Dedicated To the One I Love

 “He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.” John 7:18 (NIV)

    Spending an afternoon reading obituaries of people I do not know is not a normal pastime for me but I confess that I was fascinated by the content of each one.

    Some were very flowery and full of honors the person had attained in his or her lifetime; others were concise and to the point with no frills. But what got my attention was one particular word that was used over and over: “dedicated.”

    Mr. Smith “dedicated his life to the planting of trees in his community.” Mrs. Callahan’s obituary stated that she was “completely dedicated to her bridge club for 33 years.” Yet another woman “dedicated everything she had to promoting healthier lifestyles for household pets.”

   I am certain that those activities were important to those people and may have been important to others around them as well and I am equally certain that they were worthwhile pastimes. But I cannot help but try to wrap my mind around the word “dedicated.”

   It is defined in the dictionary as “devoted to a task or purpose; having single-minded loyalty, exclusively allocated to or intended for a particular service or purpose.”

   So let me ask you: what are you dedicated to with all your heart and all your life? What task or purpose fills your days and evenings more than anything else? What consumes your thoughts and plans day after day?

   I asked myself those same questions and I didn’t like my answers: surfing the internet, chatting on Facebook or on my cell phone, watching one reality show after another on television. None of those activities are bad or heading me on a path straight to the lake of fire.

   But where is my dedication to sharing Jesus with the elderly neighbor next door or writing a note to someone that I know is hurting or time simply spent in the presence of my Father telling Him how much I love Him?

   If my obituary were written today, I fear it would read “She was dedicated to four hours on the internet every day – rain or shine.”

   Not anymore. I resolve to refocus my life on the eternal.  Then perhaps one day my obituary will read “Her life was dedicated to the One she loved.”

   Father, this moment I dedicate my life to you. Show me what I can change so that I am totally devoted to you and to your service. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• What activity in your everyday life takes up the majority of your time and energy?

• Does it have anything to do with serving the Lord and telling others about Him?

Apply

• Take the time to journal your activities, day by day, for one week.

• At the end of the week, separate your activities together under two titles: “For Me” and “For the Lord” and determine where you dedicate your time. Change if necessary. 

Power

• John 7:18 (NIV) “He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.”

• Matthew 21:37 (NIV) “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind.”

• Romans 12:1,2 (NIV) “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”

 

Enough Is Enough

 “With the same tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.”

James 3:9-10 (NIV)

    It was not until the third time in two weeks after seeing the advertisements that I decided to speak out. It should have taken me two seconds. At first, I thought, “That is in bad taste.” But the longer I looked at it, the more convicted I became that I needed to address what I had seen.

   The first advertisement jumped out at me as I was scrolling through Facebook. It was encouraging people to try the collagen that I have used for years and love. But the ad said this: “F*ck serums; use collagen.” 

    For just a second I adjusted my glasses. I kept thinking I hadn’t seen the ad correctly - but I had. I went to the website for the product but could not find a way to contact them so I felt that I needed to comment on their ad and I posted this: “I love this collagen and have bought it for years. However, if you continue putting profanity on your ads, not only will I quit buying from you, but I will encourage others to stop and purchase theirs elsewhere. Putting “F*ck serums” on your ad offends me. I don’t need profanity to buy your product; how insulting. Please do better.”

   The second advertisement was for a cream for neuropathy pain. It was just five words: “No sh*t - just neuropathy relief.” Comments on this product were very positive as to how well it works and that one jar will help in an amazing way. It’s not a product that I have needed but I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone else found the ad offensive.

    The third example was what finally made me say “Enough!!” I was looking through makeup at a local store and came across a bronzer called “Mother Fluffer” on the package. Makeup that many young teens use as well as adults. Our kids. Our grandkids. Seeing that as normal. 

