Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

What are You Drunk On?
Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others were mocking and saying, "They are full of sweet wine."
Acts 2:12-13

"These men are not drunk, as you suppose," Peter told the bewildered crowd at Pentecost. "This is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel." The Holy Spirit had been poured out, and I've always found it fascinating that its effects could be mistaken for the pouring out of, shall we say, less holier spirits.

To be sure, the Bible instructs Christ-followers to be "sober-minded" (1 Cor. 15:34, Titus 2:6). And there's honor and maturity in a steadfast, stoic reaction to life's trials. But then there's this fantastic scene in Acts that just fills me with tiny bubbles of delight. There's so much joy and power and overflowing involved with the Holy Spirit, that sometimes, well, we Christians just seem a little bit crazy. Flipped-out. Punch-drunk. Downright giddy.



And who wouldn't like to see more of that side of us these days?

Reflecting on this kind of Spirit-trusting, God-leaning fun reminds me of my three summers as a Christian youth camp counselor. The labor was hard but not in vain. The purpose was evident. The craziness was everywhere. "Go nutso-picasso," our Director would say, and show these kids that being a Christian isn't some droll, fun-killing existence, but something real, life-giving, sustaining, and joyous.

And indeed it was, and is. My closest friends and I had an odd high school experience, in that we had a hard time understanding why our peers found it so fun and/or necessary to involve alcohol - illegally, even - in their weekend plans. We were having more laughs and fun than we could imagine without any drugs. What were we filled with? Why didn't we need anything else?

Later, when I worked at camp, one of the things we would do is create a video of each week for the students to take home with them. One of the features on each week's video was a "blurb" from one of the counselors, an off-the-cuff, from-the-heart snippet of encouragement. I recently found the videotape of the week I was interviewed, and my response reminded me so much of what today's verse means to me, what real life under the guidance and excitement of the Holy Spirit is about. Here's what I said:

I think so many times in our youth groups back home we get tired of hearing the same things: don't drink, don't do drugs, don't have sex. And that's good advice to be sure, but why? So many kids here at camp and the ones I knew growing up weren't doing these things anyway; don't we have any more to offer them? Do we have any explanation for what is filling them, and what they can do with it? It just seems to me that those I've come across who are involved in these so-called "greater sins" are often engaging in them just to fill a void caused by, maybe, disobedience to parents, rebellion, lying, or a poor self-image. So what I like to do is show them that Jesus has given them everything they need to be content, secure, high on real life. And it takes a lot of energy to do that, but I find that the energy is there when I need it, and anyway, if it means leading a young person to the Lord or just reconciling someone to their parents, hey, that's worth it to me.

That's healing through a Holy infectiousness. Won't you take a sip and pass it on?

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Are you in a prolonged stupor, or are you tipsy on the outpourings of the Holy Spirit in your life? What's holding this back? Is there a dam keeping the river from flowing forth out of you, keeping it fresh and alive? Take the first step to remove it by looking back to a time when you were first saved or relying entirely on God to do work in His Kingdom.

Further Reading

1 Corinthians 14:23
Acts 7:51
Expect the Holy Spirit to Work in Your Life

[Judy Harder]

 

Pushing the Red Button

John UpChurch, Editor at BibleStudyTools.com & Jesus.org


Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9, ESV)

Up till then, we'd crushed the competition. Granted, this wasn't a sporting event. In fact, the most physically taxing aspect involved pressing a red button. But we had other skills—scholars' bowl skills. We could answer questions, rack up points, and bury other teams with our wit and finely honed memorization. In fact, we'd rarely been challenged.



Then came the county tournament. I grew up in a sparsely populated county. As far as scholars' bowl competitions, this was it. Sure, we traveled outside the area and competed for exhibition prizes, but the county tourney meant validation at home. And we knew we could win.



In the two-bracket competition, each team in the county usually played every other team. That only worked because it amounted to playing around three games apiece (as I said, a small county). At the end, the last team standing in the winners' bracket played the last team standing in the losers' bracket.



Match one involved our team pressing those little red buttons into submission. We outscored the other guys by something close to a two-to-one margin. In other words, we cleaned house in our nerdy way.



And then came match two against Maury Middle School. We went in glowing; we came out stunned. Let's just say that they completely trounced us—wasn't even close. Afterwards, we rebounded to an easy win in the last match, but that only meant we had to play Maury again in the championship.



What happened? If you guessed the underdogs roared back to take the trophy, then I would love to confirm that. But, no. In front of our families and teachers, we got beaten even worse than before. In fact, I remember the match being out of reach soon after it started and all of us feeling powerless to do something.



