Devotional Time with God

There are many famous people in this world.  They’re rich, influential, charismatic, beautiful, persuasive, or even powerful in some ways.  People have a tendency to look at them as role models.

But are they suppose to be mine?

The bible tells me my father is suppose to be my role model:

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”

John 5:19

I love my Dad and I look up to my biological father because he’s my closest example of what a man should be.  But I do have to remind myself that he’s only human, with all the fallacies of this world.

There is a heavenly Father.  God is my source of life and inspiration.  I need to fix my eye on Him.  He will show more greater and more amazing things (John 5:20).

God is my ultimate role model.

I’m not sure how often I should ask myself where I’m at with my spiritual life. I have a feeling I have to check every day – even every waking minute!  It’s important I’m always in step with God’s purpose for me.  It’s important that my walk is with Jesus (Ephesians 1:11-12).

It’s important that I show it!

In the morning, I wake up to a challenge with my family, constantly testing my patience.   I drive to work and constantly testing my ability to be kind and calm.  I get to work and constantly testing me holding together my Christ-like behavior.

And the recycle repeats every day.

It’s hard to compartmentalized my spiritual life.  I can’t just put it aside.  It IS my life.  I need to spend more time praying.  I need to spend most of my waking hour talking to God.

I can’t let go of Jesus because He’s the reason I have a spiritual life.

All of my life, I see my parents try hard to accumulate wealth.  They became wealthy, but had no time for family.  We were taken care of financially, but we were emotionally empty.  Now that I have my own family, I vowed not to fall into that trap.  I may be financially OK, but at least I can come home every night and weekends with my wife and kid.  We can still go vacation together and feel very close to each other.

The bible tells me that my “life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15). This world is fleeting.  It will come to pass and I’ll be with God after all of my days here.  Accumulation of possessions will be meaningless in heaven.

I need to accumulate love.  Love for my family, others, and that of the Father in heaven.

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If you love the world, love for the Father  is not in you.   For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful people, the lust of their eyes and their boasting about what they have and do—comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

1 John 2:15-17

The one thing I struggle most is figuring out when to speak up.  All sorts of things go into my mind when I hear something I don’t like.  Unfortunately, most of them are anger.  Anger about the unfairness.  Anger about the injustice.  Anger about the lies.

I have to figure out why I’m feeling angry.  Is it for selfish reason?  Is it my ego or pride being hurt?

Or is it because injustice is happening to other people?  Other people’s rights are being trampled?  Others are hurt, secluded, discriminated, or extorted?

There’s the difference: It’s not about me.  If I think it’s going to benefit many people that I speak up, then I must do that.  But I must do so in truth, kindness, and gentleness.  I must not succumb to fear and anger, because it’s not what God wants me to do (2 Timothy 1:7).

I speak up to represent God’s light – to lead the world to Christ.

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

James 1:19-20

But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Colossians 3:8-10