    Understand that I was not looking everywhere I went to purposely try to find what I consider inappropriate language.  I also know that companies are competing to make a profit and the best way to do that is to get the attention of the customer, hence the shock value of their ads. And, sadly, I realized that while the use of that language is disrespectful to me, many people, including Christians, do not think a thing about it.

   It was a relief to see that, after I posted my comment on the collagen timeline, comments quickly agreed with what I said. Several replied that they had also seen the advertisement and were no longer going to buy that particular collagen product. However, one woman posted about “women clutching their pearls” and included something about religion, even though I had not mentioned anything like that. Also, I did not get a response from the company.

   Before I get the usual comments - everyone says it, times have changed so you need to change with the times, and you need to lighten up - let me share that I realize the world has changed and not in a positive way. But as Christians, we have a responsibility - a command - NOT to be like the world. And that includes using language that is inappropriate. 

   God’s Word has not changed and will not change to conform to the world - no matter how the world changes. Our walk with the Lord is not based on what the world says but what He says.There are so many examples from the Word. I listed just three in Power at the end of this devotion.  I encourage you to be willing to say “absolutely not” when you are met with things that do not build up but rather break down. Do not be afraid to say Enough Is Enough!

    Father, forgive me for those times that I have shrugged when I should have stood up for what is right. Help me to be strong with boldness and love. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. 

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you ever noticed a product you were going to purchase that had an inappropriate ad that goes against how the Lord wants us to live?

• Did you go ahead and purchase it or look for a similar product minus the language?

Apply

• If you find that a product you use frequently has decided to use inappropriate ads, decide if you can find a similar product, if you will contact the company or continue to use it.

• Always be respectful when contacting a company with your concerns. 

Power

• Colossians 3:8 (NIV) “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips.”

• Matthew 12:36 (NIV) “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.”

• Matthew 15:11 (NIV) “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him unclean,but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean.”

Praying With Disappointment

 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

 Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)                                                                           

           My IPhone and I have a love/hate relationship. Being able to contact anyone, at any time is a great feature – unless I am in the middle of quiet time and get one spam call after the other. 

   As a person who is directionally challenged in small closets and bathrooms, I love that my phone can direct me to my exact destination – unless I miss my turn and have to listen to a very irritated voice spitting out “recalculating, recalculating.”

But my love/hate of my IPhone is the most obvious when I use my voice to text a message. How wonderful that I can touch one little spot on my phone – a mic – and speak my message rather than trying to type what I want to say. That is, until my phone decides to interpret my voice conversation on its own. Let me explain.

            I call my sister at 7 am every morning, almost without fail. We both have busy schedules and it makes sense to call before the day gets crazy for either of us. One particular morning I was running late and decided to hit the mic button and send her a text by voice. What I said was “Getting ready for dentist appointment. Will call in a bit.” But what my phone heard when I spoke was “Getting ready for disappointment. Will fall in a pit.” Mercy.

            Fortunately, I glanced down just before I hit the send button and corrected my message. But later, as I recalled that text, I thought about my prayer life and wondered if that is exactly how I pray sometimes: Getting myself ready for disappointment by not believing that God will answer as I have prayed. Hoping He will answer; wondering if I said just the right words in just the right way. Maybe even feeling deep inside that what I am asking is too hard for God or that He really doesn’t care one way or the other.

           Have you ever done that? No, you say? What about praying that the cancer will disappear but thinking “It’s spread too much. There’s no way my husband can be healed.” or praying for a prodigal child while thinking “she is too far gone. Nothing will ever change her mind.”

            May I just remind you who you are talking with when you pray? The Creator of Heaven and Earth, the God of the Universe, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End, Jehovah, Lord, The Most High God.

             He gave up everything He owned to purchase us, His children. He loves us  more than anything in all creation. And we wonder if He can or will answer our prayers? Our Father raised the dead, parted seas, gave sight to the blind, caused those who could not walk to run, closed the mouths of lions, and opened prison doors. He is very capable of hearing and answering our prayers.

