Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

January 9, 2012

You Never Do Anything You Don't Want to Do
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.
Galatians 6:5, The Message

If I try, I can remember my friends from 10th-grade Sunday School. In fact, I'm still tight with two of them. I remember our church, our youth group, and our youth minister. What I don't remember so well are the individual lessons we learned from the Bible each week. As I realize that, I give myself another kick for not having gotten into note-taking and journaling. I'd like to have those things to review now.

What I do recall from one particular class session, however, has always stuck with me. And it wasn't even a quote from the Bible. To show how much I've forgotten, I don't even remember the name of the teacher who said it! He was tall, well-accomplished, but still wanting to give of his time to young men. And one day he looked at us and said the following:

"Today's lesson is going to be very short. Look at me, because whatever you remember from today, remember this. Whatever you remember from your time in this youth group, remember this: You never do anything you don't want to do."

That was it. Obviously I still remember it. Why?

I remember challenging the teacher on that day, most of us scoffing and saying things like, "Yeah, right... I can honestly tell you I do not want to do my homework tonight."

"Yes you do."

"No, I really don't."

"What will happen if you don't?"

"Well, I guess I'd be embarrassed when it was time to turn it in, I'd probably have to lie to my parents when they asked if I'd done it yet, and I wouldn't be prepared for the upcoming quiz."

"So I guess the reason you're going to do your homework is because for the motives you just stated, you DO want to do it."

Snap.

A dozen high school boys just got handed a logic lesson in responsibility, desire, and motivation. All around the room you could see eyes and minds opening to new possibilities.

This is what we'd been hearing about free will. But now contextualized and personalized.

This is what our parents and teachers had been getting at as they spoke to us about becoming responsible young men.

This put my actions all squarely back on me. And oddly enough, that was something I could tangibly handle.

The applications were endless.

I'm still not even sure his statement was absolutely true, or biblical. But to be honest, it doesn't matter anymore, because it informed and continues to inform many things in my life that are true and biblical.

Do I want to lay in bed or do I want to get to work? Why or why not? Do I really "want" that sportscar, or can I put it out of my mind to burden me no more since it conflicts with several of my primary wants?

Why am I overweight? Well, my bad. Guess I wanted that, too, when you get down to the nub of it. Certainly didn't do the things I knew would prevent it.

One of the doors that opened to me was in realizing that once I got past "my will be done," I could begin to pray as Jesus did, "Your will be done."

Another was in being able to recognize motivation. Why am I going to conquer this lust or pursue this knowledge or accomplish this hard task for God's Kingdom? Because ultimately, what I want to do is to have my heart's desires be the same as Yours, Lord. That's where You tell us delight is, and that's the only place where we know what we want is right.

Intersecting Faith & Life: What action or reaction in your own life have you been blaming on other people or circumstances? Write down all the ways you yourself can own up to it.

Further Reading

1 Thessalonians 5:12
Philippians 1:23
We Are Responsible for Others

[Judy Harder]

January 10, 2012

Are You Reciting the Gospel by Yourself?
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"...with Him... Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking
of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem."
Luke 9:30-31 NASB

It's good to see that the idea of 'preaching the gospel to yourself everyday' is becoming more popular. At least that's how it seems to me. Things that point to the gospel are popping up in all kinds of places and ways, not only in big and new movements but in short videos, articles and Twitter messages ("Gospel Tweets"). A caution in the way we think about the gospel was brought to my attention recently in chapter two of True Spirituality. If you're not following along in our weekly journey through this important and helpful work by Francis Schaeffer, I invite you to join us. 

In chapter two, Schaeffer mentions our Scripture passage today (above) where we see Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration about His impending departure—His death.

It's subtle, but notice that they're not just making a passing mention of the fact. Rather, they were actively and continuously speaking about it. They were dwelling on the gospel; at least the substitutionary atonement part of it. And with the Object of their redemption (Christ) standing right there, no doubt there must have been more than just theological accuracy in their conversation. Probably more like amazement and deep gratitude. As they thought of all that Christ was about to endure for their sin, I'm sure they had correct thoughts about the gospel. But Christ's own presence energized their orthodox theology. 

