Do it anyway

This poem has been a delight to read again. I pray that it may help you to keep going in your Christian faith. Don't worry about what people may think of you but keep persevering for Jesus' sake.

"People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway."

Mother Teresa's Anyway Poem - apparently this poem is on the wall of a children’s home in Calcutta (operated by Mother Theresa’s order, the sisters of Charity). 

Living in Grace

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Diving in the deep end!

How far would we go to follow the call of the Lord? This is always a difficult question to answer, as we all come from different backgrounds and experiences. However, Elisha was faced with a difficult decision and in the end, he decided to dive in at the deep end!

1 Kings 19:19-21 - So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the ploughing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant."

The Complete Jewish Bible describes verse 10 in this way: "He left the oxen, ran after Eliyahu and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother good-bye; then I will follow you.” He answered, “Go; but return, because of what I did to you.”

Thoughts: What do you think convinced Elisha that this was what he needed to do?

Living in Grace

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Stick with this

Stickability may not sound like a real word, but it is. It means "a person's ability to persevere with something or to have staying power." 

The season of Lent reminds us of the cost of following Jesus and the call for each of us to have 'stickability' in our faith. This will be hard at times, but in other moments, it may be a little easier. Each of the disciples had to wrestle with their own struggles in this area, especially after Jesus was arrested. Their natural desire was to turn and run away. 

"Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.” - John 8:31-32 (The Message)

Question: If you had to rate yourself between 0-10 on STICKABILITY today, how would you fair?

Living in grace

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A Good Example

What does it mean to follow someone's example? Is it as simple as taking note of how they live, speak, act and then trying to emulate that? How do we know that their example is the right one to follow as there are plenty of people who aren't good examples?

When we turn to the Scriptures, we find the charge to follow the example of two extremely influential people - Jesus and Paul. 

"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you" - John 13:5

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." - 1 Corinthians 11:1

Thoughts: How good are we at following Jesus' example?

Albert Schweitzer - "A good example has twice the value of good advice."

Living in Grace

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P.S. Remember that you can get this devotion directly to your email inbox - just go to the subscription block on www.delmelinscott.blogspot.com 

Who are we carrying the stone for?

I came across this lovely story that is told by Elisabeth Elliott. It challenges us on the question of why we actually follow Jesus. What are our true motives? Do we respond to God, because we think there is something in it for us or just because we love Jesus? 

“One day Jesus said to his disciples: “I’d like you to carry a stone for me.” He didn’t give any explanation. So the disciples looked around for a stone to carry, and Peter, being the practical sort, sought out the smallest stone he could find. So he put it into his pocket. Jesus then said: “Follow me.” Jesus led them on a journey. About lunch time Jesus invited them all to sit down. He waved his hands and blessed the stones and they all turned into bread. He said, “Now, it’s time for lunch.” In a few seconds, Peter’s lunch was finished.

After lunch, Jesus told them all to stand up and he said again: “I’d like you to carry a stone for me.” This time Peter said, “Aha, Now I get it!” So he looked around and saw a small boulder. He hoisted it on his back and it was very painful – in fact, it made him stagger. But he said, “I can’t wait for supper.” Jesus then said: “Follow me.”

Jesus led them on a journey, with Peter barely able to keep up. Around supper time Jesus led them to the side of a river. He said to them, “Now everyone, throw your stones into the water.” They did. Then Jesus said, “Follow me.”

Peter and the others looked at Jesus dumbfounded (even angry). Jesus sighed and said, “Don’t you remember what I asked you to do? “I’d like you to carry a stone for me.”

Who were you carrying the stone for?” – Elisabeth Elliot

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In you

"Lord Christ,
you are the still centre of every storm.
In you is calm,
whatever the wind outside.
In you is reassurance,
however high the waves.
In you is strength,
however, contrary the tide." - Eddie Askew

We are reminded today that "in Jesus" we find our rest, peace and strength.

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..." - Romans 8:1

Living in Grace

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Follow the Leader

We all played the game 'follow the leader' as kids. The rules are simple - where the leader goes, we go! In today's Scripture, Micah tells the nation of Israel that in the future they will follow God again. Once the Messiah has broken through the gates of oppression and set them free, the nation will walk in God's ways again.

