Day 2 – My Life Is So Hard…
Scripture focus: The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity. 2 Corinthians 10:5 The Message
At the close of a busy, dog-eat-dog kind of day, I headed to the local grocery store for a few items necessary for dinner preparation. In my weary state, I unconsciously walked through the rain with my head tucked into my coat collar and my eyes glued to the puddles of slush that acted as annoying barriers to my destination – a warm store stocked with what I need. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was forgetting something. I soon realized the full extent of my forgetfulness.
Every evening I head upstairs before the rest of my family and take a few moments to review my day. It’s sort of a mini-inventory. It was during this time of reflection that my lost memory returned. I realized with regret that I spent the entire day without using a single God-tool.
My hands were not idle in the traditional way one thinks of laziness. All day I rushed around. But never once in the entire day did my hands dig and pull and pry and pull at the barriers stubbornly erected in my mind against the truth of God.
Instead, I allowed my thoughts, emotions and impulsivity to structure my day.
I concluded that it is one thing for the world to live in an unprincipled, dog-eat-dog manner – but that wasn’t cool with me. The world can take care of itself, but tomorrow I’m going to re-order my own interior world of one. This rearrangement requires two things: 1) I must acknowledge what occupies my interior world, and 2) I have a decision to make: renovate or live with the status quo. If I choose the status quo, then not much will change. Can I live with that? More on what is and what might be in tomorrow’s devotional.
Recommended reading: Genesis 4 - 7
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1 comment:
I'm always excited when the new year starts because it's a time of renewal to commitments for me. However, I do not feel compelled to start any of my goals (I don't make resolutions) on that day. For instance as a gym member, I probably won't be going there until after the resolution makers quit going to avoid the crowd. I actually have 365 days to follow up on my goals. This gives me a bit of relieve from stress and condemnation.
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