And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” Luke 18:29-30
LENTEN THOUGHT
The blessings that come through sacrifice are found after the sacrifice is made. The joys we experience are multiplied in this life and in the life to come.
We live in a time where our access to information has grown exponentially. I can find virtually any answer to a question or concern I might have. I can determine the weather forecast of the place I’m traveling to next week. While traveling, I am able to check my bank balances, communicate with colleagues, find out where my children are via location services, order something to be delivered to my home when I arrive and even start my car so it is warm when I pick it up from offsite parking. In all this I can begin to believe I am in charge, in control, the one who determines my experience.
Sacrificial living, serving and giving work together in sanctifying my tendency to be the ruler of my own world.
CHALLENGE
Are you the “ruler” of your own world? Do you get frustrated when you have little to no control over the course of daily events in your life? The sacrifice Christ made by lowering himself, in coming to earth, by taking on the form of a servant and dying for our sins reminds us that we follow a loving, sacrificial and serving Savior. As we follow him, sacrificing temporal possessions and our illusions of control, we will experience more than we can imagine in this life and in the one to come. What is God calling you to leave behind in order to follow him? Weigh the burden of control over the blessings of sacrifice and lay down whatever He reveals.
PRAYER
Father point out in each one of us our tendency to put our trust and faith and hope in what we have, what we believe we control, what we value. Spirit guide us to set aside everything that holds our hearts more firmly than you. Jesus remind us that by losing our life we truly find it, in this present moment and in eternity to follow. Amen.
*This week's devotional was contributed by Bob Bickford, Associate Director of Replant with the North American Board, Replant Pastor of the Groves Church in St. Louis MO, author of the Associational Replanting Guide, Am I a Replanter?, Pathways to Partnership and founder of churchreplanters.com
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