Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

Patient Words (and Actions)
by Debbie Wright
Assistant Editor, Crosswalk.com

I have a small wooden square (modeled after a scrabble tile) inscribed with the mantra "Patient Words." But before I tell you about that, let me tell you a story about someone who probably doesn't have one.

One morning a few weeks back I was driving to work on the ever-bustling 95 South. At one particular point I found myself in the middle lane behind a big truck about the size of a fed-ex truck. The driver was going a little slow, as large trucks tend to. However, enter the sedan in the left lane, which was driving around the same speed . About five over the limit, but decidedly too slow for the bustling left lane during morning rush hour.

Enter second sedan in the left lane, who found himself stuck behind the slower car. I watched with disappointment (but interest, nonetheless) as this driver made the conscious decision to tailgate the slower car, and it was almost a little surreal. He zoomed up behind the slower car, getting so close that he had to apply his brakes two separate times.

I often forget to pay attention to things. "Noticing" is not a strong point of mine. I know tailgating is something that happens, especially in big cities full of impatient drivers. But this was the first time I'd ever noticed it happen. It was kind of appalling.

Meanwhile, back to the story. The big truck in the middle lane was watching too, and he eventually got the drift: people were unable to pass. So he decided to move over to another lane, allowing the tailgating car to pass into the middle lane and race ahead. Through his patience, observance, and understanding, this truck driver made allowances for both the aggression of the tailgater and the carelessness of the slow-moving car.

It was an odd exchange to watch. It made me think about a few things. Mostly about how impatient we are all of the time.

"But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." –Psalm 86:15

It can be hard to assume the compassion and grace of God. They are intrinsic aspects of his nature. But sin has made our patience a much more difficult thing to master!

I was recently in a play with a small group made up of young adults. Most of us have been together for a long time; we've grown to learn patience with each other's quirks. It's not always easy, though, especially during the harrowing "Tech" experience, which happens the week before Friday night's opening performance.

During this particular Tech week I kept my small wooden tile with me which I had picked up at church. It has "Patient Words" written on it with sharpie. I made the tile for myself in an exercise during the sermon because I wanted patient words for my life. Little did I know how handy of a reminder it would be for me during Tech! I often found myself running to grab the tile out of my bag to clutch it in my more frustrated, weary moments. Sometimes we even passed it around, recognizing that we all desperately need reminders for patience and grace.

Intersecting Faith and Life

Are you more like that speeding, tailgating car? Or have you found a way to remind yourself to have patience? If you are prone to impatience with others, find a way today to make a reminder for yourself. Patience is not something which magically develops because we pray for it. It must be practiced.

For Further Reading

1 Corinthians 13

Galatians 5:22-23

[Judy Harder]

Do You Pray?
Kelly Givens, Editor at Salem Web Network

Editor's Note: The following is a devotional based on J.C. Ryle's A Call to Prayer (Banner of Truth, 2002).

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."  -Luke 11:9, NIV

Do you pray? In J.C. Ryle's small but important book, A Call to Prayer, he challenges readers with this simple question. Ryle asserts "there is no duty in religion so neglected as private prayer." I'm sure many of us would agree; of all the spiritual disciplines, prayer is often the hardest habit to form and one that is most quickly broken. However, we should strive to pray often, because prayer is an incredibly important element of our faith.

Here are a few reasons Ryle gives for why prayer is so important:

1.     A habit of prayer is one of the surest marks of a true Christian.  The greatest heroes and heroines of the Bible often shared a similar attribute- they were men and women of prayer.  To take your frustrations, challenges, joys, hopes and dreams to God on a regular basis requires a great deal of faith- you are essentially relinquishing control and telling God, "I trust you will work on my behalf in this situation." Do you have this kind of faith? Do you pray?

2.     A habit of prayer brings great encouragement to the one who prays. In the Bible, we see that prayer moved God to raise the dead, heal the sick, save souls, draw water from a rock and send bread from heaven. Prayer even made the sun stand still! The fact that prayer moves God to action should be a great encouragement to us. Are you encouraged by God's provision and power? Do you pray?

3.     A habit of prayer creates holy men and women. The more we seek God out in prayer, the more our hearts are aligned with what God desires for us and we become holier men and women in the process.  Are you growing closer to God? Do you pray?

4.     If we do not pray, we run the risk of backsliding in our faith. Let's be clear- Ryle doesn't mean we should fear losing our salvation. However, without prayer we run the risk of becoming stagnate in our faith, if not falling back into sinful habits and temptations we had once overcome through prayer.  When a relationship turns sour, often a main cause is poor communication. So too with us and God. Do you feel stagnate in your faith or distant from God? Do you pray?

