As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are meant to bear each other’s burdens so that the heavy load of hardship is lightened. This could be to use our ears to listen to a confession or a cry. This could be to use our mouths to speak a word of encouragement. This could be to use our hands to meet a physical need. But none of this will happen if we don’t let each other know about burdens or if we don’t let each other help with burdens. God means for us to be dependent, not independent. Firstly, on Him. Secondly, on Him through each other. Today, share your burdens with others and bear the burdens of others.
Grace-Driven Effort, Not Human Effort
There are many things that God requires us to do as followers of Jesus. But it’s important we understand that it is grace-driven effort and not human effort that enables and encourages all of our obedience, service and every form of performance as Christians. We do everything secure in grace, by faith in grace, through reliance on grace and in gratitude for grace. His work saves us before we do our work. His work guides us to do our work. His work gives us power to do our work. His work makes us happy to do our work. Let us remember… Whatever the will of God calls us to do, the grace of God will cause us to do.
Sacrificing For Someone Else
When was the last time you gave up something for the sake of someone else? In other words, their gain required your loss because in order to help them you had to… Sacrifice money. Sacrifice time. Sacrifice sleep. Sacrifice comfort. Sacrifice plans. While it’s good to do good at any time, there are many times that in order to be the hands and feet of Jesus, we will also need to have the self-giving heart and mind of Jesus too. We are to show up and speak up for others not just when it’s easy, convenient and fun, but also when it’s hard, troublesome and unpleasant. This is how we are loved. This is how we are to love.
Not I, But Christ In Me
There is nothing that I have which was not given to me. Everything about who I am and what I do that is good is a gift from God at work in me, for me and through me. Every ability I possess. Every resource I use. Every opportunity I take. Every person I serve. Every task I complete. I am what I am by the grace of God. I do what I do by the grace of God. It is the provision and power and presence of Jesus with me that makes everything possible. Here is the one thing I know to be true, the one thing I count on every single day, the one thing I will say about any good that comes from my life: Not I, but Christ in me.
It Will Be Worth It All
There is a heavenly scene that should run through our minds often as we run the race of life. When we grow weary from serving, we should think of it. When the good we do doesn’t seem to be doing much good, we should think of it. When the risk or sacrifice of living out our faith is high, we should think of it. Here’s the scene: We cross the finish line. We see the smiling face of Jesus. We fall down before Him. And we hear Him say “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master.” Know this… Every long day. Every hard day. Every costly day. In that moment, it will all be worth it.
Praising Him And Pleasing Him
A heart that worships God strives by grace to put God at the heart of everything else. We increasingly, though imperfectly, want Him to become the center of what, when, where, why and how we do what we do. Our adoration of Him overflows into allegiance to Him. Our gladness in Him leads us to do what will glorify Him. Our love for Him compels us to live for Him. Worship changes how we think about our time, money, relationships, priorities and life purpose, and how we carry out the plans of God for us concerning these things. May God produce in us today both a delight to praise Him and a desire to please Him.
Small Things And Big Things
The world wants us to make small things big and big things small. It wants small fears to rule our hearts, petty disagreements to sabotage our relationships, and trivial matters to dominate our schedules. It wants the seriousness of sin to be downplayed, the importance of living for eternity to be minimized, and the amazing availability and role of God’s grace in our everyday lives to be underestimated. But, praise God, we don’t have to live like that! Jesus has redeemed us from a life of smallness and sinfulness so we can live for bigger and better things. Today, by grace, let us keep big things big and small things small.
Cheering Others On To Serve Jesus
When was the last time you took the time to encourage someone else to keep serving God with his or her life? Not only should we actively do good works for the kingdom of God ourselves, we should actively spur on others to do good works for His kingdom as well. One of the reasons why people give up and give out when they serve is because no one is there to verbally cheer them on as God has commanded us to do. Therefore, speak up often because God may intend to use your words to prevent someone from quitting. Remember: It matters today that you encourage others to keep going and keep doing for Jesus.
Consumers And Contributors
Christians are to be both consumers of and contributors to the mutual building up of the family of God. In our role as consumers, we are to let others do for us. In our role as contributors, we are to do for others. All of the “one another” commands in the Bible for how we are to interact with each other are two-sided. We are to be encouraged by others, and we are to encourage others. We are to be served by others, and we are to serve others. We are to be cared for by others, and we are to care for others. Every Christ-like act of love should flow in both directions. By grace, let’s do two things today: give and receive.
Time, Talent And Treasure
God has given spiritual and physical gifts to each member of His family to be used in serving others. We steward His grace by using our “time, talent and treasure” to extend His help and express His love to the people in our lives. God graciously does at least six things as we receive and use what He blesses us with: He gives us these gifts, brings us enjoyment as we use these gifts, fulfills a divine purpose with these gifts, blesses others by these gifts, brings about eternal results from these gifts, and glorifies Himself through these gifts. Therefore, let us aspire by grace to do the very best we can with what we have been given.
