Day 6
I remember meeting my wife and becoming friends with her. I don’t think I realized that I loved her as soon as I actually did, because it came on so gradually. We were attending Ball State at the time, had a few mutual friends, and lived in neighboring residence halls. When we met through the campus, student-run swing dancing club, she and I connected instantly. We liked similar nerdy shows and movies, wore the same style shoes (low-top Converse in a variety of colors), and generally enjoyed the other’s company. Soon we were walking to classes together, eating together in the dining halls, and sharing our favorite shows with each other. I wanted to spend all my time with her and, I think it’s safe to say, she felt the same way about me.
That abiding love had become a part of me. I didn’t have to think about it or try and achieve it. It was just there. That is the kind of love God wants us to have for Him. A Pharisee, an expert in religious law, asked Jesus what the most important commandment was in the Old Testament (the first half of the Bible). Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38, New Living Translation).” The kind of love you have for that special someone, the kind that makes you want to spend all your time with him or her, to get lost in conversation, and just to be in the other person’s presence. That’s what God wants us to find in Him. He wants us to pour all of ourselves into our relationship with Him. He’s the one who knows us best and loves us most, so why shouldn’t we? God is ready to spend time with you, to walk beside you and guide you through the ups and downs of life, whenever you are ready and willing to join Him.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Have you ever experienced that sort of love? The kind that washes over you and makes you want to spend every waking moment with another person? Have you ever felt that pull toward God? How can you take a step toward Him today? Consider spending a few minutes each day this week with Him. Find a place where you can sit quietly and listen for Him. You may not hear anything audible, but if you focus on God, he may stir in your heart or send a whisper to your spirit. Be open to a deeper connection with Him today.
Heavenly Father, thank you for building each of us with a heart that is designed to seek out love. Remind me today to seek time with you just as I seek time with my close friends and family. Open my ears that I might hear your whispers. Clear away the distractions of this world that would keep me from connecting with you today. I ask that you reach down and touch my heart today. Help me to feel you near me and to look for you when I don’t. Fill me with your love, so that I might love you with all my heart, soul, and mind.
That abiding love had become a part of me. I didn’t have to think about it or try and achieve it. It was just there. That is the kind of love God wants us to have for Him. A Pharisee, an expert in religious law, asked Jesus what the most important commandment was in the Old Testament (the first half of the Bible). Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38, New Living Translation).” The kind of love you have for that special someone, the kind that makes you want to spend all your time with him or her, to get lost in conversation, and just to be in the other person’s presence. That’s what God wants us to find in Him. He wants us to pour all of ourselves into our relationship with Him. He’s the one who knows us best and loves us most, so why shouldn’t we? God is ready to spend time with you, to walk beside you and guide you through the ups and downs of life, whenever you are ready and willing to join Him.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Have you ever experienced that sort of love? The kind that washes over you and makes you want to spend every waking moment with another person? Have you ever felt that pull toward God? How can you take a step toward Him today? Consider spending a few minutes each day this week with Him. Find a place where you can sit quietly and listen for Him. You may not hear anything audible, but if you focus on God, he may stir in your heart or send a whisper to your spirit. Be open to a deeper connection with Him today.
Heavenly Father, thank you for building each of us with a heart that is designed to seek out love. Remind me today to seek time with you just as I seek time with my close friends and family. Open my ears that I might hear your whispers. Clear away the distractions of this world that would keep me from connecting with you today. I ask that you reach down and touch my heart today. Help me to feel you near me and to look for you when I don’t. Fill me with your love, so that I might love you with all my heart, soul, and mind.