At times, there can a detached, tearless way that we think about the gospel. When I have well-articulated and familiar facts about Christ's life/death/resurrection/ascension, and they are just empty echoes down the icy corridors of my thoughts, the diagnosis is simple: I have broken fellowship with Christ. It's evidence of unconfessed sin.

Schaeffer reminds us that when we rehearse the gospel, we must do so in the presence of the Living Christ; in humble worship of Him. He is not a distant figment of man's imagination. He is the God Who is there. Just as Moses and Elijah were "with Him"... in His presence, so we too must continuously rehearse the gospel while recognizing that we are in the presence of the God Who is there. The Christian life flows from the constant spring of dwelling on the gospel with the Redeemer Himself. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:     

Remember this paraphrase of John Piper: the gospel is like blood, it's supposed to course through your veins not be carried in a bucket.

John Owen, (a 1600s Puritan) often prayed, "Lord, may I commune with You in the doctrines I espouse." Make this your prayer and experience today. 

Further Reading

John 15

The Gospel in Six Minutes (John Piper, video)

"While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that man can be, Thou, God art present there."
From the hymn, "I Sing the Mighty Power of God" by Isaac Watts

[Judy Harder]

God and Treadmills
Ryan Duncan, TheFish.com Editor

"May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance."- 2 Thessalonians 3:5

Ever since I moved to Richmond I've acquired a taste for working out. There's just something addicting about going to the gym after a long day at the office and pounding a treadmill until you feel the moisture on your forehead. I'm not trying to sound like a stud (which of course I am), but if I don't get my usual workouts, I tend to go stir crazy. That's why I can't stand January. After every New Year's celebration, like clockwork, the gyms become crowded with people who have resolved to become healthier.

Because of the crowds, it becomes harder to get equipment, find parking spaces, or do any of my usual exercises. Now don't get me wrong, I'm glad people are trying to get healthier and I encourage anyone who wants to start working out to give it a try, but I still get frustrated because I know that within a month most of these people will be gone. Exercise requires a lot of commitment and perseverance, and while a lot of people have resolved to live better, when the hard part sets in they give up. You could say the same thing applies to faith; I know it does for me. I cannot tell you how many times God has revealed himself in my life through his grace, his power, or even his sense of humor. But despite all these moments, it's still so easy for me to doubt, to get angry with God and wonder if he has a plan, or if he's even there at all.

The book of James is useful in moments like this, and even offers some encouragement for when we're tempted to doubt.   

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." – James 1:2-8     

The truth is our spiritual workouts are no different from our physical ones. If you want to run a marathon, you first have to run a mile, and if you want to become a tool for Christ, you have to trust him first. So don't be afraid of trials and challenges, but instead embrace them as opportunities to mature in your faith. It won't be easy, and odds are you'll probably have to endure some difficult and painful experiences, but in the end you'll look back and know you're stronger because of it.

Intersecting Faith and Life

Try to apply God to your daily life through prayer and service.

Further Reading

Hebrews 12:1   

[Judy Harder]

January 12, 2012

Meanwhile, Back on Earth . . .
Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:1-3, NIV

This month marks twenty years since my dad went to be with the Lord.

I've been thinking about him a lot lately and wondering what life would have been like these past two decades had he still been living on earth. When he left here for "home," I was just starting out in my career and I was still very much like who I am today: friendly, talkative, head-strong, independent, truth-seeking and bluntly honest.

I wonder if he would be proud of who I have become and the choices I have made in my life. I hope so. Our fathers play such important roles in our lives, whether we're sons or daughters. They set the example, they can either buoy or crush our spirits, and they either undergird our lives with love, instruction and understanding or are distant and uninvolved.

But thankfully, I had a father who always let me know I was the apple of his eye. We had our own inside jokes, enjoyed talking about life together and always found unconditional support and love with one another. My dad was interested in me and was amused by me and my quirky antics. I will always cherish knowing that I was valued and adored in our earthly father-daughter relationship.

Because of that, it's still hard for me to see a father and a young daughter together today, walking hand in hand or sharing a laugh or a special moment with each other. There are also certain movies I cannot watch because of the sweet father-daughter relationships depicted therein. It just hits too close to home.