"Then I, God, will burst all confinements
    and lead them out into the open.
They’ll follow their King.    I will be out in front leading them." - Micah 2:13 (The Message)

Although we usually focus a lot of the image of the Christ-child at Christmas, we should never lose sight of the fact that Jesus grows up to lead his disciples and to call us all to follow him. Jesus is our King and he invites us to follow him. 

Matthew 16:24 (Message) - Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how.

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Thanks be to you

Continuing with our weeks theme of 'Prayers', today's prayer starts off with Thanksgiving and then moves into a plea for God's help in becoming more and more Christ-like. 

"Thanks be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits you have won for me.
For all the pains and insults you have borne for me.
O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother,
may I know you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
and follow you more nearly,
day by day." - Richard of Chichester

Luke 9:57 - [ The Cost of Following Jesus ] As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

Living in Grace
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Origin of the word Obedience

 

So we all think we know what the word 'Obedience' means, don't we? It means to OBEY or to follow the instructions of someone else, which is true; however it is so much more than that. Sadly, the context of the word has been tarnished over the years and is usually linked with a negative connotation attached to it.

Obedience comes from a Latin word 'oboedire'. The first part of this word means 'in the direction of', while 'audire' means 'to hear.' Therefore, to practise obedience implies that we lean in towards someone else, listening to what they have to say. In the case of Christ-followers, we show our obedience to Christ by 'leaning into Him', eager to hear his word and what God has to say.

For me, this makes my obedience a much more active response to Christ and not merely one of being a puppet on a string.

2 John 1:6 - And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

 

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P.S. I have been grateful to Abbot Christopher Jamison for his insightful comments on Obedience. He wrote a beautiful book entitled: "Finding Sanctuary".

Getting it right

You are not going to get it right all the time. That is a fact! Of course this is not an excuse to become complacent or lazy, but rather to recognise the need to improve and learn from your mistakes. People are very good at finding fault with our shortcomings, and forgetting what we actually get right, even if it is only most of the time.

On a spiritual and Christian level, this sentiment also applies. We seek to follow Jesus and to be God-fearing, but there will be times when we miss the mark. The important thing is to be humble enough to admit our mistakes and to listen to the promptings of the Spirit.

Take a look at this word to the church in Thyatira - "I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first." (Revelation 2:19)
At first glance, we see that they got so much right, but there was still a word of caution for them later in the same letter. They didn't get it right 100% of the time, but they needed to heed the word from the Spirit.

Thought: Don't let our imperfections stop us from giving our ALL for Christ.

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Turning in Circles

 

Have you noticed how dogs turn around in a circle before they lie down? Sometimes they do this more than once and it is interesting to watch. There are a number of different opinions as to why they do this, but the one that made the once sense appeared in this article - In essence it suggested that this behaviour in dogs has been passed down from generation to generation and the purpose of the 'spinning' is to flatten out their beds before they lie down. It makes sense, I guess, as dogs used to sleep outside on the grass/fields and they wanted to make their 'beds' more comfortable before they went to sleep.

So here is my take on this action and how it could speak some truth into our lives.

We may be tempted to make our 'beds' (lives) more and more comfortable, but we can never eliminate all bumps and stones from our paths. The most important action of our lives that involves some 'turning' is that of repenting - we should focus on turning from the things that hinder our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Acts 20:21 - I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.

Take Home Thought: The Christian Life is not always comfortable and this should not be our highest aim in following Jesus. 

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A second Prayer

"Thanks be to You, our Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits which You have given us,
for all the pains and insults which You have borne for us.
Most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother,
may we know You more clearly,
love You more dearly, 
and follow You more nearly, 
day by day." - Richard of Chichester

Three things about this prayer stick out for me:

Knowing God more clearly...
Loving God more dearly...
Following God more nearly....

If we could only do this, how different would our lives be?

Matthew 7:24 - “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.

Living in Grace
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A new way

"Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this NEW WAY, we never give up." - 2 Corinthians 4:1

Following God means that we often have to go against the flow. The decisions and agenda of the rest of the world may be very different from the way that Jesus has called us to live. This NEW WAY is tough and it may take an incredible amount of effort and sacrifice, but it is because we have been called to follow a different leader.