Day 7
Think back to a day when you were feeling down or you weren’t in the moment because your thoughts were on a stressful situation gnawing at the back of your mind. Maybe you cut someone off in traffic. No turn signal. No blind spot check. Just another driver paying enough attention to avoid a collision. They honk at you, and you wave to apologize, but you forget the entire encounter in seconds. Or you’re at the store. The line behind you is long, your kid is screaming in the cart, and you’re flipping through your wallet or digging in your purse to find that twenty dollar bill you know you put in there the other day. Where is it? The cashier taps her fingers on the countertop. You look back and see the full belt waiting to get rung up as soon as you find that money. You could be standing at the yogurt case, trying to find your favorite brand and a flavor you like. But they moved it to a different spot since last week, or you just can’t decide whether you want Peach or Key Lime Pie. Once you choose, you realize that someone is standing close by, waiting to get some yogurt of their own from the same door you were using. Or worse: from behind the door your cart has been blocking while you decided.
We’ve all done something like this. You’ve made a simple mistake, been off your game, held someone up. Do you get angry or upset about it? Of course not! You smile, chuckle, say, “Sorry,” or “Excuse me,” and move on. But what happens the moment one of those things happens to you? If you’re like me, you grumble at the person holding up the checkout line. You roll our eyes at the person who’s in the way of the next thing on your grocery list. If you’re in traffic, you give your fellow driver some loud tips for how to safely operate their vehicle.
It helps to flip your perspective. When you find yourself falling prey to anger, remember what it feels like to be in the other person’s position. Would you want met with that same anger? Or would you rather be treated with love? Jesus told his followers that the greatest commandment from the Old Testament (the first half of the Bible) was to love God. But the second one, which he deemed equally important, was to “Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39, New Living Translation).” Anyone can be your neighbor, not just the people who live next door or down the street. Look on the people you meet this week with love. Extend them grace and forgiveness. You have no idea what they’re going through. Sure, that person may just be selfish or absent-minded or rude. Or they could be in the middle of a struggle. If you were in their place, what might be going through your mind? Probably not, “I wonder if I’m holding someone else up.” Give them the same mercy you would want to receive from someone if the shoe was on the other foot.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Remember that you have been “that person” to someone else. You have been an inconvenience or a hold up when your neighbor was in a hurry or at their wit’s end. Rather than getting down about it, use it as motivation to reach out to others with the love of Jesus. What simple act of mercy can you show to someone who truly needs it? Keep your eyes open for a way to love your neighbor this week.
Heavenly Father, you give me mercy and forgiveness even when I don’t deserve it. Thank you for that gift. Open my heart to someone who needs that same gift. Give me the words to speak or the prompting to act in a way that would shine a light toward you, so that someone else might come closer to you.
We’ve all done something like this. You’ve made a simple mistake, been off your game, held someone up. Do you get angry or upset about it? Of course not! You smile, chuckle, say, “Sorry,” or “Excuse me,” and move on. But what happens the moment one of those things happens to you? If you’re like me, you grumble at the person holding up the checkout line. You roll our eyes at the person who’s in the way of the next thing on your grocery list. If you’re in traffic, you give your fellow driver some loud tips for how to safely operate their vehicle.
It helps to flip your perspective. When you find yourself falling prey to anger, remember what it feels like to be in the other person’s position. Would you want met with that same anger? Or would you rather be treated with love? Jesus told his followers that the greatest commandment from the Old Testament (the first half of the Bible) was to love God. But the second one, which he deemed equally important, was to “Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39, New Living Translation).” Anyone can be your neighbor, not just the people who live next door or down the street. Look on the people you meet this week with love. Extend them grace and forgiveness. You have no idea what they’re going through. Sure, that person may just be selfish or absent-minded or rude. Or they could be in the middle of a struggle. If you were in their place, what might be going through your mind? Probably not, “I wonder if I’m holding someone else up.” Give them the same mercy you would want to receive from someone if the shoe was on the other foot.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Remember that you have been “that person” to someone else. You have been an inconvenience or a hold up when your neighbor was in a hurry or at their wit’s end. Rather than getting down about it, use it as motivation to reach out to others with the love of Jesus. What simple act of mercy can you show to someone who truly needs it? Keep your eyes open for a way to love your neighbor this week.
Heavenly Father, you give me mercy and forgiveness even when I don’t deserve it. Thank you for that gift. Open my heart to someone who needs that same gift. Give me the words to speak or the prompting to act in a way that would shine a light toward you, so that someone else might come closer to you.
