4 minute Devotions: Starting Over

I love being a Christian. I love the experience of being a sinner saved by Christ. Without Christ’s grace and mercy, I don’t know where I would be right now. Without God’s compassion, I don’t know where I would end up.

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Christianity is a beautiful faith. It makes us recognize that we are all imperfect (John Calvin would say ‘depraved’ and ‘fallen.’), but it doesn’t leave us there. We are given a wonderful life changing opportunity to come to Christ, in order to be forgiven, restored, and renewed. And it’s not just a once in a lifetime experience. We can go back to Jesus time and time again, confessing our mistakes and asking for pardon. We can begin again. We can have hope again. We can start our lives over again.

Throughout the years, I have seen many people, including myself, be transformed by Christianity. The Spirit of Christ has a power that is unequaled in this world. I have seen addicts cured. I have known sinners regain respect. I have experienced dysfunctional families rediscover their love for one another. It’s an amazing process and I thank God each day for His work in my life.

Bible Verse of the Day

Psalm 103:4 …who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

I am far from perfect and, like everyone else, I have my moments of foolishness, selfishness, and unholiness. But when I am weak, Christ is strong. When I fall, He stoops down and lifts me up. It’s a beautiful faith and a wonderful way of getting through life. And that’s why I want to share it with everyone. That’s why I want family and friends, neighbors and co-workers, acquaintances and strangers to learn about Jesus. For Christ is the Only One who can redeem us out of the pits of despair that we dig, by lifting us up with His love and crowning us with His compassion.

Perhaps you’re at a low point in your life and you feel that everything is pointless. Or maybe you know someone who is going through a lot of trouble, sickness or worry. Jesus is the key to lifting you or your loved ones out of that rut, and he is willing to do so, even now. Just ask Him for help and you’ll find that He cares.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, there are times in our lives when we regret the past and fear the future. There are moments when we feel isolated and insecure, insignificant and unimportant. When we experience those things, lift us up and help us to begin again. Grant us Your love and compassion, Your healing and strength. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Nothing But the Truth

Last night, our church hosted a special performance by the Word Players of Knoxville. They put on their production of “A Woman Called Truth.” It was a remarkable play, which told the story of a slave woman from the North East, who fought against her captors to win freedom for herself, her son, and her family.

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I was really impressed by the whole cast, who portrayed her story in a wonderful and engaging way. I was also struck by how relevant Sojourner Truth’s life still is for what we experience today. People may not be sold as slaves any longer, but the old prejudices and racism still persist. Just recently, a major politician, who should have known better, made an unintentional racial slur against a presidential candidate. It was unintended, but it was still racist, and what makes it even more repugnant, is that many people don’t see the racism in the remark. But that’s how the scourge of racism works – subtly and under the radar – until it becomes acceptable to the general public.

Sin operates in a similar fashion, especially in the areas of obsession and addiction. Habitual sin diminishes our faith moment by moment, event by event, sin by sin, until it becomes a major problem. The ex-Governor of New York was seduced by his own addiction, but instead of seeking help, he let it overcome him until it has ruined his career, his marriage, and possibly his life.

Bible Verse of the Day

Romans 6: 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

Sin, racism, and even slavery are insidious. They start off small and then grow like a cancer until they take over poor souls and an ignorant populace, transforming sinners and society into something soulless. That’s why Paul emphasizes the Cross in so much of his letters. It is the one safe haven for all sinners. It is the one place and time where we can be truly set free. It is the most pivotal event in human history where we, who have been enslaved by obsession and sin, insecurity and insensitivity, rancor and racism, can be liberated by our Deliverer Christ Jesus for all of eternity. Instead of hanging on to our hang ups, we can let go and let God transform us through Christ and His Cross.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, liberate us from our fears and sins, our prejudices and pride, our mistakes and misconceptions. Open our hearts and souls to Your words and ways. Keep us from following self-satisfying paths that lead to self-destruction. Help us to latch on to Your leadership and grant us Your godly counsel in all that we seek to accomplish this day. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.