5.     A habit of prayer brings peace and contentment. We live in a sin-filled world. Sorrows and troubles abound.   So how do we combat sadness, disappointments, fears, slanders, and hurt? When we cry out to our Father, he offers us peace that transcends our understanding. This is one of the richest blessings of our faith.  Are you experiencing this blessing? Do you pray?

Intersecting Faith and Life:  Ryle says, "In every journey there must be a first step." If you desire to become a more prayerful person, take time today and go somewhere quiet, shut the door and pray aloud that God would give you the grace and strength you need to develop a habit of prayer. Then be encouraged- God greatly desires you to be in regular prayer with him- if we ask, seek and knock, he will open the door for us to a richer prayer life.

Further Reading:

Hebrews 5: 7

Matthew 6: 5-6

Romans 8:26

[Judy Harder]

"3 Simple Steps to Surmounting the September Slump"
by Stephen Sanders. A/V Editor at Salem Web Network

You observe days and months and seasons and years.
Galatians 4:10 (NASV)

Yeah, so it's that time of year again...September. Or as I like to call it: the month where nothing happens.

Think about it. What happens in September?

OK...Labor Day and that's pretty much it. Some of us get a paid holiday for Labor Day, which is awesome.

Well, that and some retail stores use Labor Day as an excuse to have "the best sale ever."

But let's face it...that's the only 2 reasons why most of us even know that Labor Day exists. Other than that one meaningless holiday, September is easily the most uneventful month we have.

On the flip side, isn't it ironic that one of the greatest dance songs ever is called "September?"  I mean nothing gets the party started like some Earth, Wind and Fire, am I right? They make September sound like so much fun! Magical even!

But they deceive us. September isn't magical. It's dull. And it's right in the middle of this insane monotony that I begin to feel restless...like I need to do more with my life.

We've just gotten back from vacation. Summer is ending. The kids have just started a brand new school year. So naturally, it's time to take things up a notch, right? Am I the only one?

"I should really read my Bible more."

" I should do _________ less frequently."

"Christmas will be here before you know it."

Usually, I have to admit, these feelings tend to overwhelm me a bit. But this year, I've decided to break the monotony of September by doing a few very basic things that, between you and me, I should be doing anyway:

1. Read a Proverb a Day: Yes, I know there are 31 Proverbs and only 30 days in September. We can blame September for that. Besides, most of the people who are reading or listening to this devotional are pretty familiar with most of Proverbs 31 anyway. The point is: it's an easy goal with a big payoff. Not only are the Proverbs applicable to our daily lives, they are quite challenging.

2. Start a Prayer List: It's hard to deny the importance of praying for others. For one thing, it takes the focus off our problems. Secondly, you will discover that there is no shortage in the amount of prayer requests you will receive once you let people know you are starting a prayer list. You'll find the key to this exercise is to, not only compile a prayer a list, but to also actually pray for people once you create it.

3. Random Acts of Kindness: I love this one for so many reasons. For one, it's almost always something totally spontaneous. It can be as simple as picking up that piece of trash that you walk by or as complex as taking 30 minutes out of your day to be there for that annoying someone that you'd normally make excuses to avoid. Like the Proverbs challenge, you could settle for a "one a day" quota, but I usually find that once I get started it becomes quite contagious.

Intersecting Faith and Life

There you go. Three simple things you can do to feel like you aren't being a slacker in September. All three take very little time and just a little stick-to-itiveness. And, most importantly, all three are sure to bring you closer to your beloved Creator.

For Further Study

The Book of Proverbs

Earth, Wind and Fire – "September"

[Judy Harder]

You're Right! 
Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

"I've laid down a pattern for you. What I've done, you do.
I'm only pointing out the obvious...
If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it - and live a blessed life."
John 13:15-17, The Message

I was very close to my father. He was the best man in my wedding, and growing up, when a lot of my peers were spending their weekend nights partying, I was usually happier to spend an evening with my dad watching a movie over ice cream.

One of the reasons I loved spending time with him was because I knew the Lord in a personal way... and he didn't. Sure, he was raised a "cultural Catholic," and was even an altar boy, but he'd definitely fallen away from any semblance of faith, and we all knew that he'd never been saved.