Day 8
Were you ever afraid of the dark? As children, it’s easy to fear the darkness. It represents the unknown. I remember coming to the realization that I wasn’t afraid of the dark itself, but whatever could be lurking there. Maybe there was a monster just out of sight. Or an ax murderer or a killer clown from outer space. We can blame movies and television for those images in my twelve-year-old mind. Having a flashlight in hand while you were outside at night made all the difference. If there was a mysterious noise or an especially terrifying shadow, you could shine a light into the darkness and immediately know that there was nothing to fear.
My daughter sleeps with a night light. When it stopped working, my wife and I thought that we could just cut her off cold turkey. Zoey’s seven years old. She could surely sleep through the night without it. But that idea was quickly disproven. She had a hard time getting to sleep, worried about the shadows on her walls, and she woke up in the night, scared of the dark. Needless to say, we found a replacement when it became apparent that things weren’t getting better.
As followers of Christ, we are called to be light to a world covered with darkness. John, one of Jesus’s closest friends during his ministry, said, “So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:6-7, New Living Translation).”
God is a light, and that light shines from within us to chase away the shadows of doubt and despair in our broken world. Yes, we stumble or wander from His path or fall face first into the dirt. Or we forget that we have God’s light inside. But when we pick ourselves up and get back to where we belong, His light guides us. We can’t see the whole way to the place God is leading us, but He reveals the next steps and helps us to see that it’s safe. Just like a night light can bring us comfort at bedtime or a flashlight can chase away our irrational fears of the shadows, God’s light fills us with peace. And it reminds us that we aren’t in this alone. God is here to guide us, but we have our brothers and sisters in Christ to walk along beside us throughout our journey in this world. Never forget that.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
What fears have kept you from moving forward along the path God has set for you? Is something holding you back today? Who can you turn to for support? Is there a specific person that comes to mind? If you are hesitating to take the next steps, reach out to him/her today. And remember to turn to God for guidance. Let him know about your doubts and fears, so that you can surrender them to Him.
Heavenly Father, shine your light through me today. Help me to better see the path you’ve laid for me. Life can be overwhelming, and I don’t always know what’s coming next. Please relieve me of my worries today. Replace them with your peace and the knowledge that you have good things planned for me. Help me to turn to my church family in times of need, but remind me to reach out when others need a hand. Remind me that we are in this together.
My daughter sleeps with a night light. When it stopped working, my wife and I thought that we could just cut her off cold turkey. Zoey’s seven years old. She could surely sleep through the night without it. But that idea was quickly disproven. She had a hard time getting to sleep, worried about the shadows on her walls, and she woke up in the night, scared of the dark. Needless to say, we found a replacement when it became apparent that things weren’t getting better.
As followers of Christ, we are called to be light to a world covered with darkness. John, one of Jesus’s closest friends during his ministry, said, “So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:6-7, New Living Translation).”
God is a light, and that light shines from within us to chase away the shadows of doubt and despair in our broken world. Yes, we stumble or wander from His path or fall face first into the dirt. Or we forget that we have God’s light inside. But when we pick ourselves up and get back to where we belong, His light guides us. We can’t see the whole way to the place God is leading us, but He reveals the next steps and helps us to see that it’s safe. Just like a night light can bring us comfort at bedtime or a flashlight can chase away our irrational fears of the shadows, God’s light fills us with peace. And it reminds us that we aren’t in this alone. God is here to guide us, but we have our brothers and sisters in Christ to walk along beside us throughout our journey in this world. Never forget that.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
What fears have kept you from moving forward along the path God has set for you? Is something holding you back today? Who can you turn to for support? Is there a specific person that comes to mind? If you are hesitating to take the next steps, reach out to him/her today. And remember to turn to God for guidance. Let him know about your doubts and fears, so that you can surrender them to Him.
Heavenly Father, shine your light through me today. Help me to better see the path you’ve laid for me. Life can be overwhelming, and I don’t always know what’s coming next. Please relieve me of my worries today. Replace them with your peace and the knowledge that you have good things planned for me. Help me to turn to my church family in times of need, but remind me to reach out when others need a hand. Remind me that we are in this together.