We'd practiced, studied, and prepared ourselves. We'd won match after match prior to the tourney. But still, we couldn't overcome this one team—even when given two shots. Our superiority turned into inferiority in a single day.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  If there's one thing I've learned about human effort and human ability, it's that there's always someone better. Someone can always write better, think more creatively, or hit the ball farther. Someone can always outscore, outplay, or outcompete. And, yet, we humans spend so much effort trying to overcome, overwhelm, or just plain win. We compete, and we fight to prove ourselves.



Jesus brushes all that aside in a single sentence: Blessed and happy and satisfied are those who seek peace with God and peace with others. This isn't a condemnation of competition, but it is a blunt reminder of the point of our lives. We're not here to see who's the best at sword swallowing or chicken juggling. God calls us children when we seek the good of other people above our own good.



If we win or if we lose (or if we get completely whipped twice by the same team), God's blessing on our life doesn't increase or decrease based on the score. Instead, He expects us to love Him and other people—even the ones who are better than us at something.

Further Reading

A Season of Need: Maintaining a Heart that God Blesses

When There's Strife, There's Self: In Pursuit of Radical Humility

[Judy Harder]

Bring Oil
Ryan Duncan, TheFish.com Editor

Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God." -  Revelation 19:9

For the second time this year, I had the privilege to be part of a friend's wedding. I was one of the groomsman, and I was honored. Being a groomsman is a tough gig though. While supposedly there was a list of duties I needed to perform, I soon realized my main job was making sure the groom didn't spontaneously implode from stress. This was crucial because if anything happened to the groom the bride would probably strangle everyone with her own wedding veil. Luckily, my fellow groomsmen and I managed to play our parts with no major errors.

My only slip up happened during the rehearsal dinner, when I excused myself to go look for a bathroom. I was probably gone for only a few minutes, but when I came back I found the groom's father was in the middle of the dinner toast. I didn't want to be rude, so I stood outside the room for about fifteen minutes waiting as everyone toasted the bride and groom. All in all, it wasn't that big of a deal, but as I stood out there and watched the celebration from behind the door, I remembered a parable Jesus had once told his disciples.

"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'  " 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'  "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." (Matthew 25:1-13)

Sometimes I think we underestimate the parable of the virgins. We were always told it represented Jesus return, and our duty to be ready, but I think there's more to it. We are, in a sense, the wedding party for Christ's marriage to the Church. Like the bridesmaids and groomsmen, it's our responsibility to help prepare the celebration by following Christ and working to serve him. It also means we'll have to endure a long night filled with uncertainty, and our faith, like the lamp oil, must constantly be replenished. It's going to be a lot of hard work, but when the groom arrives and the celebration begins, there's no doubt it will all have been worth it.       

Intersecting Faith and Life

Takes some time to read Jesus' parables and reflect on their meanings.

Further Reading       

Matthew 13:44

[Judy Harder]

Encourage One Another
by Anna Kuta, News & Culture Editor at Crosswalk.com

"Therefore comfort each other and edify one another..." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

This week, our office set up an "appreciation station" – a big display box containing various notes and tokens of appreciation to give to a coworker to express thanks or encouragement. Some of the items to choose from include little button pins, stickers and magnets with various slogans like "You're awesome" or "Great job," plus space to write a short note. It's only been going on for a couple days, but I've already seen several coworkers stocking up on the items or delivering one to a cubicle on someone else's behalf.

Encouraging our fellow Christians is often something we overlook or forget to do in our everyday lives, but it is a theme that can be found throughout the Bible. As Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." Another example can be found in 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11: "For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing." Or, as the NIV translation says in verse 11, "Encourage one another and build each other up."

We all know what it's like to go through a difficult time or simply have a bad day, and I bet most of us would agree that nothing can lift your spirit quite like a word of encouragement from a friend, family member, coworker, or even a stranger. Whenever you have a chance, take a moment to build up or edify a brother or sister in Christ.

Intersecting Faith & Life

Who can you encourage today?

Further Reading

1 Thessalonians 5

Ephesians 4:29

Proverbs 12:25

[Judy Harder]

Saying "Yes" to God
by Debbie Wright, Editor at Crosswalk.com

It seems like every day one hears about all kinds of troubling behavior from people who ought to know better. A family friend leaves his wife and children for his secretary. A pastor resigns from his parish after his drug addiction is discovered. A CEO is caught with his hands on company money. We see it in the news. We hear about it from friends. It invades our households. Destructive, self-centered, sin. And so often the guilty party seems completely blind to his error, or unable to fathom how he ever made such a huge mistake.