For several years, Dad was pretty much my pet project. I was always sharing with him when I could, always witnessing, always loving on him. I was continually lifting up prayers to God for his salvation, always trusting and somehow knowing it would eventually come to pass. And it did, 17 years after it had for me, and four years before he died. It's one reason his death - even though he was only 57 - wasn't nearly as devastating as it might have been to me.

He passed away in August of 2001. I stayed with my mom for a few weeks to help out before flying home on the evening of September 10 - yep, the night before a whole lot more stuff changed for a whole lot of us. I was in graduate school at the time, though I ended up taking a semester off to deal with all that had happened. So that Fall was a very strange time for me.

But then, as is so often true, there was Christmas...

We were at my in-laws' house that year. Somewhere in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve I was awoken, not by reindeer on the roof, but by a rainbow in my mind. It came to me in a dream, out of the darkness, but as if I were awake. One minute there was an immense, black screen before my eyes. Then, just like in a cartoon, someone pushed a section of the blackness out of the way, revealing just a square inch of the most amazing colors. It was my dad.

He was young, tan, and radiant, and he was wearing a smile bigger than any he'd smiled on earth. He didn't linger long. He simply said, "Shawn! Shawn-o! You were right! You were right about all this! But you're not living like it!"

Intersecting Faith & Life:  The rest of this story is mine, and for the most part, I'm blessed to say I'm "living like it" a lot more since then, a few bumps in the road excepted. Ask yourself: if it were confirmed to you that everything you believe from the Word of God, and everything you've preached was true, right, and absolute, what would you do? What would you no longer waste time doing? With whom would you share, and how would your purpose and daily life change? Because guess what... it is true! You're right!

Further Reading

Live Today in Light of Heaven 

[Judy Harder]

Stinky Kitchen Rags
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"...All our righteousness-es are as filthy rags..."
Isaiah 64:6 KJV

"Gross. Who left this rag in the sink full of dirty dishes?" I asked.

No answer.

I picked up the soaked, dripping, smelly, slimy, green towel from the bottom of the kitchen sink—pinching it with thumb and forefinger on the driest corner possible.

"Well, whoever it was, please hang it up next time instead of leaving it in the sink. Thank you," I said as I dropped the rag into a plastic bag before taking it outside to dry.

Isaiah 64:6 didn't come to mind at the time, but what a great reminder of what our self-effort looks like to God. "All our righteousness-es are as filthy rags," says the King James Version. (Yes, apparently, there's a plural for "righteousness.")

An article I read recently made this connection for me. The writer, Ann Dunagan, said:

We may think our own self-efforts help us earn "brownie points" with God. But, to Him, our human works are as worthless as stinky rags.
If we try to earn favor with God — instead of trusting in Jesus — it's like collecting yucky rags. The more they pile up, the more they stink and mildew. 

Of course, the rags being referred to in Isaiah 64 are technically more 'unclean' in a biblical sense if you know what I mean (see notes on v. 6 here and here) than smelly kitchen rags, but the picture is clear.

Colossians 3:4 says that Christ is the believer's life.  Our moment-by-moment mindset is to be Christ—His perfect life, death, resurrection, ascension, intercession for us, and promised return to rule forever.

If I lose that moment-by-moment focus on Christ and fall into sin, it does me no good to try to return to God with self-effort—that's like offering Him stinky rags.  Only the cleansing sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross can make us righteous before God.

Hebrews 12:10 says that God disciplines us... "for our good, so that we may share His holiness."

And 1 John 1:9 assures us that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

"If we have sin in our lives, and we go on, and God does not put His hand in loving chastisement upon us, then we are not children of God," so wrote Francis Schaeffer in chapter eight of his book True Spirituality.

He went on to make the point that God disciplines us not only that we may share in His holiness, but that—as Hebrews 12:11 says—we may have the "peaceful fruit of righteousness." God wants us to experience relational peace with Him, not just be right with a rule book. As a perfect Father, He deeply loves His adopted children.

"This is what we ought to expect," says Schaeffer, "Given the biblical teaching that God really exists, that He is personal, and He has a holy character."   

If this is what God is... and if I have become His child, should I not expect that when I have sinned, when I have done what is the opposite of His character, I must go back to Him as a Person, and say I am sorry?   

He is not just a doctrine, or an abstraction; He is a Person who is there.     

The first step of restoration after I have sinned, then, is in exactly the same line [as in becoming a Christian]. I must acknowledge that I cannot live the Christian life in my own strength or in my own goodness. I must raise the empty hands of faith for God's gift—only the finished work of Christ in space, time, and history, back there on Calvary's cross is enough. I must bring the specific sin under the blood of Jesus Christ, by faith.     

