Day 1: 1 John 1
"Would you go skydiving without a parachute? Would you bungee jump without a bungee? Would you go on a roller coaster ride without pulling the shoulder harness down? Would you scuba dive with no air in the tanks? Could I convince you to eat a rotten egg with a dead goldfish in it, just for the fun of it? The answer to all these questions is a definite “NO!!!” That stuff isn’t smart. It’s not tempting. It’s a no brainer! Why? Because participating in any of those activities would lead to pain for sure, and probably to death! Wanna know something crazy? Most teenagers take those kinds of chances every day. They may not be performing daredevil stunts or eating raw food, but they take the chance of living life on their own. God designed us in His image, as relational beings. He created us to be in a relationship with Him and with other believers (1 John 1:3) In the Bible, Christians are never divided into those who go to church and those who don’t. In the New Testament, wherever Christians were within range of each other, they met. In the book of Acts, every time the apostle Paul went to towns where there were new Christians, he immediately helped them meet with each other, and together they became a little church. Pray that God would give you a heart for his people and that he would help you make the choice to meet consistently with other Christians."
That’s what the devo for yesterday was. I’m going to post the devo everyday, and then my response. Hope that works for everyone.
So this blog seemed relevant yesterday as I sat in the union eating my monkey wrap from Oasis Café. Ps- Yum. Anyway, it was 1 John 1:6-7 that really caught my eye: “So if we say we have fellowship with God, but we continue living in darkness, we are liars and do not follow the truth. But if we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from every sin.” What hit me about this was that it was just Monday night (the night before I first read this) when Sara and I were talking about how we were feeling a strange sense of emptiness. A sense of lacking and a hole that we both felt could only truly be filled by God. We often have the same brain, so it was no surprise that we both felt it. I loved talking to her about God. The sense of fellowship, even in just one person was so refreshing. So that was then, that was yesterday as I read this the first time.
But as I typed it off of my phone, I realized another strange revelation. When it talks about God not separating His people, that hit home. I’m taking it out of context, but that part really reminded me of Ethiopia. One of the biggest things that I noticed through that experience was the fact that All children are God’s children. There’s difference in race and society, culture and social class, but we’re all God’s children. We all live because of his promise. We're all forgiven. No exceptions. No separation. God doesn’t discriminate love.
And as for the rest of the devotion, it’s right- we as Christians need each other. But it has to be a want as well. So I challenge you, as I’m challenging myself, to step out of your box and find a Christian and talk about God. Crave that fellowship, and feed the craving. Find someone in the hallway or on the street and say, “God loves you.” Be a connection to God, prove that you’re a Christian. Walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk.
Live it up, love it up. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment