NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

Day 280 – Week 41 – Go the Distance

Having a Heart in a Sometimes Heartless World

Scripture focus: He [Jesus] said to his disciples, “Hard trials and temptations are bound to come… Luke 17:1 The Message

Temptations – snares – offenses – traps set to entice sin – something that causes people to sin – stumbling blocks – skandalon – originally described the small piece of wood that was used to keep the door of an animal trap propped open; in the New Testament, a stone or an obstacle that caused one to trip, to stumble, to lose his footing, to waver, to falter, and to fall down. In 1 Peter 2:8, it is used to describe how unbelievers react to the Gospel when they don’t want to hear or believe it. (May 12th, Sparkling Gems from the Greek)

While Randy Pausch was enjoying a blessed life – something scandalous happened. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This is a man who lived with unbridled enthusiasm and joy. A self-proclaimed “Tigger” – I bet he always saw his glass as half-full. But with a beautiful wife and three very young children – his terminal illness could have been the death of him – in more ways than one.

It could have become an obstacle he tripped over.

He might have lost his footing, wavering, and beginning to doubt all the principles and philosophies that his family taught him.

But he didn’t. Instead, he used his last months wisely, and along the way, encouraged people around the world. His “Last Lecture” convinced a depressed man to climb out of his bed and clean his house. One person cancelled their suicide plans. Other terminally ill people found the courage to rise up off their death beds and return to the land of the living – for whatever time they had left.

Randy Pausch could’ve slunk off into his cozy home with his lovely family, and who would have blamed him? No one – if that had been his choice, I think we’d all respect his right to choose it. But I, for one, am glad he chose a different path.

What was he thinking? - probably many things that went unspoken. But what we can know for sure – he knew that hard trials and temptations are bound to come. “The doctor said my diagnosis was unfair. It was not unfair. A certain percentage of people are going to be diagnosed with this disease, and I happened to be one of them. I was unlucky – but this wasn’t unfair.”

Pausch was a thoughtful man, and his ability to think and tell the truth to himself freed him to live life to the fullest. When tempted, he neither wavered, faltered nor fell down. It’s my prayer that we can grow up into our true God-created identities – and become a people who are not felled when trials and temptations come. This kind of character is going to require a big heart. We better get started.

Lesson one: Learn how to think clearly and tell yourself the truth – all the time.



Recommended reading: Jeremiah 9 and 10 in the morning; Colossians 3 and Psalm 55 in the evening

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