PC3 Devotions

Philippians 4:8-9

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

When we permit our worry or concern to stay longer than it needs to, dangerous behaviors and results can occur. The longer we freak out the more things spiral out of control. Thoughts that initially seemed harmless and we gave little attention to soon become ones that hamper our trust in God and prohibit us from growing. We are paralyzed by our thoughts. As we learned a few days back, a person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls (Proverbs 25:28).

There is hope that in the midst of any uncertainty we face we can walk securely. We are not defenseless to our scrambled brains. It all hinges on what we see because our perspective shapes our actions. The absence of truth doesn’t really matter until you can make sense of what you see. We must have a way of dealing with the world when it doesn’t make sense and all we want to do is worry. This is why renewing our minds and capturing out thoughts is so critical to our spiritual formation and battle over freaking out.

Captive thoughts prepare one to see correctly. When we meditate on His word, we become well attuned to hear those quiet voices inside of us that are quite simply a whisper from God. Scripture spends a great deal of energy focusing on the importance of conquering our mind: setting our mind (Colossians 3:2), renewing our mind (Romans 12:2), submitting our mind (Psalm 26:2), and preparing our mind (1 Peter 1:13).

Our thoughts and what controls our mind determine the way in which we experience God. Yet, the importance of capturing our thoughts and renewing our mind are rarely stressed in Christian circles and even more rarely practiced as a spiritual discipline. We let our thoughts run wild in our mind with little to no self-control. This, in turn, causes us to struggle to experience an intimate relationship with Christ and trust in Him when our world is thrown off kilter. Worry and the push to control fill the vacuum in the absence of truth.

The struggle over our mind is really a struggle over who we are. Beginning to live in the knowledge that we are His beloved will help us in any struggles that we might face in life. What controls our mind often determines our actions. We become what we set our minds on. The first step in renewing our minds is remembering who we are in Christ. It is crucial we align our perspective with what it is true, solid, good and right. Only then will we begin to realize that God is ultimately in control of every situation we face.

God, often when I am freaking out my mind is all over the place. Help me to renew and prepare my mind for those moments when I am tempted to worry or overact. May I see the situation I am facing through a different lens, one that is guided through your love for me. Amen.

1 Peter 5:7

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

We tend to think of “freaking out” as something expressed through our words or our actions. Yet, there is another side of this reaction that can remain hidden from plain sight. But, don’t be fooled. Reacting in this way can be just as dangerous to our walk with God than those moments when our angst gets expressed. As the saying goes, you do have the ability to “worry yourself sick.”

Some people refer to worry as the great revealer. The things that keep us tossing and turning at night or occupy our mind throughout the day shine light on two realities. They reveal not only the picture we have of ourselves, but also expose our view of God. Worry is powerful because it possesses the uncanny ability to cut to the heart of who and what we worship.

If you freak out over your finances, what does that say about who you view as the ultimate provider? If there is anxiety over taking care of all the people around you, who do you really believe is their sustainer? If you worry about a relationship that is crumbling, have you lost sight of the source of hope and redemption? When we worry we tend to take on more than we should and one of two things will happen- we either check out or drive harder in an effort to control the situation.

Worry slowly begins to steal our faith, passion, and confidence suffocating God’s work in our lives. In the midst of our freak out, we look to our circumstances for freedom, peace and life. Yet, we are asking something from our circumstances that they are incapable of doing- to bring us peace. Circumstances can change with a moments notice so any peace we might feel is fleeting at best.

Peace is not connected to our circumstances, but to our God. Only He can provide us unshakable peace in the midst of any circumstance.  We understand this in our heads, but struggle to truly believe this in our hearts. In the midst of our uncertainty, we often second guess and doubt God has our best interest at heart. Worrying forces us to drift towards questioning God’s heart and wondering if He really cares.

