(in other words, I don’t need anything or anyone)

Daily Devotional

October 10, 2020

At times I wonder what will get me out of my chair, away from my home to intermingle with those in spiritual need; to become more active in the body of Christ. In order to confront this dilemma, I must face some hard truths about myself. 

Why would I not want to share my life? 

To be honest, fear. To be honest, I’ve been there; done that. To be honest, I have what I need. 

But isn’t God’s idea of sharing our lives with one another more about you … more about other people? 

“7On the contrary, we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring for her children. 8 We cared so deeply that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives as well. That is how beloved you have become to us.”  (I Thessalonians 2:7-8)

WOW!

Are you kidding me? 

You mean I’m to care so deeply about you that I should be “delighted to share myself?” 

As I look around my home … at my things … at my lack of need, I’m ashamed to say that I often feel like the rich man in Luke 12:16-20. Let’s read it. 

“And he told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.’

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” (Luke 12:16-20) 

What we store up and prepare for ourselves on this side of heaven offers no keys to God’s kingdom. My home, much like yours, is filled with everything this life can provide. And one day I will die, leave it behind, and in the end, it will all BURN UP!!

God’s goodness is evident in our lives today. Each of us is rich to whatever level God has chosen for us. Though it may be unsettling to step out of our comfort zones to fulfill the needs of others, it is no less demanded of us. 

Obedience is a command. Obedience should not be determined by your mood, or hinged to the few minutes that remain at the end of your day. God will not be shy in keeping his promises to you—either to bless you, or to punish you for your complacent behavior. 

I have been complacent. Pray for me. 

Let’s encourage each other to remember God’s commands; to spur each other forward to do and to act out his will for our lives, regardless of how we may feel toward the task in front of us or how we may feel toward our sisters and brothers. 

Prayer:  Oh, God, please begin with me. Mold me. Shape me in any way necessary until your will is fully magnified through your mercy and grace. 

Challenge:  Search your hearts to find the most uncomfortable thing to do for someone else. Pray to God for help. Then, pick up the phone, get in your car, write a note, or do whatever is necessary to fulfill God’s commands for your life. And remember, it could be that you need to let others do for you. Hard, isn’t it?

Amen. 

Donna B. Comeaux

No other credentials other than

being a child of God.