Thankfully, since I've loved and lost, I can definitely identify with anyone else who grieves someone precious and dear. That's one blessing the Lord has given me over the years when I've been sad and have seen that I can still reach out to others through my tears. It's a reminder to me that we were made not only to seek relationship with the Father, but with others here on earth.

If you are missing someone, I hope you will consider Jesus' words to his disciples in today's verse found in John 14:1-3. He wanted to remind his closest, dearest friends that life on earth was not "it" in terms of the grand scheme of things, and that he was preparing something much more glorious and special for his own. He wanted them not to be troubled because of his separation from them.

After he was gone, he wanted them to continue living rich, full lives by telling others about him and spreading the word that one day we will be reunited with him in our heavenly home (Matt. 28:16-20). I can imagine my earthly father reminding me of this very same thing if he could come back and give me a message today.

No matter our circumstances, you and I are still here for a purpose. And our heavenly father wants us to continue making the most of our lives while living for him "meanwhile, back on earth" (2 Peter 3:11-12).

Intersecting Faith & Life: Is your heart troubled? Are you mired in the throes of grief today? Set your thoughts on what awaits you in the life to come, and ponder how God still wants to work in and through your life until you have reached your heavenly home.

Further Reading:

Luke 11:9-13, NIV

2 Peter 3:13, NIV

[Judy Harder]

January 13, 2012

Strangers in a Strange Land
Anna Kuta, Crosswalk.com Editor

"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:18-19).

This fall, I took a road trip with some friends to watch our college football team, the Richmond Spiders, take on in-state rival James Madison University. Our team was 3 and 1 at that point in the season, and our only loss had come from a nailbiter the week before, so we were pretty confident as we set out that morning. It was a gorgeous day for football and we'd managed to get some of the very last tickets before the game sold out, so we were quite proud of ourselves and excited for what seemed like it would be an extremely successful trip.

However, it wasn't long before things started going downhill. We took a wrong turn and ended up circling the entire town of Harrisonburg twice. An hour and a half later, we finally got to the stadium gates just as the game started, but as we started climbing the bleachers to our seats, we began to realize we were the only ones in sight wearing Richmond red and blue. Turns out our tickets we were so proud of were not in the Richmond fan section, as we thought, but the reject seats on the complete opposite corner of the field. We felt like the enemy as we took our seats smack in the middle of a sea of yellow and purple, but that wasn't going to deter us from still cheering on a victory.

When Richmond made a touchdown right away for the game's first points, things seemed to be looking great (besides the dirty looks we got). Unfortunately, that was as good as it got. We didn't score again for the rest of the game. JMU piled on touchdown, touchdown, field goal, touchdown ... and with each point my friends and I sat a little more dejectedly in our seats. Someone threw yellow streamers and paper airplanes at us, and then it started pouring rain. It finally ended and we left the stadium soaking wet and miserable. But the ordeal wasn't quite over yet. We started walking back to our car, got heckled, decided against walking in the rain among hecklers, got on a shuttle, and proceeded to get heckled for the next half hour we were stuck in traffic. When we finally got back to the car, all we could do was grumble a little bit and shake our heads.

We can laugh about that disaster of a day now, but it certainly wasn't very funny at the time. Maybe you've had a similar experience at a sporting event, or you can identify with the same feeling of being unwelcome in a different situation. Have you ever faced similar hostility for your faith? Even though you and I might never experience anything close to the extreme suffering that many believers around the world face, we all have times when we feel out of place or downright vilified because of our faith.

As Christians, we are "strangers and aliens" in a world of unbelievers, as Peter says in 1 Peter 2:11. The older I get, the more keenly aware I am that I don't think like them, that I don't have the same desires, motivations and passions. The more I grow in my faith, the more different I feel from many people I come in contact with, and the more open I am about my faith, the more that difference becomes tangible. We are called to be set apart, yet we are in the world for a reason: to share Jesus. It's often not received with open arms, but it's what we are commanded to do as followers of Christ.

Like Jesus says in John 15:18, it's not always going to be easy. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own, He says. But when we accept Christ and enter into a relationship with Him, He chooses us out of the world. Like my friends and I felt when we were surrounded by fans of an opposing team, so we as Christians will never feel "at home" in this world. Yes, we'll face opposition, but Jesus Himself said it's a badge of the Christian faith and a sign that we belong to Him. In answering His call to reject worldly conformity, we can truly make an impact by being an example for Jesus.