Day 9
My sister Whitney and I are good friends. We can have a two-hour phone conversation and spend most of it making each other laugh. But we weren’t always so close. We were never truly at each other’s throats, but when you’re ten years old and just want a little alone time, it’s easy to push your five year old sister out of your bedroom, close the door behind her, and sit with your back against it so she can’t barge in. There was the time that I threw her favorite stuffed animal at her and laughed when I hit her in the eye. Or when I used my red, handheld Dymo label maker to make a sticker that said, “I SUCK,” and put it on her forehead to show our dad. Not my proudest moment. But as my angry dad raised his hand to smash that label maker, my little sister defended me. She tried to convince him that it was just a joke and she knew I didn’t mean it. Her plea didn’t save my gadget, but it spoke volumes.
I remember my mom saying something profound about family, which has stuck with me to this day: You don’t have to like each other, but you have to love each other. She probably told me that in response to how I felt about my annoying little sister. In those moments, Whitney had every right to follow mom’s advice about me. I wasn’t all that nice to her at the time. But she never stopped liking me after all I put her through. Thankfully, I let up as I got older and our friendship had a chance to grow into something pretty great.
The apostle John tells us, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters (1 John 4:20-21, New Living Translation).” God is love. When we get truly connected to Him, we are filled with that love and get to share it with the world. But that is sometimes easier said than done. People aren’t always easy to love. It could be a cruel sibling, an arrogant neighbor, or a rude coworker. It could even be someone who sits across the aisle from you at church. But God calls us to love everyone, regardless of how we feel about them, especially our fellow Christ followers. Remember my mom’s advice. You don’t have to like each other, but you have to love each other. For better or worse, it’s our mission.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Who in your life is difficult to love? Is there someone in your family, neighborhood, friend group, or workplace who tries your patience? What small adjustments can you make so that you show God’s love to those people who truly need it? Maybe you’re the thorn in someone else’s side. What can you change to be more lovable toward the people in your life?
Heavenly Father, soften my heart. Reveal the person or people I need to reach out to in love today. Stir in my heart so that I can make a difference in their lives. Use me to spread love and understanding in my sphere of influence. If I am a sticking point for others, guide me to the change that will make the greatest impact on myself and those around me. Thank you for showing me love even when I’m not lovable.
I remember my mom saying something profound about family, which has stuck with me to this day: You don’t have to like each other, but you have to love each other. She probably told me that in response to how I felt about my annoying little sister. In those moments, Whitney had every right to follow mom’s advice about me. I wasn’t all that nice to her at the time. But she never stopped liking me after all I put her through. Thankfully, I let up as I got older and our friendship had a chance to grow into something pretty great.
The apostle John tells us, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters (1 John 4:20-21, New Living Translation).” God is love. When we get truly connected to Him, we are filled with that love and get to share it with the world. But that is sometimes easier said than done. People aren’t always easy to love. It could be a cruel sibling, an arrogant neighbor, or a rude coworker. It could even be someone who sits across the aisle from you at church. But God calls us to love everyone, regardless of how we feel about them, especially our fellow Christ followers. Remember my mom’s advice. You don’t have to like each other, but you have to love each other. For better or worse, it’s our mission.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Who in your life is difficult to love? Is there someone in your family, neighborhood, friend group, or workplace who tries your patience? What small adjustments can you make so that you show God’s love to those people who truly need it? Maybe you’re the thorn in someone else’s side. What can you change to be more lovable toward the people in your life?
Heavenly Father, soften my heart. Reveal the person or people I need to reach out to in love today. Stir in my heart so that I can make a difference in their lives. Use me to spread love and understanding in my sphere of influence. If I am a sticking point for others, guide me to the change that will make the greatest impact on myself and those around me. Thank you for showing me love even when I’m not lovable.