Everything rests upon the reality of the fact that the blood of Christ has meaning in our present life, and restoration takes place as we, in faith, act upon that fact in specific cases of sin.     

When my heart condemns me and cries, "You've done it again," I am to believe God again as to the value of the finished work of Jesus Christ for the present. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

If you want a restored relationship with God, you can have it as His child. But not until you humbly call specific sin sin.

Ask God for the grace to stop trying to return to Him with the rags of self-effort, to see and confess any sin in your life to Him, and then—as Schaeffer says—raise the empty hands of faith, counting on the availability of the blood of Christ for forgiveness and restoration in this present moment.

For Further Study:
Read Hebrews 12 and 1 John 1

[Judy Harder]

Pop Quiz
by Ryan Duncan, Editor at TheFish.com

For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. – Proverbs 2:6

Back when I was still in college I had a professor who loved to give pop quizzes. It drove the entire class crazy. Every day we would take our seats and wonder if, at any moment, our professor would suddenly tell us to put our books away and prepare for another quiz. Eventually, some students got fed up and decided to try and play the system. They reasoned that if the final exam made up a larger amount of their grade than the quizzes, they could coast through the smaller tests and still leave with a decent grade.

So at the end of class one day they raised their hands and asked the professor which was more important to their final grade, the pop quizzes or the final exam? Our professor seemed to consider their question for a moment, and then asked everyone to sit down.   

"I know many of you don't like that I give a lot of pop quizzes," she said, "And as far as the University is concerned the final exam is more important. But consider this; there are no 'final exams' in the real world. When you leave this institution and join the rest of society, you will no longer be given the chance to apply your knowledge after a night of hard studying. Your employers, your co-workers, your teammates will depend on you to know the right answer the moment they ask you for it. The final exam may determine your overall grade, but these pop quizzes will likely determine your future."   

Looking back on this, I can now see there was a great deal of wisdom in this statement. Not just for life in general, but also for any Christian who wants to grow in their faith. God needs us to be ready for the pop quizzes that accompany the Christian life. If someone asks us to explain our faith, or if we see injustice being done right in front of us, we won't have the chance to step back and take a moment to study. Instead, God needs us to be ready to respond correctly with grace and wisdom.   

Because in the end, God isn't concerned on the final exam, he's more concerned on how you handle the pop quizzes.

Intersecting Faith and Life

Are you ready to be tested? Take a moment to reflect on scripture.   

Further Reading         

Proverbs 4:5   

[Judy Harder]

Unfulfilled Desire
by Sarah Phillips

"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4: 12 - 13

"For a long time I have not belonged to myself since I delivered myself totally to Jesus, and He is therefore free to do with me as He pleases." ~ St. Therese of Lisieux

Do you have unrealized desires? They have a way of burning up our insides, don't they? Perhaps you wish to be married, but year after year remain single. Or you wish for children, but remain childless. Or maybe you want to write books, but never make any headway.

Confusion and despair over unrealized desires feel the most intense when they seem natural and God-honoring. Doesn't the Lord want me to be married? Didn't He place in me this desire to be a pastor? Didn't God give me these gifts? So why do all the doors remain closed?

I've been noticing a theme lately in the stories of revered Christian heroes. Most of them had personal desires that were put on hold or even went completely unfulfilled - at least from the outside observer's perspective. Some of these desires seemed especially holy.

Take St. Martin of Tours for example. From an early age, this Christian convert's sole desire was to be a monk. But the laws in 4th century Rome required him be a soldier  - an occupation that did not suite him well. Even after the military finally released Martin, his plan to dedicate his life to solitary prayer never played out as he hoped. Martin's unique spiritual wisdom drew crowds to him and ultimately, the beloved monk was ordained a Bishop against his wishes.

St. Therese of Lisieux is another example. This French beauty from the 19th century longed to be a Carmelite nun and a missionary. While Therese's first desire came true at the early age of 15, her second never did. At 22, tuberculosis limited her to her French convent.

Why does God allow some desires to go unfulfilled? There's no simple answer to that question, however, I think it's fair to say that when good desires lay dormant, God does important work through us that might not otherwise have been possible. Paul articulates this when he is torn between two holy desires: a desire for heaven and a desire to continue to build up the Church on earth. Through eyes of faith, he sees how God can work through both outcomes.

I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith Philippians 1: 23 - 25

The same peace we see in Paul can be found in the stories of countless Christians who set their personal preferences aside.

