devo reflection)

Romans 16:17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

Such a timely caution, even today: watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. We see these people everywhere. Sometimes we are these people, causing division, putting up obstacles.

Romans 16:18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

When God is our center, life is about Him, for Him, in Him, but when we lose our focus, when our thoughts and desires and emotions take priority, that is when we start to cause divisions and put up obstacles—for ourselves and others.

Romans 16:19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

Lord, Help me to center myself solely and completely on You. Help me to live my life in You, with You, and for You alone. Help me to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in my way and help me not to cause divisions or put obstacles in the way of others. Draw me closer. Amen.

Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Have a blessed day.

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A beautiful prayer, calming and centering…. (devo reflection)

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The message of hope in Romans 15:13 is a favorite of mine. “God of hope,” “fill…with joy and peace,” “trust in Him,” “overflow with hope,” “the power of the Holy Spirit.” Every word is powerful and peaceful, a balm to my weary soul.

Romans 15:14 I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

It occurs to me as I type this that Romans 15:13 would make a beautiful prayer, calming and centering:
Deep breath in: May the God of hope
Deep breath out: fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him
Deep breath in: so that you may overflow with hope
Deep breath out: by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:30 I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.

Lord, Thank You for Romans 15:13, for hope that can only be found in You and Your word, for deep breaths and prayers that help me to center myself in You. Thank You for Your peace, which surpasses human understanding, a peace that can only be found in You. Draw me closer. Amen.

Romans 15:33 The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

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“No Man is an Island”….(devo reflection)

Romans 14:7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.

Today’s scripture brought to mind John Donne’s “No Man is an Island.” As God’s children, we are hardwired for community and connection, “every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main”. Romans 14:7 expresses the same sentiment.

Romans 14:8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

Since we are so intimately linked, “any man’s death”—literal, spiritual, emotional—“diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.” Since I do not live for myself alone, since this connection among humanity is real and vital, how I live my life matters. I need to live in such a way that I will edify those I come into contact with, not tear them down. By edifying my fellow man, I glorify my precious Savior.

Romans 14:9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

Lord, Forgive me when I forget that I am connected to You and Your people. Forgive me when I live for myself alone, intentionally or otherwise causing stumbling blocks for others. Help me focus on edifying others and, most importantly, glorifying You. Draw me closer. Amen.

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.

Have a blessed day.

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Varying degrees of success…. (devo reflection)

Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

The “continuing debt to love one another” is a debt we continue to pay, again and again and again. God is really good at the continuing debt to love one another. Jesus is, too. Both are shining examples of continued love through a host of circumstances, from incredibly difficult to really easy.

Romans 13:9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Me? I meet the commandment with varying degrees of success, I’m afraid. When life is in a stable place, it’s easy to pay the continuing debt to love one another. When I’m exhausted and overwhelmed, struggling to keep my head above water, self-preservation becomes paramount, and the idea of the continuing debt to love one another is hard to find.

Romans 13:10a Love does no harm to a neighbor.

Lord, Thank You for Your reminder of the continuing debt to love one another and Your abundant examples of how to love in difficult circumstances. Help me, always, to be mindful of the continuing debt to love one another. Help me to love even when I struggle. Amen.

Romans 13:10b Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Have a blessed day.