Worth It
Devotional
READ: Hebrews 10:23-25
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been in various discipleship communities and relationships over the years. From those experiences, I can tell you that there is nothing quite as exciting as seeing God change my way of thinking or behaving and watching Him do that for others. To me, that’s one of God’s biggest miracles--to change us from the inside out. Standing back and watching the Spirit of God work and then rejoicing with a community of believers in the goodness and faithfulness of God, there’s nothing like it.
I often think about how desperate I would feel if I didn’t have a relationship with the Lord and other believers like I do. I wonder how people make it through daily challenges without being able to draw upon the Lord and his followers for strength, comfort, and encouragement.
But each of those special and unique discipleship communities required two things from me--time and intention. It takes time to be in a relationship with someone. Sitting across the table, on the sofa, or even on the phone with others regularly is time-consuming, no doubt about it. I’m a busy gal. There used to be days when I’d think I didn’t have time for this. However, I know that thoughts like that are far from the heart of God. He has time for me, time for you, and all his creation.
So now, if I’m feeling squeezed on time, I ask the Lord to redeem it. I pray, “Lord, redeem my time with so and so. Make it worthwhile and meaningful, and let your Spirit guide us.” And you know what? He does it every time! Sometimes, appointments get shifted or canceled, or I take a deep breath and feel the Lord restore calm and peace. However it works out, God is faithful in helping me make the most of my days here on earth (Psalm 90:12).
It also takes intention to be in a relationship with someone. It’s a conscious choice I must make regularly. To remind myself to be intentional about discipleship, I wrote a note to myself on my phone’s weekly to-do list. It reads, “Seek the Lord about how to share Him with others this week.” You see, I must remind myself often to seek and serve the Lord and others because if I don’t, I will forget.
To forego fellowship with others would be to miss out on some of the biggest blessings I can receive as a believer. According to author Jayson Bradley, “Discipleship happens as the members of the church serve and encourage one another as well as other people. When you opt out of the Christian community, you’re opting out of a process that Jesus uses to encourage your maturity, assist the growth of others, and impact the world.”
I don’t know about you, but I want all those things—maturity and growth in Christ for myself and others and impacting the world for the Kingdom of God. So, when it gets brutal and ugly, when the struggles and trials come one after another, when I want to give up and quit, I remember that He who promised is faithful. I instead think about how I can love and encourage those with whom I’m in discipleship.
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been in various discipleship communities and relationships over the years. From those experiences, I can tell you that there is nothing quite as exciting as seeing God change my way of thinking or behaving and watching Him do that for others. To me, that’s one of God’s biggest miracles--to change us from the inside out. Standing back and watching the Spirit of God work and then rejoicing with a community of believers in the goodness and faithfulness of God, there’s nothing like it.
I often think about how desperate I would feel if I didn’t have a relationship with the Lord and other believers like I do. I wonder how people make it through daily challenges without being able to draw upon the Lord and his followers for strength, comfort, and encouragement.
But each of those special and unique discipleship communities required two things from me--time and intention. It takes time to be in a relationship with someone. Sitting across the table, on the sofa, or even on the phone with others regularly is time-consuming, no doubt about it. I’m a busy gal. There used to be days when I’d think I didn’t have time for this. However, I know that thoughts like that are far from the heart of God. He has time for me, time for you, and all his creation.
So now, if I’m feeling squeezed on time, I ask the Lord to redeem it. I pray, “Lord, redeem my time with so and so. Make it worthwhile and meaningful, and let your Spirit guide us.” And you know what? He does it every time! Sometimes, appointments get shifted or canceled, or I take a deep breath and feel the Lord restore calm and peace. However it works out, God is faithful in helping me make the most of my days here on earth (Psalm 90:12).
It also takes intention to be in a relationship with someone. It’s a conscious choice I must make regularly. To remind myself to be intentional about discipleship, I wrote a note to myself on my phone’s weekly to-do list. It reads, “Seek the Lord about how to share Him with others this week.” You see, I must remind myself often to seek and serve the Lord and others because if I don’t, I will forget.
To forego fellowship with others would be to miss out on some of the biggest blessings I can receive as a believer. According to author Jayson Bradley, “Discipleship happens as the members of the church serve and encourage one another as well as other people. When you opt out of the Christian community, you’re opting out of a process that Jesus uses to encourage your maturity, assist the growth of others, and impact the world.”
I don’t know about you, but I want all those things—maturity and growth in Christ for myself and others and impacting the world for the Kingdom of God. So, when it gets brutal and ugly, when the struggles and trials come one after another, when I want to give up and quit, I remember that He who promised is faithful. I instead think about how I can love and encourage those with whom I’m in discipleship.
Personal Reflection
Have you invested in someone even when it was inconvenient? Has someone likewise invested in you? What difference did it make?
Posted in UR Devotionals
2 Comments
I can't tell you enough how intentional God is. I started my week desperate for the Lord. Mondays devotional brought me to tears because of how much the enemy had been trying to speak into my life. I hated how out of control everything felt. It was before 6am, but I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to ask for prayer. I reached out to 6 people before 6:30 to pray over me. By the next day, those prayers began to completely transform my week. Every day after that, I felt every one of these devotionals as God speaking to me through these words. So applicable and so relevant to my days and my week. I've been able to allow myself to be inconvenienced by the 2nd graders I spend every week day with. And our relationships are growing so strong because of the love of our God. Let everything that breathes Praise the Lord!!!
I love this reminder on your to do list. "Lord, redeem my time with so and so. Make it worthwhile and meaningful, and let your Spirit guide us". I am focusing on the word "submission" in anticipation of the women's fall Bible study. I struggle with that word! But you reminded me I need to "submit " my time to God first..and then watch Him work!