Jan. 20, 2004

[Kidan]

Quote[/b] ]Jesus answered and said to him, ’Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’
—John 3:3

Quote[/b] ]Sometimes we are fresh and eager to attend a prayer meeting, but do we feel that same freshness for such mundane tasks as polishing shoes?

Being born again by the Spirit is an unmistakable work of God, as mysterious as the wind, and as surprising as God Himself. We don’t know where it begins—it is hidden away in the depths of our soul. Being born again from above is an enduring, perpetual, and eternal beginning. It provides a freshness all the time in thinking, talking, and living—a continual surprise of the life of God. Staleness is an indication that something in our lives is out of step with God. We say to ourselves, "I have to do this thing or it will never get done." That is the first sign of staleness. Do we feel fresh this very moment or are we stale, frantically searching our minds for something to do? Freshness is not the result of obedience; it comes from the Holy Spirit. Obedience keeps us "in the light as He is in the light . . ." ( 1 John 1:7 ).

Jealously guard your relationship with God. Jesus prayed "that they may be one just as We are one"-with nothing in between ( John 17:22 ). Keep your whole life continually open to Jesus Christ. Don’t pretend to be open with Him. Are you drawing your life from any source other than God Himself? If you are depending on something else as your source of freshness and strength, you will not realize when His power is gone.

Being born of the Spirit means much more than we usually think. It gives us new vision and keeps us absolutely fresh for everything through the never-ending supply of the life of God.

 

[Kidan]

The first sentence of this devotion gets me.

Quote[/b] ]Sometimes we are fresh and eager to attend a prayer meeting, but do we feel that same freshness for such mundane tasks as polishing shoes?

I know I enjoy going to church. I know I enjoy teaching the kids that I teach. I know I hate doing laundry. I despise it. I'd rather have teeth pulled. Yet if you follow the logic of today's devotion, that's not the appropriate attitude I should have to this simple task. I should enjoy it as much as going to church, playing a game, or reading a book.

Why should I enjoy it? Because all that we do should be for the glory of God. It's a task that I'm carrying out in the Lord's name, as assuredly as attending church is. As such, I should give glory to God for the chance to do my laundry.

Today, I would like each of us to tackle at least 1 task that we truly despise doing. Without us being told by or parent's, spouse, whatever, and once we do this task, we don't tell anyone that we did it.

Which for me means there's laundry waiting on me when I get home today.