As a recent member of what most would consider the "adult" world, I have often pondered how seemingly well-adjusted, often God-fearing members of society can justify such actions in their minds. In fact, in my more panicky moments, I have had a fear of suddenly lapsing into some dreaded sin myself – like these perfectly capable people I see all around me.

After all, does my righteousness exceed that of the Pharisees? How can I claim to have more wisdom than my parents or my pastor? Do I know more about the world than my professors? Could I possibly have a better understanding of morals and truth than my government leaders? If I watch them stumble into seemingly obvious moral blunders, how could I possibly escape the same fate?

After recently confiding this dread to a loved one, I was reminded that drastic sin or extreme lifestyle choices don't just appear out of nowhere. Adultery doesn't just happen. Divorce doesn't just happen. Heartless slander and libel don't just happen. Sin must begin as a small seed, creep in, take root, and grow. We can choose to feed it ...or starve it.

The hard part is that often our sin nature is just as appealing as the prompting of Holy Spirit. Far too often we know right away what the godly course of action would be. Humility. Purity. Hard work. Compassion. Faithfulness. But we still get tired, exasperated, lustful, and proud. So we start making decisions which violate our consciences. Tiny decisions that seem meaningless. But those tiny choices grow and grow. Eventually, our life becomes a messy sin explosion and we cry out, "Where did I lose control?"

The comforting part is that it's a process. I won't wake up one morning and all of a sudden think it's totally OK to steal someone's car or send nasty, gossipy emails about people I don't like. 1 John 1:7-9 says that,

"If we walk in the light, as [God] is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

If I say "yes" to God when he shows me how I can remain faithful to him in my lifestyle, in the little things, that will strengthen me to say "no" to life-wrecking choices.

Intersecting Faith and Life

Don't live in fear of becoming something you hate. Just make conscious choices to be like Christ.

Further Reading

Proverbs 28:13

Luke 17:3-4

[Judy Harder]

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself
by Kelly Givens, Editor at Salem Web Network

"And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' And He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' " -Matthew 22: 35-39

I live in an apartment complex, and new tenants have recently moved into the rental directly below me. I haven't met them yet, but I do know one thing about them: they have an incredibly close relationship with their bass speakers. If you've ever had neighbors with a big sound system, you'll know why I'm frustrated. While other sound waves bounce off or are absorbed by the objects around them, bass sound travels right through. So while I can't hear the words of the song my neighbors are blasting, I can feel the floor vibrating to the irregular heart-beat like bumps of the bass. It's the kind of sound that even earplugs can't always drown out--which is especially annoying at 1 o'clock in the morning.

Situations like these tempt me to toss aside every sermon I've heard on patience, gentleness and self-control and start banging on the floor with a broom handle.  But this is completely antithetical to what Christ demands.  Jesus' message to "love your neighbor as yourself" is a verse that often gets thrown out there without a lot of thought. However, I'm starting to realize there are major implications of truly loving someone the way I love myself.

How do I love myself? Well, for starters, I'm always thinking about myself. I think about what I'm going to eat for breakfast, what I need to do at work, what I need to pick up from the store on the way home. I also love myself by making my needs top-priority. How I schedule my day revolves around the things I want or need to accomplish. Basically, my thoughts and my day are centered on me.

So when Jesus tells us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, that's a tall order. He's saying we need to think about others as much as we think about ourselves. He means we should remember the needs of others like we remember our own. He means seeking the happiness, goodness, peace, security of others as much as we seek those things in our own lives.

How can we do this- especially to those who annoy us, hurt us, or perhaps even persecute us? When I think about loving my neighbors as sacrificially, as a priority number one, it seems impossible. I can't even say I do this fully for the people I love most. But then I remember the first part of Jesus' command- 'Love God with all your heart, soul and mind." There's my answer. When I focus all my love toward God, he takes my selfish heart and transforms it into a heart capable of loving others. I no longer need others to validate me, be kind or loving toward me in order to love them back. Christ's love is enough.  He fills me up so I can pour out selfless love to others, even others with loud bass speakers.

This selfless love isn't something I'm good at- it's not even something I can say I regularly attempt. I'm more selfish than I realize. But God has been using my noisy neighbors to convict my selfish heart, to show me how much better I can be at putting the happiness and peace of others above my own. I know it's not going to be easy to start loving people as much as I love myself, but I know the first step: loving God above everything else.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Are you loving others as you love yourself? Without loving God first and fully, this is impossible to do. If there is someone in your life you're struggling to love, ask God to help you persevere in loving them- and in loving Him better, too.