What You Do Matters
The enemy wants to convince you that God isn’t using your life to make much of a difference in this world, but nothing good you do for others in the name of Jesus is ever wasted. What you do matters! Even the small stuff counts, for a tiny spark can start a wildfire and a tiny seed can birth a mighty tree. In your home, at your workplace, throughout your neighborhood, across your community, around the world… Keep doing what you were made to do even when it is hard, unpopular, tiring, inconvenient, thankless, lonely or unnoticed, trusting that God will work through you to fulfill His purposes.
The Only Score That Matters
We’ve been conditioned our entire lives to keep our eyes on the scoreboard. The metric may come as points in a game, likes on a social media post, balances in savings accounts, members of a network, or notches on whatever kind of belt you’re wearing. However it is measured, the attitude is the same: the one with the best score wins. But in God’s kingdom, it’s not about how we rank against others or how we are rated by others. Instead, it’s about depending on Jesus to faithfully use what we have been given to do what we have been assigned. The only score which matters is the one in which Jesus wins in our lives.
Calling Out From The Noise
Last week is behind you. This week is ahead of you. What did you do, and what will you do, that really matters? It’s important that we take regular inventory of how we are spending our time to make sure we don’t waste away on unimportant things the lives that God has given us. The enemy wants us to lose our focus and lose our purpose. And one of his primary weapons against us is busyness. Much of it is meaningless distraction away from the important work God has given us to do. Today, listen for your Father’s voice calling out from the noise and leading you to do great things that matter forever.
Love Is Not Silent
Love your spiritual siblings. Love your neighbors. Love your enemies. The Bible makes it clear that we are to love other people, but sometimes we are not clear about what it looks like to love other people. One thing we need to understand is this: It is un-loving to be silent. Silent in calling people to repent. Silent in calling people to follow Jesus. Silent in calling people to live abundantly. Love isn’t indifferent to the well-being of others or tolerant of the wrong-doing of others. We are to show up, speak up and stick up for people in ways that invite them in to enjoy the ever-present, everlasting love of God.
Go Shine Your Light
God didn’t create you primarily so you could make a lot of money, take a lot of trips, have a lot of fun, and indulge in a lot of temporary pleasures. Those things may be a part of your experience, but they are a means to this end: “to let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Today, be mindful of the beautiful calling upon your life: You were made to be… An image-bearer. A darkness-brightener. A difference-maker. A good-works-doer. A Jesus-treasurer. A God-glorifier. That is why you are here … so, go shine your light!
Overflowing Cups
We are to be generous with our words, actions, time, money, forgiveness, kindness, hospitality, patience, service, friendship, compassion, skills, truth-telling and love. Even as we enjoy what God does for us and gives to us, we can confidently share every good resource in our lives as He leads us, knowing that even as we give away, there is always enough. God is continually pouring out more forgiveness, goodness, kindness and blessedness so we can be more of a witness to His generosity by giving away part of what He gives to us. Overflowing cups are not for us to choke on, but for us to let others drink from too.
It All Belongs to God
What you and I have is ultimately not our own; it all belongs to God. Our time is His. Our Talent is His. Our Treasure is His. Little or much, temporary or lasting, tangible or unseen, everything in our lives is the property and possession of God. We have been entrusted to steward it faithfully, dispense it liberally, and credit it clearly to the One from Whom all blessings flow. Our stewardship will not be judged by the amount we are able to give, but by the readiness, cheerfulness and faithfulness of our giving. It is not a matter of how much we have to be generous with, but how generous we are with how much we have.
Good Works All The Days Of Our Lives
There is no quota to meet. There is no bar to clear. There is no stage to reach. When it comes to serving the Kingdom of God with our lives, there are two things we need to understand. First, we don’t work to get into the kingdom. Second, we don’t stop working once we get into the kingdom. We are completely accepted because of the completed work of Jesus, and our faith rests in what He does, not what we do. But that doesn’t mean we rest from doing. God has ordained that we do good works all the days of our lives, never reaching a stopping point until we reach home. He saves us and sends us to share His love.
Heirs To Possessions And Pleasures
Human beings tend to be treasure hunters. We are inclined to attach too much value to, and become too attached to, earthly possessions and pleasures. We often want to have more of these for ourselves and have more of these than others do, so we spend our lives collecting and comparing. When we remind ourselves of all that we have in Jesus, this frees us to pursue better things. As adopted children of God, we are heirs to every good possession and endless pleasure in heaven. This means on earth we can be joyous no matter what we have, generous with what we do have, and unenvious of what others have.
If It’s More Than You Can Handle Alone
It’s okay to not be okay. It’s not okay to stay that way. Especially when God has equipped the church to take care of one another as we depend upon Him to graciously provide what we need in our time of need. He calls, gifts, empowers, mobilizes, and sends the church of Jesus to be His hands, feet, and mouth to people inside and outside the family of God. Therefore, the smartest thing you can do when you find yourself feeling overpowered, overwhelmed or overloaded is to ask for help. If it’s more than you can handle alone, that’s God’s way of saying He doesn’t want you to handle it alone.