Intersecting Faith & Life

It's not easy living a life of Jesus' high calling, and the way we're treated by the world can be plain discouraging at times. Pray for God to help you desire to be more like Him and to give you strength to stand up against opposition.

Further Reading

1 Peter 2:11-12

Romans 12:2

John 17

[Judy Harder]

Jan. 16, 2012

Ordinary Holiness
by Sarah Phillips, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 1 Corinthians 12: 4 - 8

We've now entered "Ordinary Time" in the Christian calendar. Christmas is officially over and Lent has yet to come. The label "ordinary time" may sound boring, but it's not meant to be a useless season. Most of life is spent in "ordinary time," and so it's our task to figure out what pleases God as we live an "ordinary" Christian life.

As I was posting an article in our Careers channel, I was struck by a point the author made. In his article "Is Secular Work Valued by God?" Os Hillman reminded readers that most of Jesus' life was spent as an ordinary carpenter. A working class man toiling beside St. Joseph, getting his hands dirty.

I think it's easy to forget that fact. So much of Scripture focuses on his last 3 years of life - yet Jesus Christ lived 30 years before that! He walked among us as an infant, a child, a young adult, and a career man. He loved his family and participated in his community. Hillman cites St. Bonaventure's thoughts: "His doing nothing 'wonderful' [in His first 30 years] was in itself a kind of wonder."

As Americans, I think we struggle a bit with being ordinary. We want to be extraordinary. We tune into shows like American Idol to live vicariously through these ordinary folks who rise to extraordinary heights. We look at the dedicated missionaries traveling the world and imagine their lives are more meaningful than ours. We dream about making our own unique mark on the world. Yet, our Lord did not spend most of his life seeking the extraordinary - at least not externally.

There's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to be extraordinary. But sometimes it can become more about self than about God. We forget that there is "wonder" in the ordinary, and that God places great value on the most ordinary of tasks if completed out of love for him and in imitation of him.

In fact, God's willingness to live an ordinary life consecrates the ordinary, making it extraordinary. The most mundane task can now be a channel for God's grace. Hillman points out:

"God values our work even when the 'product' seems to have no eternal value. His design for work is multifaceted: not only does He desire us to worship Him through our work, He is concerned about meeting human needs and has created each of us with unique DNA to be a conduit for Him to provide for those needs."

The opening scriptures remind us that "there are varieties of working, but the same God inspires them all in every one." While your daily responsibilites may look ordinary on the outside, God has a hand in your life. What are your gifts? In what ways does God want to use you to reach others? Don't be afraid if what you have to offer seems "ordinary."

Intersecting Faith & Life: Write down one or two ways you can serve God and others in your every day life this year.

Further Reading:

Isaiah 62:1-5

Psalm 96:1-3, 7-10

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

John 2:1-11

[Judy Harder]

January 17, 2012

The Temporary Non-Path of Patience
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. James 5:7-8

We all know that patience isn't easy, or fun. What it is, though, is the path of the wise. Or, perhaps it's better to say the "non-path," since it usually involves a decision to do nothing for a while, to be still and know that you are not God, to reflect, or to strategize.

I recently gained new insight into the value of patience and the reason it's prized so highly in the Bible, from verses about "those who wait on the Lord" to "letting endurance have its perfect result."

In the first half of 2010 I raced through a blog of the TV show LOST. The series is replete with Christo-religious metaphors and parallels. One such area it studies in detail is patience. Early on, one of the characters tells another that "Patience, which you lack, is the quality of a leader." It almost flew right by me, like it did the first time. Patience? The quality of a leader? Does that sound right? Not really, not to today's ears. Don't we usually think of leaders as people who make immediate, command decisions, rush into action, tell others what to do, and make people feel safe (which is to say, how they think they need to feel)?