The power worry has to control our heart hinges on the way we view our relationship with God and the value that relationship holds in His eyes. Worry is directly connected to our perception of our personal value. In 1 Peter 5:7 we are told to give over our anxiety to God because He cares for us. When Jesus commands us not to worry He speaks in great detail about our worth. Psalm 55:22 says “cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”

All of these verses touch upon this idea of relationship. The opposite of fear is trust and trust is rooted in a relationship. Coming to Him in thanksgiving for all He has done will cause us to stand strong in the midst of those future moments when uncertainty reigns.

God, even though my worrying might not been seen by others or verbalized out loud, I know that it has the ability to consume my heart and mind. May I cast all my concerns to you, trusting that you care about me. Amen.

In John 19, we encounter the crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus.  It’s what we will be remembering tomorrow, Good Friday.  Take a few minutes to read and re-read the chapter.  Pay attention to the details.  Ponder the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.  Put yourself in the shoes of the faithful ones who remained with Jesus until the end and wonder what it would have been like to be there as well.

John 19:25-30

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

 28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John was clear as to what his intentions were when he wrote his book.  He wanted to present Jesus as the one, true Messiah—the one on whom we can believe and from whom, in believing, we receive life.  It’s a theme that runs throughout his gospel—that Jesus was God, Messiah, Son of Man, Son of God, the Light, and the Word.

John does something else so well, though.  He paints pictures of intimate interactions of Jesus with people.  Jesus was always connecting with people on a personal level.   He noticed people that others would just walk by (John 9).  He kept a party going to keep a family from a major social faux pas (John 2).  He protected and forgave (John 8); he healed (John 5); he resurrected (John 11).

I love the way that John puts these couple of verses together.  In verses 25-27, he describes Jesus providing for his mother, Mary.  It is probable that Joseph, her husband, was long since dead and that Jesus had been supporting her.  With her only source of provision and support about to die before her eyes, Jesus provides a way for His mother to be cared for in his absence.  He hands her over to his beloved disciple, the author of this book, John.

The next section of verses begins (verse 28) with the phrase, “After this…” and ends with Jesus giving up His spirit…dying.  His final act, Jesus’ last earthly interaction with a human before He died, was to care for his mother.  He’s on the cross, suffering an unexplainably painful death, bearing the weight of his body and our sins on the cross, and He’s thinking about others, showing utter compassion and care for his creation.

Does this speak to you?  What does this say about Jesus?  What does this say about the Father, God?  What does this say about you?

In his first letter to the church, Peter implores us to “cast all [our] anxieties on him, because he cares for [us].” (1 Peter 5:7).  Jesus cares for us.  God cares for us.  We cast our cares on him because he is “most careful with [us]” (1 Peter 5:7 in The Message).

Do you believe this is true?  Does God care for you?  And if it is true, what implications does it (or should it) have on your life?

Lord God, you are my provision—may I never forget that.  Thank you for caring for me in ways that I realize and recognize as well as in the infinite number of ways that my human eyes cannot grasp.  You care for me, and I am going to rest in that fact today no matter what my circumstances say.  Amen.

One of the most intimidating things that God calls us to do as believers (or maybe it’s just intimidating for me) is to be prepared to share our faith with people.  It’s not an option; it’s a command (1 Peter 3:15).  And that can be pretty scary sometimes…I’ve got to be ready at all times to give a reason for the hope that I have.

The fears begin to mount.  What if I don’t know enough?  What if he asks me a question I can’t answer?  What if she doesn’t understand?  What if what I say doesn’t make sense?  What if they laugh at me?  But I haven’t been a Christian for very long…

And on and on the fears and doubts go.  God can’t possibly want me to share my faith…I can’t possibly be ready yet…that’s for super-Christians, right?  God can’t use me…

Take a few minutes to read John chapter 9, the story of Jesus healing a man who was blind from birth…

John 9:24-25

 ²⁴ A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

 ²⁵ He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

John wrote his book so that we might BELIEVE in Jesus and receive LIFE.

Nathaniel believed when Jesus told him what he had been doing (John 1:48-49).

The disciples believed when Jesus extended a party (John 2:11).

The Samaritan woman believed when Jesus pried into her life and revealed the truth (John 4).