             It comes down to this: pray with confidence. Pray with the assurance that He hears and answers. Your words do not need to be fancy; they simply need to be from your heart to His. Will you always get the answer that YOU want? No, because the wisdom of the Lord covers everything in our lives. That is where trust comes in. Trust that the Creator of the Universe, the Creator of our beating hearts, knows what is best for us in our lives.

             So the next time you pray, resist the urge to pray with disappointment; instead, approach the God of the Universe with boldness and confidence. He hears, He understands and He answers.

    Father, forgive me for praying but not believing that you can or will answer when I call on your name. You are a faithful Father and I love you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.      

R.A.P. it up . . . 

Reflect

•  Have you ever prayed but felt like your prayer was not heard or would not be answered?

• If so, why did you believe you were not heard by the Lord?

Apply

• Write the Power Scriptures on note cards and keep them paper-clipped together in your Bible.  

• Before your prayer time each day, read the Scripture on each card and praise the Lord for hearing and answering your prayer requests.

Power      

• Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”      

• Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”      

• Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”                 

Are You Bankrupt?

 “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” Mark 8:36 (NIV)

    Have you ever prayed for someone and then realized much later that you had not been praying the way the Lord would have wanted? Probably we all have. A friend of mine shared with me how the Lord redirected her prayer quickly and clearly. 

   Barbara told me that she had lunch with a couple who told her they were struggling financially. They shared how there never seemed to be enough money at the end of the month for everything they felt they needed along with paying all the bills.

          “My heart just broke for how hard they worked,” she told me. “Even though they both had great jobs, they were worried that they would be bankrupt within a few months if things didn’t turn around financially.”

    Barbara shared that as she drove away after lunch, she began to lift the couple up to the Lord. “Father, please help them,” she prayed.  “The last thing they need is to be bankrupt.” But she said that the Lord immediately spoke truth to her heart.

   “Pray for them. But understand the problem is not that they are bankrupt financially; it is that they are bankrupt spiritually.” Her prayer instantly changed for the couple.

    Jesus knew that the pull of the world and what it offered would be a huge temptation for His children. That is why there is one Scripture after another in the Bible that addresses that very struggle.

   In Mark 8:36, Jesus asks a pointed question: “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” He is speaking to a large crowd with His disciples at His side and yet He is speaking to us, too.

   The couple Barbara spoke with could fail to pay the money they owe and have to declare bankruptcy. They could also work harder, perhaps, and pay off their financial debt. But can I ask you this: what’s the point of being financially free if we're spiritually bankrupt?

    Every single thing that the world offers us may appear beautiful but it is temporary. And because of sin, the more we get, the more we want. Jesus offers us eternal freedom. We can never pay the debt of being spiritually bankrupt but we don’t need to because Jesus paid that debt with His death on the cross.

    When you give Jesus your heart – your everything – you are no longer spiritually bankrupt. You are eternally His. If you have financial debt, I encourage you to seek Christian financial counseling to get on the right path.  But first, go before the Lord and ask Him to be Lord of your life. Get in the Word and seek His direction for everything that you do, every day. Be spiritually debt-free in Him. For eternity.

 

   Father, I want you to be the focus of my life completely. May I look less at what the world offers and more on your face and eternal life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

• Where is the majority of your focus centered every day? Spiritually or worldly? 

• Does your life reflect that  you are seeking more of Jesus or more of stuff?  

Apply

• Write Mark 8:36 in your journal. Make a column titled “gain the whole world” under it and write down everything material that you consider important in your life and cannot live without.

• Now, beside each one, write “yes” or “no” as you consider whether each thing on your list is worth forfeiting your soul. If you answered “yes” to anything you wrote down, seek the Lord’s face and lay that item down before Him.

Power

• Mark 8:36 (NIV) “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” 

• Matthew 6:21 (NIV) “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

• Proverbs 23:5 (NIV) “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.”