That's part of it; however, those are the very flaws about the concept that plagued most of the characters on LOST. They were so driven to do, fix, run, save, correct, fight, and prove that they often didn't take time to actually ponder the next step or, even better, wait for the next step to present itself. Their lack of wisdom in making rush decisions and actions was obvious to the audience, who kept wondering why they couldn't remember the miracles they'd already seen, why they couldn't reflect on what they'd already come through, the amazing ways they'd been granted second chances, the redemption they'd been given despite not deserving it, the way they kept longing for home while failing to realize they were building a new one (if they could have just slowed down and seen it).

As I watched it all unfold, I was reminded of the children of Israel. Granted, 40 years in a desert would be a long time to wait for anything, particularly a promised new home. So they grumbled. They longed for the old ways, even though those meant bondage and servitude. They failed to stop and understand that the miracles of manna and the Red Sea meant more were on the way - at the right time. They nagged their leadership, sought unproductive solutions, and just like the characters on LOST, were plagued by always feeling they had to do something, to take control.

The paradox is that control is indeed involved, but it's self-control instead of situational control. Relax. Quiet yourself. Let's remember where we came from and the amazing ways we passed through peril for a while. Let's reflect on the present - the fact we're here - and how amazing the Lord is. Let's ponder our future steps before rushing up them and tripping.

Patience - the "strengthening of the heart" James refers to - then is directly related to another fruit of the Spirit, self-control. Self-control thus leads to maturity, which is completeness, which is wisdom, which is leadership, which is purpose, which is ministry, which is being used of God, which is where we see miracles again. Full-circle we come, eventually, when we patiently wait on the Lord, who is never late and perpetually victorious.

Situational control may provide temporary satisfaction, but it also often makes a situation worse. Patience is a willing temporary dissatisfaction, but it puts your emotions under control and God in control. It might make a situation feel like it's not getting better, but the solution can only be miraculous with it as part of the equation. Patience prevents rash judgment, and judgmentalism. It secures a plan. It is a beautiful paradox of being a non-action and yet a conscious exercise of free will. It is the basis for the merciful ways the Lord deals with us. Patience provides the path in proper time, and promises that faith will be rewarded.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Practice patience this week by seeking not to pursue control in one particularly vexing portion of your life, and ponder whether it's indeed your problem to solve in the first place. Start by remembering the miracle of how God got your attention and delivered you, and his promise that the great work he began in you will not remain incomplete, no matter how long it takes. What miracle will be next? Wait and see. "You will know that I am the LORD; Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame (Isaiah 49:23)."

Further Reading

Galatians 5:22
Hebrews 6:12
1 Corinthians 4:5
Isaiah 40:31

[Judy Harder]

January 18, 2012

The First Fruit of the Gospel
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and My words, of him shall the Son of Man
be ashamed, when He shall come in His own glory..."
Luke 9:26 NASB

This week in chapter two of Francis Schaeffer's True Spirituality, we build upon the foundation regarding our need to daily encounter Christ the Living Redeemer in His gospel.

It is important to be clear in our understanding about the substitutionary nature of His death for sinners. Second Corinthians 5:21, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Nothing—not good works, religious rituals, not anything can add merit to His perfect work of atonement.

That is not to say, however, that virtue does not flow from His work in our lives. Schaeffer discusses at length at least one necessary result of the gospel in our lives; that being the practice of dying daily. He insightfully takes us to Luke 9:22-26 where Christ tells His disciples the certain order of events that would soon occur to Him... that He would be rejected, slain, then raised. And then points out that Christ immediately relates this order—rejected, slain, raised—to the Christian life. Luke 9:23-24 "And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it."

"Jesus is talking here about our death by choice in the present life. He applies it to a specific situation to make it more concrete. "For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and My words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when He shall come in His own glory..." (Luke 9:26)

"The Bible is not speaking of some romantic feeling, some idealization, some abstraction. Jesus carries this concept of facing the rejection, being slain, down to a very practical situation: facing an alien world. It is the saying "no" to self when our natural selves would desire acceptance by the alien world—a world in revolt against its Creator and our Lord.

"...this command of Christ is not limited to one situation; it is that which is to be the whole mentality and outlook of the Christian's life.

"As Christ's rejection and death are the first steps in the order of redemption, so our rejection and death are the first steps in the order of true and growing spirituality.