Further reading
Matthew 5: 43-48
Leviticus 19:18
Romans 13: 9-10

[Judy Harder]

Freedom from Sin in This Life and The Next
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith."
1 John 5:3-4 NASB

We know that Christ secures heaven in the next life, yes. But we often forget that Christ is our basis for a growing freedom from sin in this life as well. It's easy to slip into self-effort and start thinking that it's up to us to somehow overcome our sin and selfishness.

First John 5:4 says that faith is the victory not self effort. As we have seen in previous study, the Christian faith is never just faith in faith. It is not just some leap in the dark. It is faith in the objective truth of Christ in space, time and history. Christians trust in a Person—the Lord Jesus Christ.

First John 5:4 says that faith is the key to victory, and the key to faith is Christ. Our ongoing focus must be Him—all that He is—not just what He did at the cross. Instead of compartmentalizing Christ to merely being our Savior, we must value all that He is—His perfect life, death, resurrection, ascension, current ministry of intercession, and His promised return. The Apostle Paul says in Colossians 3:4 that Christ is our life.

If we neglect the full scope of who Christ is and what He did and we only focus on a part of what He did at the cross, we will fall apart in our practical living.

Francis Schaeffer wrote of this fully orbed, Christ-saturated view of living the Christian life in chapter eight of True Spirituality:

"It is not we who overcome the world in our own strength. We do not have a power plant inside ourselves that can overcome the world. The overcoming is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ... if we raise the empty hands of faith moment by moment and accept the gift. This is the victory that overcomes the world—our faith."

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Ask God for grace to remember throughout the day today that victory over sin, doubt, and discouragement rests solely on the person and work of Christ.

For Further Study:

Consider memorizing Romans 8:32-34

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies;

34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

[Judy Harder]

Toys into Tools 
Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48



With the start of football season this month, I've heard the phrase, "to whom much is given, much is required" used a lot... and that's a good thing. A great thing. Athletes, profiled on sports shows, have been given chances to explain how they are using their celebrity and/or money to help mankind, or even spread the gospel.



One prominent athlete was interviewed about wanting to use what he's been given as a platform to further the Kingdom of God. His goals were reminiscent of the parable Jesus told about the difference between faithful and unfaithful servants, stewards of the kingdom. Faithful servants are to be about their master's will, not doing their own thing, not squandering what they've been given, but instead, realizing how much they've been given, and that there are punishments awaiting those who knowingly disobey (and even for those - albeit less severely - who unknowingly disobey. Seem harsh?).



Nonetheless, I enjoy verses like our main verse today, where a concept is repeated synonymously for effect. The Bible's wisdom literature is ripe with this structure, and Jesus makes use of it here. The phrase "Everyone who has been given much" is echoed by "the one who has been entrusted with much," and "much will be demanded" becomes synonymous with "much more will be asked." It drives the point home.



We often hear the first part of this verse quoted, and it works fine by itself: "To whom much is given, much is required." That concept even works well in the secular world, so much so that non-Christians quote it, perhaps without even knowing it's biblical in origin, and superhero movies use it as a thematic element.



But this week, after seeing and reading those profiles of Christian athletes, I read the verse in its entirety, and it opened up a new level of meaning for me.



Generally, when I think of things I've been "given," or "gifts," I tend to think of presents, possessions... toys, even. Things that are mine. Things I can hoard, break, forget about, get tired of, use for personal gain, waste, sell, or lose. Some things we are "given" include salvation, spiritual gifts, genetic gifts, talents, financial blessing, testimonies, family, forgiveness, love, and more.



Now, does your perspective shift at all if you think of those things not merely as "things given," but as "things you are entrusted with"?

For me, the ante gets upped. There's a new level of seriousness. The steward who has faith must, by definition, be faithful.

My toys, as I grow up, must become my tools - the things the Master has given that He expects will be used to build and further His Kingdom.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  What gift have you been entrusted with that you are still just playing with? Or hiding? Or wasting? Knowing the Master's will, decide what you would say if He returned today to find you not busy at Kingdom work. Then decide one way you can use what you have been entrusted with to edify others this week. You may not have the platform of a Tim Tebow, but you've been given all the requirements necessary to do the job assigned to you.

Further Reading


James 2:14-18
1 Corinthians 4:2

Envisioning Your 'God-Sized' Calling

[Judy Harder]

Not What You Wanted?
Alex Crain, Editor at Christianity.com
"What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?"
James 4:1

A holiday edition of the TV show "America's Funniest Home Videos" showed various children opening their presents on Christmas morning. Apparently, it's hard for many kids to see humor in getting an unwanted gift. Most of their reactions were, well... downright childish. .



