Good Morning Friends,
Early Americans feasted on hard work, civic duty, moderation, family, faith, the rule of law, frugality and simplicity. They were ultimately very humble people. Today’s Americans value comfort, experiences, expression, happiness, independence, entitlement, control, acceptance and freedom. And while these choices are not necessarily bad, I wonder which of each, or perhaps others not listed best serve God with wisdom. Which Values Will You Feast On this Election Day?
Scripture: Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11 (NRSV)
One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” Then Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.” Then the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’”
Luke 14:15-24 (NRSV)
Message: When one begins to develop a Christ-like character, in one’s spirit and flesh, a by-product of this process is that one stops having selfish ambition…one stops having a selfish conceit…one begins to increase consideration of others and yes one increases humility as well. Then rather surprisingly and as a transformational gift from God one experiences the joy of being joined together. Our beliefs form our behaviors. So, what we value makes a big difference. At one point in his ministry Jesus held a child in his arms and said that we each need to be like a little child to enter the kingdom of heaven. By this one symbolic act He teaches us to accept the kingdom of God with the humility and trust of children. Jesus not only taught humility but lived it. His journey to the Cross was the most selfless, self-giving, loving act ever performed. He who is the only begotten Son of God gave Himself as the full final sacrifice for the sins of the world. And though this act in Christ we are freed but there is responsibility too. So, we need to stop making excuses about letting God bring meaningful change to our lives. You see, God’s plan for our lives is the best. Of all the experiences we desire; the experience of God and the following of Christ’s lead is the best. And it comes about through a personal, growing love relationship with God, through trusting Christ and spending time in His Word, in prayer and with others of faith. Here God’s power will move the stones, boulders and even mountains that stand in our way. So, let us quit making excuses and let God in the power of the Holy Spirit make the changes He wants to make in us. We have been invited to a banquet to feast with others on the bread of life. We accepted the invitation. Now let us grow in the knowledge of God with others who also have a personal relationship with Jesus. Friends, meaningful life change comes by the power of God sparked by those things we value most. What we value and believe makes a difference. Values are important because they act like a compass to help us lead a life that is abundant. They can improve our decision-making and productivity, achievements and our ability to have relationships with love. Maybe you have not thought about all the values that would be wise to adopt. There are a lot of values that if practiced can bring greater joy to life. Christ exhibited those we need to take to heart. You see Jesus realized the importance of having the right values. But we all need to work on some values that are not our strong suit.
And So, having the right values at the right time is a big deal. Being in the community of the Spirit should teach us to have a heart…to put ourselves aside and to help others get ahead. We need to forget ourselves long enough to remember to lend a helping hand because we cannot do this alone. Like Christ we are to set aside what we think is status and privilege. We are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We are to heal the hurting body of believers by having the same mind and attitude that Christ had. Brothers and sisters, if the called-out assembly of believers is going to be healthy, then each one of us must be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We need to reflect the mind of Christ. We are to take this example seriously. We need to remember the good in us all and we need to look for that good. We need to praise that good. We need to realize that the good in others may be better than the good in us. We need to win the battle for our mind. We need to see His reflection in us. Friends, we have been given a purpose. It is to glorify God in unity through love. Do not be afraid of God’s generosity. We need to have the right core values to improve our decision-making, our productivity, our achievements and perhaps most importantly, our ability to love and be loved. Empathy, freedom, gratitude, happiness, health, humility, innovation, knowledge, leadership, love, moderation, peace, purpose, responsibility, service, spirituality, trust, understanding, wealth, wisdom and wonder all have a place. We all have core values but the cornerstone of them must be Jesus.
Pray we value Jesus and the standard he set for us. Pray we be examples of humility. Pray we be self-emptying so Christ might fill us up with values that serve the purposes of Christ. Pray we have the mind of Christ in us. Pray we know that God knows best. Pray when we have a crisis of belief that God helps us to adjust and to see in new ways. Pray we desire to see the change in us that honors God. Pray that we accept the invitation to the banquet. Pray we join with others growing in the knowledge of a personal relationship with God. Pray we join with God in a growing personal love relationship that brings the Kingdom closer. Pray we quit making excuses and start following Jesus. Pray we realize that we cannot follow God and stay where we are. Pray we realize that we are social creatures that are hardwired to be part of a community that keeps the creative spirit alive. Pray we have compassion to understand the suffering of others. Pray that we are able to think up new and big ideas that others have yet to see. Pray we have the discipline to adopt the values that can lead us to the life God desires for us. Pray that we have empathy, compassion, honesty, loyalty and respect. Pray we are accepting of the things we cannot control. Pray we are adaptable and willing to change when we need to. Pray we pay attention to ourselves and others emotions, seeing clearly everything but most importantly what is happening in our minds. Pray we have balance that allows us to bend and not break. Pray we have a calm state of mind that deals with frustrating things. Pray we keep growing together to the glory of God.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 