In her autobiography Story of a Soul, St. Therese reflected, "God cannot inspire unrealizable desires. I can, then, in spite of my littleness aspire to holiness." Therese recognized that her earthly desires really boiled down to a desire for God, and while her personal limitations frustrated her, they did not limit God's work in her life. Therese spent her remaining two years on earth "in the mission fields" by praying for and corresponding with missionary priests who drew much strength from her support.

St. Martin of Tours also accepted God's calling with peace in his heart. He made an excellent Bishop in spite of his introverted ways. The key to his contentment? His love for God enabled him to love needy souls more than his solitary lifestyle.

While it's hard to accept that our personal desires sometimes have to be put on hold, it's also incredibly freeing. I think if you had a chance to speak with Paul, Therese, or Martin they'd all agree that life is much more fulfilling when the Creator of the Universe is in control instead of our little selves. What desires can you hand over to Him today?

Intersecting Faith & Life:  What dreams have been put on hold in your life? Think of ways God has worked for good in your waiting. Write down one (or more) blessings you may not have received had your original dreams come true.

Further Reading

James 4: 1

Psalm 37: 4

Realizing Your Dreams

[Judy Harder]

My Brother's Keeper
Debbie Wright, Editor at Christianity.com

"What should I write my next devo on? I probably should start it this afternoon," I typed into Google chat.

My fiancé wrote back quickly, "Not sure. I gotta go meet my family now." He then inserted an excited smiley-face emoticon.

Ah, I thought, smiling. Family.

My future in-laws live in Florida and are driving up for a visit this week. Ever since my fiancé moved up to Virginia to attend college, it has been difficult for him to be so far from them. They are a close, love-filled family. My own family is also very close. We love referring to each other by our family titles. When answering the phone from a sibling one is likely to hear "Brother!" or "Hello Sister." There are no "in laws" in my family. My brother's wife is simply "sister" – she calls my parents "Mother" and "Father." I thank God for blessing me with such a beautiful family.

Obviously not all families are close and loving. But nevertheless, Scripture has some pretty hard-hitting things to say about familial relationships. In fact, some of the harshest, most straight-forward words Paul wrote had to do with how we are supposed to treat our families. In his first letter to Timothy he said this:

"If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."  1st Timothy 5:8

That is convicting. That means a lot of things.

That means my family members are my responsibility. That means I cannot ask, like Cain asked, "Am I my brother's keeper?" It means when our grandparents and parents become elderly, we are responsible for making sure they are cared for. It might mean hassle, time, and money, but they are family. It means that no matter how wayward and rebellious my siblings might become, I must still love them, pray for them, and not speak slander about them. They might not deserve my love and devotion, but they are family. It means that, when I become a wife, caring for my husband and providing for him is never a responsibility I am allowed to shirk, no matter how tired I am or how grumpy he is. It means that, if I ever have children in my care, making sure their needs are met and their safety is my priority.

Because our God is a God of community and family. The Father, Son, and Spirit lived in community before the world was made. God filled the earth with animals that live in family units and care for one another. And after he created one man, he said "It is not good for the man to be alone," and created woman. He created family. Family is a reflection of God's love. Whether we are fortunate enough to have a thriving relationship with our biological family, or if our family is a rag-tag blend of church members, neighbors, and friends, we are still charged to care for them. If we neglect this duty, we have "denied the faith;" we have denied the importance of love and selflessness that Christ came to proclaim.

Intersecting Faith and Life

How can you love your family today? Maybe call up a family member you've not spoken to in a while and see if you can do anything for them.

Further Reading

Ephesians 2:19

[Judy Harder]

When Sin Bubbles Up
Kelly Givens, Editor at Salem Web Network

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of Life has set me free from the law of sin and death."-  Romans 8: 1-2

A few weeks ago, after realizing I had somehow missed reading this children's classic as a child, I found myself speeding through the entire Anne of Green Gables series. The books captivated me, and for good reason. Written in the early twentieth century by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, the series chronicles the life of red-headed Anne Shirley, an orphan adopted by a brother and sister pair who really wanted a little boy to help on their farm. Eventually, they learn to love the little girl brought to them, as do all readers of Montgomery's classic. Anne is a true literary heroine. We identify with her weaknesses: her spiritedness, quick-temper and vanity, and we strive for her strengths: bravery, generosity, and a heart overflowing with love for life and people.

