Essential to God

Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy.

 - Ephesians 1:4 NLT

            The world is currently in a state of panic, loneliness, fear, uncertainty, and even depression. Many people's jobs are affected by the government mandated shutdown of, "non-essential businesses."

            Essential is defined as, "absolutely necessary; extremely important." So there are thousands, if not millions, currently out of work feeling unnecessary and unimportant.

            As we all walk thru this valley, it is essential for us to remember how absolutely necessary and extremely important we are to God. Remember today's verse, located in Ephesians 1:4, "Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy."

            God sees us, He knows us, He chose us, He is with us and best of all He loves us. We are important and essential to Him! As we go thru this time, take comfort and find peace in His love.

You are essential to God!

Love Sacrificially

My Bible app sends out a verse of the day every morning. On Sunday morning, the verse of the day was possibly one of the most memorized verses in the Bible, John 3:16.

“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

When it first popped up on my phone, I didn’t give it much thought because it’s a verse that comes up so much, but God worked to give me a new perspective on the familiar verse.

Often, I think we tend to focus on the second part more: You have to believe in Jesus to be saved.

This is an important truth, possibly the most important truth, but last week my mind was drawn to the first phrase: “For God so loved the world that He gave…”

The focus of today’s devotional thought is that Love should be sacrificial.

Love is meant to be a motivator. It doesn’t say God gave us His Son because he felt obligated or because he waited around for someone else to fix the problem and nobody showed. He sacrificed because He so loved the world that He couldn’t bare to leave us alone and hopeless without providing a way out.

And this is the same love that he calls us to have for the world.

1 John 4:11 says, “since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

God is the ultimate teacher or parent. He knows that He could just give us instructions and tell us what to do, but we learn so much better if shown what to do. We just need to follow his example.

So what does it look like to love sacrificially? Going out of your way to show love may cost you your time, your money, your energy. It may cause you pain because loving someone else makes you vulnerable and your love may not always be returned.

“For God so loved that he gave.”

But what did he give to love you? He sacrificed his only Son. He didn’t hold back. He didn’t say it’s too expensive, or I can’t give that much. He said, “You are worth it.”

So who is God calling you to love today? What does that look like for you? What is it going to cost and are you willing to sacrifice in order to further God’s mission?

Be Salty

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

-Matthew 5:13, NIV

            The call of the Christian is the call to be different. To neglect one’s distinctiveness as a follower of Jesus is to invite disaster. There is much that is lost when a professing Christian lives a blatantly un-Christian lifestyle. It’s damaging to their personal walk with Christ as they choose to go a different direction. Beyond that, it’s damaging to the message and mission of Christ. When a person says one thing and does another it strips their message of credibility. If Christians deviate from the distinctiveness to which they are called, they distort the message and the mission. This is not Jesus intended.

            Rather, disciples of Jesus are called to be salt (Matthew 5:13). That means they’re called to be different and embrace the uniqueness of following our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Salt is salty and so the Christian must be Christ-like for that is what the name implies. Don’t miss what it really means to be a Christian. Fully embrace the call and commands of Christ. Be different. Be the salt of the earth. Here are a few salty recommendations.

In Ancient Times, Salt was a Symbol of Purity
Maintain your purity and standards even in the toughest of circumstances. Don’t allow pressure to produce a compromise in character. Grow and be refined in the midst of adversity.

Salt Preserves Food and Prevents Decay
Preserve the lives of those around you. Prevent people from stepping closer to death, decay, or destruction. Be the kind of person in whose presence it is both inviting and easy to make the right choice.

Salt Melts Ice
Exhibit the love of God in word and deed in way that softens hearts. Make a choice to do what’s best for others even if it costs you something. Love people so genuinely that it’s hard for them to talk bad about you.

Salt Adds Flavor
Add flavor to the lives of those around you. Help others to recapture the joy and radiance of the Christian life. Stay close enough to Christ that when they see you, they will see Him.

The One Who Calls You is Faithful

When I was in college there is one chapel that I went to that I will never forget. I will never forget this chapel because of the question the speaker, Elmer Townes, asked all of us. He asked us this, “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” It’s such a simple yet evoking question. It’s the kind of question that can get you dreaming and thinking outside of the box. He preceded to repeat himself and let his words sink into our young hearts and minds. “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” He then pointed us to a verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:24 that says, “The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” He reminded us that day that we ought to be dreaming big dreams for God.

            I would like to ask you the same question I heard all those years ago. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? If success was guaranteed, what would you do? Where would you go? Who would you help? What would you accomplish? What legacy would you leave? I want to encourage you to dream big dreams for God and remind you of the kind of God that we serve.

            If God calls you to something, He is going to take care of all the details. Wherever God guides He provides. Success is guaranteed. He will do it. If you are doing God’s work and trusting Him, you are not going to fail. God is not a failure and does not set His people up for failure. God will always accomplish what He set out to do and that is success. God invites you to be a part of His mission and purposes. He is calling all of us to do something. Don’t let fear leave you on the sideline. Prayerfully consider what God might be challenging you to do. If the task or dream God gives you is bigger than can you handle on your own, it’s ok. Remember who you are working for. Do you lack money, resources, knowledge, training, experience, influence, or manpower? Don’t worry. God can take care of it. He only asks you to trust Him. I’ll ask you again. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Start dreaming. Get to work. And remember 1 Thessalonians 5:24,

“The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.”