When the ribbons and paper were torn off, one child pulled out a new pair of socks, threw her head back and erupted in an angry sob. A matching outfit given to another child produced a tantrum across the floor followed by stomping footsteps up the stairs. Other children glowered with frowns and snarls. One even screamed at the parent holding the video camera, then hurled the unwanted gift back in his face. Not exactly the funniest home videos.



In contrast to all the immaturity and ingratitude came a bright ray of hope at the end of the montage as a little brown-haired girl in pink pajamas ecstatically jumped up and down with glee. She held in her hands a tiny chestnut and spun around to the camera exclaiming, "A nut! A nut! I got a nut! I don't know what kind it is, but I got a nut!"



James 4:1-6 says that sinful responses erupt from hearts that are controlled by overwhelming desires. They don't have to be sinful desires necessarily. The degree to which "harmless" desires become sinful is shown by what happens when things don't turn out as you hoped or expected. Whether it is irritability, or an angry tantrum or a sulking frown; sinful responses show that something in the heart has replaced God.



Notice verse 1 where James asks the question (paraphrasing), "Why are you so upset? What's the real problem in your heart?" And then he answers with divine wisdom, "I'll tell you what the matter is: it's your pleasures—your desires—that are waging war within you. And the result is sinful fights and quarrels."



Certainly, there's nothing inherently sinful about simply having desires in life. God created us to have desires. There are many good things to desire in life: having adequate food, clothing and shelter, having a happy marriage, getting a promotion at work, buying a nice car. There is nothing wrong with these kinds of desires... nothing inherently wrong, that is.



The problems come when, in our hearts, those desires turn into something else. The word translated as "lust" in verse 2 is actually "desire" with the added element of "strong craving." Epithumeo is not a word that necessarily means "lust" in the sexual sense. The idea conveyed in the original text is "you are controlled by desire." In other words, some desire—perhaps, even for a good thing—has gotten so wrapped around your heart, that it has become more important than God to you.



Whenever this happens, the result is sinful behavior. And the sin of the heart that must be confessed first in cases like this is no less than the sin of idolatry. False worship occurs whenever worship of the true God is replaced with the god of "my way."



What a peaceful contrast is painted in verse 6. God gives grace to the humble. That is, those who humbly submit their desires to God and trust Him as the sovereign provider of needs are given grace. Grace here is the desire and ability to obey God and respond in a way that pleases Him. Such recipients of grace are able, then, to deal with whatever happens—whether the present under the tree is a pair of socks, a cool skateboard, the keys to a new car, or a tiny chestnut.



Intersecting Faith & Life:

Does your situation today resemble what you expected or wanted in life? What is your response to this?

Think back to a recent outburst of anger, or incident in which you showed irritability. Trace it back to the unfulfilled desire that had control of your heart. What was it that you wanted?

Ask God to reveal any desires seeking to control your heart so that you can humbly submit them to Him and release them to His sovereign care. Repent of any lingering idolatry. Ask Him for grace to deal with whatever happens. Trust Him to provide for your needs.

Further Reading & Listening

Isaiah 40:12-31       

Listen to an example of what humility sounds like here
(Indelible Grace Acoustic "By Thy Mercy")

Thomas Watson, The Lord's Prayer

[Judy Harder]

The Older Son
Ryan Duncan, TheFish.com

"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." – Matthew 6:20

Most Christians have heard the story of the Prodigal Son. For those of us who grew up in the Church, the story probably conjures up memories of Sunday school, when the teacher would reenact the parable on one of those crazy felt boards. The Prodigal Son really is a perfect description of God's relationship with us, his children. I don't know about you, but I've done more than enough stupid stuff in my life to qualify as a prodigal. Lately though, I've found myself relating more and more to the older son in the story, the one most people tend to forget about.   

"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' " 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' " – Luke 15: 25-32

It's almost unsettling how easily we Christians can become the Older Son. Maybe you're having a bad month, or maybe it seems like someone else is getting all the rewards you desire. In those moments it's so tempting to turn on God and yell, "I've followed all the rules. I've done everything right! Would it kill you to throw me a bone once in a while?" But God isn't Santa Claus; he doesn't keep a list of whose good and bad then parcel things out accordingly.

For all his mistakes, the younger brother understood that anything he got from his Father would be out of grace, and for all his good work, the older brother let his anger blind him to the many blessings he already had.  A friend of mine once told me, "Being a Christian doesn't mean you have to dance happily in bad situations" and it's true. Being a Christian means that we are saved by Christ through grace, and good times or bad, his blessings are still there even if we don't see them.       

Intersecting Faith and Life

Take a moment to count your blessings.

Further Reading     

Luke 15: 1-7