Devotional Time with God

I’m so blessed by my church and pastor Rick Warren for coming up with a new Bible study, based on the updated The Purpose Driven Life book.  It brings me back to focus on centering my life around God.  My life is created for His purpose and by His hands.  It’s as simple as that.

Everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him.

Colossians 1:16

The question to ponder:

In spite of all the advertising around me, how can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself?

The advertising around me is all about profit. It’s all about being selfish. It’s all about making myself supposedly better than the next person. But this is a rat race, in a complicated maze with no exit.

Actually, there’s an exit, and it’s upwards: towards heaven. I have to leave all of this materialistic pursuits behind and store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20), instead. I can’t please myself enough to buy my way to heaven. I have to please my creator. I have to return to my God.

Many times, I see celebrities declare what they want is simply “world peace”. Of course, that’s a nice sentiment, but hardly ever attainable because the world is inherently broken. People are born selfish. We always want our needs fulfilled first before thinking of others.

So how can we ever get any peace?

There is only one kind.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Colossians 3:15

In Christ alone, I can attain the peace that is badly needed. His grace and mercy lift up my hearts, being called upon to serve others – not to be selfish. Not to be like this world. But only to heavenly purpose.

I am forever thankful for Christ’s love, and the peace that follows Him.

Pastor Rick of Saddleback Church has just kicked off a new study series with “40 Days in the Word“, to study the word of God. It will surely enrich my life and keep me focused on reading the scripture and writing notes on it.

The first one is:

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Colossians 3:16

The word of God needs to dwell in me. I need to “wear” it to help me go through the day, as Jesus would. As Colossians 3:12 suggests, I need to be compassion, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. A good set of attitudes to be Christ-like.

To be a Christian, I have to be like Jesus Christ.  To be like Jesus, I have to love like Him. He’s kind and gentle with others, believers and non-believers alike.  Even to those who mocked and beat Him!

It’s tough to love others, especially when they don’t love me back.  But it is commanded (Galatians 5:14).  It’s what God’s love is all about.  God uses others to mold my character and to test my faith.

How I behave around others is important too:

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive  so that you will have the right response for everyone.

Colossians 4:5-6

It’s all about love – loving God, and loving others.

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

It’s amazing how much things I have to deal with on this temporary place called earth.  The people, the conflicts, the heartaches, the disappointments, the hardship, etc.  I don’t think I can ever do this without God’s help – every day, every hour, every minute.

What benefits the attitude of gratitude bring for me?

1. Keeps me in God’s will.
2. Makes me better, not bitter.
3. Defeats the devil!
4. Causes miracles.

Having faith in God, it means I have to thank Him in advance.  I have to thank Him all the time, even when it seems like it’s hopeless.  Even when I don’t feel like it.  Faith keeps me going.  Faith gives me hope.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6-7

It’s essential for me to forgive others, just as God has forgiven me. It’s not an easy task, but it can be done, with God’s help.  Here are some of the steps I can take:

1. Reveal my hurt.
2. Release the offender.
3. Replace my hurt with God’s peace.

A hurt is no good if I keep it buried in my mind.  I must speak it out to the offender – if not possible, to someone I trust, or write it on a piece of paper.  Bring it out in the open.

Then just simply release the persons who offended me.  I need to tell them I’m hurting because of them, and that I’ve forgiven them.  One suggested way:

You hurt me this way, this way, and this way.  But I want you to know I forgive you because God has forgiven me, because resentment doesn’t work.  I will need forgiveness in the future.  I am releasing you.

And I need to forgive all the time! (Matthew 18:21-22)  When I think about them and they don’t hurt, that’s when I know I’ve released them.

Finally, God’s power is more abundance and effective than mine.  I need to tap into it.  My sheer willpower won’t do it.  Only God can change hearts.  I’ll do my part to forgive and release.  God will work on my heart and those who offended me.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.

Colossians 3:15

It’s a question that I’ve asked, and heard people asked about.  Being Christian, forgiveness is the hardest concept I have to wrestle with.

I grew up as a skinny nerd, not a strong kid.  I get bullied – a lot.  I grew up dealing with the put-downs, the snow-jobs, the resentment, etc.  One toxic byproduct of this was my propensity to hold a grudge and not being able to forgive.

Now that Jesus is in my life, this attitude is changing.

In Colossians 3:13, it says I have to forgive others just as as God has forgiven me.  It can’t be any simpler than that.

When I think about, having resentment doesn’t do me any good.  Why should I be the one in pain and suffering, sometimes in years, thinking about old wounds?  I have to go on.  Resentment is unreasonable (Job 5:2), unhelpful, and unhealthy (Job 21:23-25). I need to move on.

Furthermore, I need forgiveness for my future mistakes.  I’m not a perfect person. I will make mistakes.  I offer forgiveness because I need to be forgiven, for now and the future.  It’s in the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:12).

It is good to be forgiven.  It is better to forgive.

In spite of all the advertising around me, how can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself?

Purpose Driven Life, p. 21

When I start to move my focus away from myself, suddenly it seems there are more to life than me. In an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, Robert was worried that our lives were like fruit flies (only lives for 24 hours) — meaningless. But as God’s servants, we are meant to be more, and do more than that. God said in Colossians 1:16b (MSG) version:

Everything to started in Him, and finds its purpose in Him.

God is my creator, I must look for Him for answers. I also have to read the bible, for it is my creator’s owner’s manual. I must start by getting to know God. It’s not about me.