Day One
BIBLE READING: Col. 4:1 - 6 “Masters, be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master—in heaven. Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” NLT
BLOG: Today is the first day of school. As a general rule, it is rather hectic but uneventful day. What happened? The car line to pick up students is now 3 to 4 miles long. No joke. It is as if the world flipped a switch and everyone went into turbo mode.
Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Now I can hear someone yelling at me, “Pastor, you don’t understand.” I do understand. I understand when I am in control and I understand when I’m not in control. I understand the circumstances I can do something about and I understand the ones I can do nothing about. I understand that sometimes I need to have a conversation with someone. I understand that sometimes those conversations are unfruitful. I understand that life can be rewarding and that it can be frustrating.
The world will tell you that life is about winning and losing. But to the follower of Jesus it isn’t. Why? Because we’ve already won.
Romans 8:35–39. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Shall long car lines that I shouldn’t have to be in separate me from the love of God?
BLOG: Today is the first day of school. As a general rule, it is rather hectic but uneventful day. What happened? The car line to pick up students is now 3 to 4 miles long. No joke. It is as if the world flipped a switch and everyone went into turbo mode.
Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Now I can hear someone yelling at me, “Pastor, you don’t understand.” I do understand. I understand when I am in control and I understand when I’m not in control. I understand the circumstances I can do something about and I understand the ones I can do nothing about. I understand that sometimes I need to have a conversation with someone. I understand that sometimes those conversations are unfruitful. I understand that life can be rewarding and that it can be frustrating.
The world will tell you that life is about winning and losing. But to the follower of Jesus it isn’t. Why? Because we’ve already won.
Romans 8:35–39. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Shall long car lines that I shouldn’t have to be in separate me from the love of God?
Should angry parents who didn’t get their way separate me from the love of God?
Should the monsoon that drove everyone into my favorite coffee shop separate me from the love of God?
Petty you say? You would be right. But it is the little things that can steal our joy. So what can you do?
Start your day with gratefulness. Tell yourself something that you are grateful for everyday.
Remain grateful. Look for something to be grateful about in every situation.
Confront with love. True, not everyone responds to that, but it’s a better place to start.
Be Jesus. Let Jesus show up in your life, especially when you’re in need. In other words, don’t try to do His job for Him.
PRAY: Dear Jesus, keep my heart pure and help me to keep you first in my life today. AMEN.
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