And the man in this chapter believed when Jesus spit in the dirt, made mud, put it on his eyes, and told him to go wash…and it worked (and it was little gross, too)!

Two questions arise that we have to ask ourselves as we read through this gospel and take a deeper look into Jesus’ encounters with people.

If you have yet to take the step toward a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus, what is it going to take for you to believe?  God is and has revealed Himself to you…in nature, in His Word, in life circumstances that make sense only when you consider an all-powerful, all-loving God.  He’s revealed himself to you as God in probably more than one way.  What’s keeping you from believing?

The second question is to those who have a relationship with God through Jesus: what did it take for you?  What was it that pushed you to believe in Jesus as God, Messiah, Savior?  How has God confirmed in your life that He is who He says He is?  If you were pressed, like the blind man was, to give an account for the change in your life, for your hope, for the difference Jesus has made, what would you say?

Take a look, again, at the blind man’s response in verses 24 and 25.  It was so simple. He didn’t even know who Jesus was.  He didn’t give a historical review of the nation of Israel.  He didn’t give a succinct explanation of the 5 points of Calvinism.  He didn’t preach a sermon or explain what a difficult passage from scripture means.  When pressed to explain the change in his life, he simply stated, “I was blind, and now I can see.”   He told his story.

As believers, we simply need to share our lives with people who ask.  We tell our stories.  What did it take for you to believe?  What has Jesus done in your life?  What did surrender look like for you? Why do you have the hope that you do in the midst of difficult situations?  Why did you handle that situation so unlike most people would?

Being prepared to give an answer for the hope that we have doesn’t look like preaching or teaching (although it can).  It doesn’t have to sound like a theology professor wrote or said it.  It doesn’t mean defending our position on a hot-button issue of the day.

Being prepared to give an answer simply means that you’re willing to share your story—your personal encounter with Jesus Christ…that’s it.  You leave the rest to Him and His Spirit!

Lord, forgive me for times when I’ve chosen to ignore your Spirit’s prompting in my heart to share my life with someone.  Give me courage today and at all points in the future to give testimony of what you’ve done in my life.  Give me opportunities to tell others of the hope that I have.  Thank you for the LIFE that I’ve received through belief in your Son; may my actions be an undeniable proof of the hope that I have in You, and may I have the boldness and confidence to share what YOU’VE done in me.

1 Peter 5:6-7

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

If you’ve ever rushed through an airport terminal with two heavy suitcases and a carry-on, you’ve realized the importance of packing light for a trip. Those bags have a way of weighing you down. Our emotional baggage has the same effect. Clinging on to past failures and regrets hinders walking freely with Christ.

The weight of this burden slows down your pursuit of God by diverting your attention from the future. In essence, you are walking into the future facing the wrong direction. The problem is you were designed to move forward, not backwards.

While reflecting on the condition of your heart during the last few devotionals, you were forced to confront the emotional baggage you continue to carry. There will be a tendency to pick a word out of guilt and utilize it in a way it was never intended: to make up for past regrets. However, guilt never produces lasting transformation.

Are any of the words on your potential My One Word list driven by the desire to make up for past mistakes? How is this causing you to continue to hold on to the burdens of the past? Which word(s) seems to propel you forward towards the hope of future change?

Your word must move you forward by keeping your life heading into the promise of the future. The hope that you cling to is that even though the past cannot be fixed, it can be redeemed. The past maybe irreparable, but the future is always available

God, help me to cast all my anxieties on to you. May I not try to make up for my past, but trust in the future you have planned for me. Enable me to drop my baggage at the feet of your cross. Amen.

Psalm 39:5

5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. 
Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.

The Psalmist says our life is but a breath (Psalm 39:5 and Psalm 144:4). Other parts of scripture compare the days we have on earth to a shadow (Psalm 102:11 and Job 8:9) or grass that is here one day and gone the next (1 Peter 1:24 and Psalm 37:2). Coming to grips with the brevity of life should cause two different reactions to erupt within us: reflection and action. As we come to the end of the Why Bother series, we want you to take a moment and reflect on the direction your life and marriage (or future marriage) is headed.