As I read through the books, I was struck with the number of times Montgomery used Anne's character to illustrate deep truths about the human condition. There were many examples, but one stood out in particular to me.  After being picked up from the train station by Matthew, Anne begins describing her life in the orphanage. Realizing she was exaggerating just how badly things were, Anne apologizes, saying, "It's so easy to be wicked without knowing it, isn't it?"

Indeed, it is. Throughout the Green Gables series, Anne repeatedly found herself unexpected moments of "wickedness," forced to repent to neighbors, family and friends for some fiery retort, vain action or other impulsive sin. We can all relate to Anne- I know there are days I have to apologize over and over for the same sin- it just somehow keeps "bubbling up" in me.

The Apostle Paul dealt with this too. In his letter to the church in Rome, he wrote "For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing" (Romans 7:19). What causes us to do the very things we don't want to do? Why does our sin seem to bubble up in us—overflowing like a pot of boiling water? Paul understood: it is our indwelling, sinful nature fighting against our desire to do what is good. He goes on to say:

"For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"

Thankfully, Paul's question is rhetorical; he knows the answer. "Thanks be to God- through Jesus Christ our Lord!"  After acknowledging God to be our ultimate rescuer from sin, he writes some of the most encouraging verses of scripture found in the Bible, reminding us that through Christ's death on the cross we have all we need to fight the wickedness that bubbles up in us.

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."   Praise God! Our sinful nature is no match for the redemptive power of the cross.  Yes, as Anne said, it is easy to be wicked- in fact, it's unavoidable. Thankfully, Christ has already taken the punishment for our wickedness, and even more- he has credited his righteousness to us, giving us all the means we need to conqueror the sin in our lives.

Intersecting Faith & Life:
Are you like me and Anne, feeling the weight of your sin and maybe a little powerless to stop it? Then cling to the encouragement that Paul gives us in Romans- through Christ's sacrifice on the cross we are justified and are being sanctified from our sin.

Further Reading:
Romans 7-8
Galatians 5: 13-18
Timothy 1: 12-17

[Judy Harder]

Second Fiddle
By Stephen Sanders

Romans 12:9-10 (MSG) says, "Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle."

Shortly after I decided that I wanted to write a blog post on this passage of scripture, a funny thing happened. For the second time this week, I received a work email from one of my fellow employees titled, "free Hanover Tomatoes in the break room!"

Now, as a lover of all types of tomatoes, especially those of the Hanover variety, I got this email and quickly rushed down the steps to the break room where I found a couple more of my work mates. With a speedy "hey guys," I made a beeline for the table where people place all the free stuff.

As I opened the bag and reached inside, I discovered that there was just one delicious Hanover tomato left. I reluctantly picked it up and turned to toss the bag in the trash when one of my colleagues exclaimed, "Aww man! The last tomato?!?!"

"Here you go, man." I said. After all, I still had a delicious Hanover tomato in the fridge from earlier that week.

He said, "No. I can't. It's fine, man."

"No really," I said emphatically, "please take it."

"OK. If you say so," he said. As I walked towards the door to head back upstairs, he said, "Wait. Here you go, man. It has a couple holes in it anyway."

"Are you sure?" I replied as I reached out for the delicious Hanover tomato. "I'm positive", he said, "I mean, you may want to slice it up or put it on a sandwich or something like that."

"You guys are embarrassing me", said my other work mate jokingly.

When we "play second fiddle", or as the ESV says, "outdo one another in showing honor", the world around us takes notice. It's the defining mark of a Christian and ultimately what causes us to shine. Sure it might make things a little awkward or uncomfortable for everyone involved, but what's so wrong with that? I mean, isn't that kind of the point?

Just think about it; the Bible tells us emphatically that our walk with Jesus is one where we empty ourselves and then fill ourselves back up with Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul was always talking about how it was no longer he who lived but Christ and that he actually died daily to be a follower of Jesus. Even Jesus Himself states that His followers are those who deny themselves and even lose themselves for His sake.

Denying your wants is not an easy thing. It may, in fact, cause you a lot of stress. After all, what happens if you give and give until you have nothing left?

In Matthew 6:25-34 (MSG), Jesus provides a remedy to our anxiety on this matter:

"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body.

Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion – do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers – most of which are never even seen – don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works.

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

Intersecting Faith & Life

Surrendering to Jesus is the only way to supplement all of the discomfort we experience when we go without so someone else can receive. Be on the lookout for opportunities to display sacrificial love today while relying on Him for comfort.

For Further Reading

Mark 12:28-31
Philippians 2:1-4
Ephesians 5:14