As we commit to this NEW WAY may we be blessed with courage and perseverance.

Living in Grace
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Read the fine print

“Following Jesus isn’t something you can do at night where no one notices. It’s a twenty-four-hour-a-day commitment that will interfere with your life. That’s not the small print—that’s a guarantee.” – Kyle Idleman

I like this quote because it tells the truth about following Jesus. It reminds me that if I want to really follow Jesus then it will take 'ALL' of me. There is no catch in the fine print - that is the Guarantee. Christianity will consume your life - it is meant to do that. It is meant to turn everything upside down. 

If we want to follow the Jesus way, then we had better prepare ourselves for a bumpy ride.

1 Peter 2:21 - "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."

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Rest for your soul

Sometimes we just have bad days. Days that we wish would pass by quickly, so we can start afresh with new hope and opportunities. There is a lovely verse in Jeremiah which gives us some good instruction on what to do in times like these. I think that whenever I am having a bad day, I am going to put these words into practise.

“Ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” – Jeremiah 6:16

Ask the Lord for the 'good' way - the ancient paths.

Then walk in those ways.

Once I do that, then I will find rest for my soul.

Worth thinking about - especially if you are having a bad day.

Living in Grace

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Just Hope

"Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:28-31

We have one task to live out today. All that is required of us is to HOPE in the Lord. Once we start with that, then the rest will follow.

Have a blessed Day.
Living in Grace
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It is better

"It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in humans. 
 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes." - Psalm 118:8-9

Following God is not always easy. In fact, some days it is just plain difficult. However, despite the struggles we all face in our faith experience, the one thing I can truly say is ...
...IT IS BETTER than everything else put together. 

I have learnt to take refuge in Jesus, because He is better than anything and anyone else - His word is His bond and Jesus walks alongside me wherever I go.

What do you think?
Is Jesus "better" for you?

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Bring us back

"Bring us back to you, God—we’re ready to come back." - Lamentations 5

When can be so full of pride at times. We go our own way and when we realise we have made a mistake we are so slow to admit our error. Sometimes we need to be like the wayward son and eventually bump our heads so hard, that we only wake up when it hurts!

Jeremiah turns to God, on behalf of his people, and admits that they are ready to come back. He asks God to bring them back into the relationship of old - they long to be resting in the shelter of the most high and God longs for that too.

Remember that Lent teaches us that we are always welcome in the company of Jesus, but we need to be ready to come back to him. Jesus is not into "arm-wrestling" us back into his home, but he will gladly welcome us back, if we want.

Luke 8:39 - “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him."

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Caught between 2 storms

Yesterday my home town of Pietermaritzburg experienced 2 thunderstorms - one in the afternoon and one in the evening. Thankfully they were not to destructive and the rain proved to be a welcome relief for our area impacted by the recent drought.

However, the two Thunderstorms got me thinking about how sometimes we are caught between 2 'storms' in our lives. We may get through one of them OK, but then suddenly we are hit with another storm of sorts. These can come in various forms, but they inevitably come.

In Luke's gospel we read how Jesus was caught in the middle of one storm, when he was sailing with this disciples on the sea of Galilee. Even after he had calmed the physical storm, he was then confronted with a 'spiritual' storm as he had to cast out demons and heal people with various illnesses. It seemed as if Jesus lived perpetually between two storms.

Luke 8:24-25 -  The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, ‘Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.’

Can you relate to this at the moment? Have you just come through a tough time in your life? Remember that even if one storm has passed we will face another one sometime in the future.

Who is helping you to cope in between the 2 storms? Are you willing to turn to Jesus and to ask for his strength and guidance as you journey between the storms of life?

Living in Grace
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Go

The word 'Go' appears' over a thousand times in the Bible, with many of these coming in the Gospels. This simple 2 letter word speaks of an action and commands some kind of response from us. It reminds me that our faith can't be static - God's followers are meant to be on the move. GO.

So what is God calling you to 'go' and do today?

Matthew 10:6 & 7 - "Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near."

John 8:11 - "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

John 11:16 - "Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

Go.
Move.
Do it!

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