Each one of us wants their life, and their marriage, to matter, to count for something. But, the question you must ask yourself, is what are you doing today to invest in your marriage for the future? It is very easy to take your marriage and your spouse for granted. You grow comfortable in your situation. You know there are things that need to change or conversations that must take place.

Or, maybe your single and think you have plenty of time to work on your character and prepare your heart for your future spouse. So, you put it off for another day reasoning that your future self can deal with it. But, tomorrow is not promised. Today is truly all you have.

Our purpose here on earth is to make an eternal impact on our world. We have been entrusted with the responsibility to impact culture by making Christ’s name known through the way we live our lives, treat our spouse and raise our families. God uses us, the church, to be Him in this world–to make an impact in our world to draw people into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Yet, before that can happen, you have to make a decision. Are you going to put yourself in a position to be used in this way? Are you going to allow your life and marriage to be used for this purpose? That’s the question we’re asking today.

To describe our brief stay on this planet, Scripture says we are but dust. This is partly to encourage and partly to humble. It is encouraging because it gives us perspective to endure knowing that there will be a day when, from everlasting to everlasting, we will be filled and complete. But, it is also humbling because we are called to steward this precious gift of life according to the One who made us and knows us. His hand formed us and we will stand before Him. Our children will continue the legacy we provide for them. We are like a flower that quickly fades, so don’t waste your life. Life is short and we only possess a small window to leave an eternal mark.

Without an understanding that our days are like a breath, it is easy to just sigh and put off investing in our marriage. The reality is tomorrow has never been promised to us. Each day is a gift so stop for a moment and think: what are you doing with the moments you’ve been given?

God, help me to see today as a gift. May I steward it well by investing in my marriage or future marriage. Allow me not to put off things for tomorrow, but utilize today to love my spouse by nurturing my heart with your Word. Amen.

1 Peter 5:7

⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

As we begin a series focusing on marriage, the reality is some of you feel weighed down. Mistakes of the past have brought on a sense of condemnation or shame. The brokenness you’ve experienced or are currently engaging in has you wondering if there is any hope. The baggage you cling on to has you doubting that redemption is possible.

Clinging on to those past hurts, failures and regrets hinders walking freely with Christ and transforming how you honor the marriage relationship. What you are carrying slows you down, wears you out and causes you to stumble. The scars and wounds influence the way we perceive ourselves, our spouse, others and even God himself. Our baggage distorts what we believe about God as well as the way we think He sees us.

Then there are those who will try to ignore their wounds and pretend like everything is okay. They keep everyone at a distance by wearing a mask and hiding the pain and hurt that rages deep inside of them. All their effort is spent in making sure no one sees through their façade. The baggage prevents us from being transparent in community by obstructing our relationships with others.

Rather than letting them go, we carry these burdens with us. As a result, our walks with God, as well as our relationships with others, are hindered. Baggage keeps us from enjoying the fullness of life that God wants us to experience.  In 1 Peter 5:7 we are told to “cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” God doesn’t want us to be weighed down by emotional baggage or carrying around burdens that we were not intended to bear.

Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30). The offer Jesus made thousands of years ago remains available: I will carry your baggage for you.

It doesn’t matter the weight of your bags, none are too heavy for Jesus. The time has come to let them go and give them to Him. When we surrender our scars, wounds and hurts to Him, He heals us and lifts those burdens. Then we will be able to repeat the words found in 1 Peter 3:13-16

 ¹³ Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” ¹⁵ But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

Now pause for a second: Who are the “they” in your life? Perhaps you know someone that is desperately searching for God, but doesn’t realize it. This person could be a family member, friend, co-worker, neighbor or anyone else in your sphere of influence.  Their attempts to find fulfillment in things of this world have left them frustrated. Yet, they continue this vicious cycle of placing hope in things that will eventually let them down. Your heart aches for them because you realize these worldly longings that captivate their attention are at their core a longing for God.

