Day 28: Saturday, April 1, 2017, #Lent Devotion

Posted on Apr 1, 2017 in BLOG, Devotions | Tags: ,

Day 28: Saturday, April 1, 2017
Tylor Cavender
Get in the zone!
Scripture: Acts 8:18-19 (NIV) When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
 
Devotion: In chapter 8 of the book of Acts, we are told about a Samaritan named Simon. Simon was a magician who had gained a following by using flashy tricks. When Phillip came, he learned of Jesus, and began following Phillip, amazed at the miracles he performed. Then, the apostles Peter and John came to give the Holy Spirit to the people who had been baptized. Simon, being the person he always had been, thinking the same ways he always had, attempted to buy the ability to give the Holy Spirit. We’re not told about his motivations, but it’s safe to assume that when he was practicing his magic, he was doing it for the attention. Then, when he found a new kind of “magic,” he continued thinking like always in an attempt to get that attention he sought.
 
Being a coach, this story reminds me of sports. So many people participate with aspirations of becoming THE best. There are two things wrong with this sort of thinking. First, who are they doing this for? Are they doing it for their glory, or are they using their gifts to glorify God? Second, so many people never reach this goal because of the way they train. Many people might train as a runner by going out every day and running the exact same thing. In sports, much like in life though, if we always do the same thing, we will reach a plateau. Our abilities will level off and we will achieve no progress.
If we ever hope to find improvement, we cannot be content to be comfortable. We cannot find improvement in comfort. We need to step out of our comfort zones. It is uncomfortable to become a faster runner. It kind of hurts. A lot! Our walk with Christ is no different. We should be pushing ourselves to use our gifts in a way that we aren’t always at ease with, in order to bring glory to God.
 
The lyrics of the song “Voice of Truth,” by Casting Crowns is a great example of what it’s like to actually be uncomfortable. “Oh what I would do to have-The kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I’m in-Onto the crashing waves-To step out of my comfort zone-To the realm of the unknown where Jesus is.” I’m pretty sure that Peter wasn’t really okay with jumping out of the boat to go walk on the water with Jesus. It may have been a little bit “different” for him. But, he at least tried. He stepped out of his comfort zone and learned a valuable lesson in faith. We need to have the faith to step out of our comfort zone so we can learn the lessons that we are called to.
 
Prayer: Awesome God, help us to remember the example of Simon. Help us to remember that we must step out of our comfort zone and into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is. Help us strive to be a living example discomfort so that we may glorify You. It is in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
 
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Day 4: Saturday, March 4, 2017, Lent Devotion

Posted on Mar 3, 2017 in BLOG, Devotions | Tags: ,

 
Day 4: Saturday, March 4, 2017
Tylor Cavender
 
The Greatest of These is Love

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-17 (NIV) “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Devotion: What would the world look like if we could all show love? Not the kind of love found on MTV. Not the kind of love that found in a romance novel. But patient, selfless, humbled, and kind-hearted love. What works could be accomplished if we all showed love, instead of immediately judging? With social media and cell phones saturating every aspect of society, we are presented with a multitude of opportunities to show others what it looks like to truly show love.

How many times have you heard someone say something like, “I love football!” If you are from or in Texas, the answer to that is surely more than you can count. Now, think back to the times you’ve heard someone say something like, “I love football!” How many of those statements were said by someone who actually played football, or helped other to play football, or truly wanted to get better at playing football, or didn’t misplace their calm when their team wasn’t as good as they wanted?

I think the word love is too commonplace. Do we really mean the things we say? The word love is used so much that it seems to have meaning at both ends of the spectrum. I know I’ve heard some toddlers say they love chicken nuggets. But, that’s not what it means to really love. I also see movies or TV shows where people are afraid to say “I love you.” It isn’t a huge commitment and should be taboo to show love.

Paul tells us that love is patient, self-sacrificing, modest and kind-hearted. If we truly showed love towards someone the way that Paul describes, wouldn’t we live enormously different? We should live our lives in a way that, at the very least, attempts to replicate this kind of love. It is important to do this for everyone we encounter, not just our family and our friends. We should show this kind of love to complete strangers. We should show this kind of love to people who we don’t agree with. We should show this kind of love to the people who come from different faith backgrounds. We should always strive to be patient with each other. We should demonstrate kindness in every interaction that we have. We should always do anything within our abilities to make sure other’s needs are our first priority. We should make sure that we do not pursue attention for ourselves in these actions, but for Jesus.

Imagine what life would be like if everyone did that? Imagine the kinds of conversations we could have, the kinds of progress that could be made. The amount of arguments, protest and judgment would drop at astonishing rates. Imagine how many people would find faith if we showed them that kind of love.

Prayer: Awesome God, help us to remember these words from Paul’s letter. Help us to remember that these words can still be useful today. Help us endeavor to be a living example of Love so that we may glorify you. It is in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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