Devotion.al

Tag: shun

  • Shun To Death

    Shun To Death

    Psalm 77; Job 5:8–27; 1 Peter 3:8–18a

    . That seems straightforward. However, we human beings often make it far too complicated. Or, even worse, we make it about others.

    The is not about others; it is about us. What we do, as the household of God, matters. Far too many people have taken words like Peter’s and turned them into bludgeons and daggers. People have taken these words and applied them to a world that is perishing. Instead, these words apply to us so that we do not continue down the road of the perishing.

    Part of the Lenten “spirit” is the awareness of our mortality. In the COVID era, we are probably a bit more aware of it than we would “normally” be. Barring wartime, there isn’t as much of a focus on our imminent demise as there is now.

    Perhaps the church ought to be praising God for a whole year of , though that doesn’t make it easy. Our mortality, organization mortality, operational mortality, the of have all come. Small Businesses had struggled. Some have died. This is not something to be happy about. Many (but not all) big companies have become stronger. Again, though, Lent isn’t about business (though businesses like to sell it).

    Shunning evil and facing mortality (Lent) is for us.

    Yes, we want the world to come to know and follow ! Much of our worldliness needs to die for that to happen. Perhaps the deepest and hardest struggle we Christians have is, what of our worldliness needs to die?

    ※Reflection※

    • What worldliness of yours needs to die?
    • If you are on social media, look at what you share and like. Is it Christ-honoring/following, or is it worldly?
    • How do evaluate what is worldliness and what isn’t? Does your understanding match that of others? Why does it matter? Why doesn’t it matter?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, we know that our was nailed upon the cross. Help us the worldliness in our lives that needs to go with our sin. Amen.

  • Grace for the Askers

    Luke 24:36–49, Matthew 28:16–20, James 1:2–18, Jude 20–25

    So, this guy you’ve been hanging out with for three years dies a brutal death. A few days later, he’s alive. He was dead and buried, and now alive. Must be a ghost…except they could touch the wounds and he ate. They doubted. After some more time, they meet Jesus on a mountain. They worshipped Jesus, yet they still doubted.

    We all have doubts. Sadly, however, when verses such as James 1:6 are badly used, we can question our . Some even go so far as to lose their faith. People take such passages and twist them so that a person cannot question or be perceived to doubt. James’ warning is sound in so far as being about requesting things (such as ) from God, but false expectations of God. In other words, don’t be surprised when God doesn’t answer your prayer and walk away from the faith.

    The grave danger is that if we take James’ words without a large measure of and , people will truly walk away. Jude’s words are to be gentle with doubters. Imagine a person who suffers with depression, and in the depths of depression doubts. Would you cast them out? What about a person in the midst of who is crying out to God? Will you shame them for doubt in the midst of their ?

    What about the person who was raised as a non-believer and/or strict secular scientist? If they struggle with believing as it conflicts with their growing up, will you them and tell them they are unbelievers and should disappear?

    In our world, we should actually be encouraging doubt, or perhaps a better phrasing would be questioning. The world as it is needs a lot more questions asked. There may not be , but often when we ask questions aloud, the doubt and that can go with them loses much of its power.

    Last, but not least, often those that seek to silence the doubt and questions of others are those who have the deepest fears. When those fears remain buried, faith, love, and hope can easily be lost in a flash.

    1) Do you ever doubt or question your faith? Do you feel ashamed? Why?

    2) What can other Christians do to support you when you question? What can you do when Christians their own doubts?

    3) Jesus asked his followers about the why of their doubts but did not seem to diminish them because of it. Why does it appear that James does? How do you balance that with Jude?