Having experienced firsthand the hope that Christ’s love provides, we are called to share this hope to a hurting world. Part of our responsibility as believers is to reach people, share the good news of Jesus Christ, reveal to them the love of God and be ambassadors for God (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Many halt in their tracks at this calling, as they are unsure of how to give hope and share why they trust in God. Whether it is based on fear of offending someone or being able to give the ‘right’ answer, we hesitate in sharing our faith. In the back of our minds, we have this idea that in order to share our faith we must be seminary students who have all of their theological arguments prepared in advance in order to convince someone of their need for God.

Imagine how greater the impact our words about the consistent love of God would have on an outsider if we were more concerned over expressing the Good News rather than worrying about the in’s and out’s of the presentation. The word gospel actually means “Good News.” Our mindset needs to change from TEACHING salvation to SHARING the Good News. We need to move in a direction that allows us to reveal to others how to have a relationship with God. This begins by expressing what He has done in our own lives and pointing to the hope that we have found in Christ.

The news we are expressing is the impact of a changed life. Salvation is not a system or formula. It is not about doing the “Christian thing” by conforming to a religious lifestyle. Instead, salvation is a conversion experience that produces change in one’s life. True change causes people to take notice of God working in your life. The message that speaks volumes to family and friends is your life impacted by God’s love.

Reaching people is not a passive activity. Helping someone walk with God requires taking the time to get to know them. The challenge before you is to start somewhere with someone. Just begin to move in.

God, may I live a life that speaks to the hope I have found in you. Give me the boldness and courage to reach out to others and share the unshakable hope that your grace and forgiveness provides. Amen.

Why would someone ask you about the hope that you have? Do you regularly express God’s love and demonstrate the hope that you have through the example of your life? What does it mean when someone doesn’t ask?

The Psalmist says our life is but a breath (Psalm 39:5 and Psalm 144:4). Other parts of scripture compare the days we have on earth to a shadow (Psalm 102:11 and Job 8:9) or grass that is here one day and gone the next (1 Peter 1:24 and Psalm 37:2). Coming to grips with the brevity of life should cause two different reactions to erupt within us: reflection and action.

Life is short and we only possess a small window to leave an eternal mark. Without an understanding that our days are like a breath, it is easy to just sigh and put off sharing our faith, forgiving someone who hurt us or putting our One Word into action for another day. Spiritual transformation suddenly gets pushed to the back burner. We’ll get to it eventually. Yet, the reality is tomorrow has never been promised to us. Each day is a gift and the question we must ask ourselves is what are we doing with the moments we’ve been given?

Psalm 90:12 (NASB)

12 So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

In Psalm 90:12, the author says we are to present to God a heart that is full of wisdom. Wisdom is discovered. It is accumulated. It occurs when we take the time to process what happens around us, to us, and in us. Most people think that wisdom is simply a matter of learning from your own mistakes, and that is a start. But, wisdom is gained by listening and obeying the One who is wisdom. Proverbs tells us that wisdom begins with a proper perspective of God—the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). Notice the connection.

We are commissioned to present our hearts to our Creator at the end of our lives. They will be full of something. He tells us they are to be molded and shaped by wisdom. They are to be formed by the way we see God—and the way we see everything else in that light. The process by which this happens? Time. Number your days. Be aware. Take notice.

What this verse is talking about is being purposeful on presenting to our maker the position of our heart. Very few people think about that. Presenting the condition of your heart to the one who made you isn’t even a blip on your radar. Imagine being able to say ‘here is my heart and it is full of wisdom.’ Today matters in the formation of your heart. What will you discover today that will add to the heart you will one day present to the Father. This is a day that God has made.

Lord, open the eyes of my heart. Help me to number this day—to make it count. Whether it is hard or easy, stressful or relaxed, don’t let this pass without changing my heart. At the end of the day, let me know more about You than I do now. Reveal your ways to me. Instead of me projecting my ways on Yours and questioning You, I will submit mine to Yours and learn from You. Thank you for Your patience with me and for giving me days in which to discover more of You. Amen.