Day 10
Have you ever been blessed when you didn’t deserve it? You snapped at your kids and made them cry. But later, they came up and apologized, unprompted, and hugged you. Or you were at your wit’s end and needed a coffee from Starbucks and the person ahead of you paid for your order. Or a close friend continually pours his/her heart out through long lunches, willingness to watch your children with no expectation to reciprocate or to need for payment, and generally offering encouraging words and affirmations.
That last one is what true Christian community looks and feels like. Sometimes you’re on the giving end, sharing from your excess, even if its meager. Other times, you’re on the receiving end. Life ebbs and flows. We go through seasons of trials and seasons of blessings. But my family has benefited from getting connected to a small group. We don’t live close to family (we’re more than an hour away from either of our parents), but our small group members have become like a surrogate family in their place. We are incredibly blessed to have such caring, tenderhearted, compassionate people in our lives. They share in our struggles and celebrate with us when things are going well. We can confide in them, come to them when we’re in need of prayer, or just sit down and catch up with them when we haven’t seen each other for a while. We are part of a great support system that has helped families through loss and grief, new babies, job transitions, parenting struggles, and so many other things. We are privileged to have one another.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he says, “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory (Romans 5:1-2, New Living Translation).” God’s blessings come to us in many ways. We won’t always find ourselves at peace or in times of easy living, but He brings us encouragement, strength, and support through our fellow brothers and sisters. They are our undeserved privilege, at least in my experience. If you haven’t connected with a small group, what’s holding you back? God wants to bless you and bless others through you, and joining a small group is a great way to do that.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Look back on the past week. How has God blessed you in undeserved ways? What little moments have brought you comfort or peace right when you needed it? Reflect on how something so small made such a big difference for you. If you’re part of a small group, how have your fellow members brought you to a place of undeserved privilege? If you’re not part of a small group, what’s standing in your way? Ask God to lead you to the group that’s right for you.
Heavenly Father, thank you for bringing us one another. Help us to remember the strength that comes when we share each other’s burdens and lighten heavy loads for our brothers and sisters. Remind us to reach out when we’re able so that we can show your love to people near to you and far from you. Lead us down a path that would draw others into our community of love. Convict us when we hold too tightly to your blessings. Help us to see how we can share them with others.
That last one is what true Christian community looks and feels like. Sometimes you’re on the giving end, sharing from your excess, even if its meager. Other times, you’re on the receiving end. Life ebbs and flows. We go through seasons of trials and seasons of blessings. But my family has benefited from getting connected to a small group. We don’t live close to family (we’re more than an hour away from either of our parents), but our small group members have become like a surrogate family in their place. We are incredibly blessed to have such caring, tenderhearted, compassionate people in our lives. They share in our struggles and celebrate with us when things are going well. We can confide in them, come to them when we’re in need of prayer, or just sit down and catch up with them when we haven’t seen each other for a while. We are part of a great support system that has helped families through loss and grief, new babies, job transitions, parenting struggles, and so many other things. We are privileged to have one another.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he says, “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory (Romans 5:1-2, New Living Translation).” God’s blessings come to us in many ways. We won’t always find ourselves at peace or in times of easy living, but He brings us encouragement, strength, and support through our fellow brothers and sisters. They are our undeserved privilege, at least in my experience. If you haven’t connected with a small group, what’s holding you back? God wants to bless you and bless others through you, and joining a small group is a great way to do that.
Take a moment to reflect on today’s devotional and scripture. Use the space below to write your responses.
Look back on the past week. How has God blessed you in undeserved ways? What little moments have brought you comfort or peace right when you needed it? Reflect on how something so small made such a big difference for you. If you’re part of a small group, how have your fellow members brought you to a place of undeserved privilege? If you’re not part of a small group, what’s standing in your way? Ask God to lead you to the group that’s right for you.
Heavenly Father, thank you for bringing us one another. Help us to remember the strength that comes when we share each other’s burdens and lighten heavy loads for our brothers and sisters. Remind us to reach out when we’re able so that we can show your love to people near to you and far from you. Lead us down a path that would draw others into our community of love. Convict us when we hold too tightly to your blessings. Help us to see how we can share them with others.