"As there could be no next step in the order of Christ's redemption until the step was taken, so in the Christian there can be no further step until these first two steps—rejected, slain—are faced; not in theory only, but at least in some partial practice."

Intersecting Faith & Life: 
Is the gospel bearing fruit in your life in this way? Put another way, do you increasingly treasure Christ so that things and self receive less and less of your time, attention and resources?

Pray for family, friends and loved ones who are infiltrated by the world with its attitudes that God would make them willing to walk, by His grace through the steps of being rejected and slain, and that they would know the blessing of a resurrected life.

Further Reading:
The Expulsive Power of a New Affection

[Judy Harder]

January 19, 2012

New Creations
Ryan Duncan, TheFish.com Editor

"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." – 1 Peter 1:23

Have you ever done something embarrassing? I know I have. In fact you could say my entire childhood (and a good portion of my adult life) has been one long string of embarrassing moments. I am still haunted by the memory of when I threw up during my English final, or the time I tripped while skiing and caused a massive, ten-man pile-up in front of the ski lift. The worst part is you're brain never lets you forget it.

The difficult news is it's not just embarrassing moments we seem unable to forget, it's our mistakes. Many of us have done things in our lives that we regret. We've acted selfishly, or violently, and other people have been hurt because of it. The Devil loves to use our past mistakes against us; they are by far his favorite weapons. He will always wait until we're vulnerable, then take our dirty laundry and rub it in our face.       

It's at moments like these that I always turn to 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 and reminded myself about the truth behind Christ's ministry.     

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." – 2 Corinthians 5: 17-19

When we choose to follow Christ, our slates are instantly wiped clean. All the mistakes we've made all the stupid things we've done, embarrassing or otherwise, no longer matter to God. We may still have to accept the consequences of our actions, but we can take comfort in knowing that it God's sight we are new creations. So do not allow Satan to guilt you with past mistakes, you are a child of God and he will never see you as anything less.

Intersecting Faith a Life

Take a moment to read your Bible and reflect on God's words.

Further Reading

2 Corinthians 5

 

[Judy Harder]

January 20, 2012

Praying to the Heater God
Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20, NIV

A portable space heater comes in handy this time of year.

I've got one in my home office that I place right in front of my feet, while I'm paying bills or working on something at my desk. No sooner have I flipped the switch to "on," then my two cats suddenly "appear" and are sitting very close to it.

I don't know how their little noses don't get burned, but I guess they know their own heat tolerance better than I do. They will generally sit in front of the heater until I turn it off . . .  meaning, they never tire from taking in the irresistible warmth that makes them feel so good.

They practically worship the heater. And so when they sit there, I say that they're "praying to the heater god." Because that's what it looks like:  down on all fours (almost prostrate), eyes closed (for better concentration and devotion), and focus directed toward the source of their (temporary) satisfaction.

This scenario got me to thinking one day about what I worship:What are the "heater gods" in my life? What things am I so dangerously close to that can burn me? And what's interfering with my devotion to the one, true God?

Well, I didn't have to think too long or look too far. I glanced around my office and saw some catalogs for department stores lying around. Then, I looked a little further and saw my jam-packed calendar. Just beyond that, my treadmill. And then there was my little television positioned strategically so I can see it while working out.

So, in that one little space in my home, I've got the false gods of materialism, achievement, appearance and entertainment all grouped together. But hey, my several Bibles and a couple of commentaries and Bible study books are there on my bookshelf, too. So just the very fact that I have these should help to cancel out the false gods, right?

I'd like to think so. But truth is they don't. Since I don't know my own "heat tolerance" as it were, I need to constantly gauge my levels in light of God's Word. And that means I need to constantly be exposing myself to the true God by reading those Bibles, books and commentaries, spending time in study, being in fellowship with other believers, using my spiritual gifts and so forth.

I think the fourth verse from the great hymn, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," details my constant struggle the best:

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here's my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

We're all prone to wander and to leave the God we should love. It is a daily battle, and it is only by his grace—his irresistible grace—that our minds can stay on him. May he continue to work in our hearts and draw us unto himself.

Intersecting Faith & Life: What are the false gods in your life? Ask God to help you resist anything that challenges your devotion to him.

Further Reading:

1 Chron. 16:11-12

Psa. 51:10