Pay it Forward
Devotional
READ: John 15:13
I love history. Specifically, I enjoy learning about the kinds of men and women willing to stand up for good, even to the point of death. You feel the weight of their service when you read books or talk with veterans and active military members. They have a passion for protecting and understanding freedom's potential costs. This responsibility, this duty to prevail, is evident in soldiers who return home after someone has laid down their life so they may live.
The end of Saving Private Ryan depicts this kind of sacrificial love. Several men have literally given their lives to save this one man. With Captain Miller's dying breath, he tells Private Ryan to "Earn this. Earn it." It's such a powerful scene, and I can't help but connect it to our Savior. While we know there is nothing we as Christians can do to "earn" our way to heaven, I believe we are called to live a different life because of the love and sacrifice shown to us by Christ's death on the cross. A life was given for me, and it has become my responsibility to pay it forward and be willing to offer the same sacrifice for someone else.
You may have experienced the bond forged in battle or formed a stronger one with someone who helped you through a spiritual battle. Sometimes, our battle is internal, fighting our own sinful desires. Community's value is the greatest when we struggle, and we become more connected through the fight. Remember that Satan uses isolation to bury us in our dark times, magnifying the pain and suffering. However, loving sacrifice can be the light we need to see through the darkness.
In John 15, Jesus has been teaching the disciples what it takes to continue to further God's kingdom after He has gone. He discusses how he is the vine, and we are the branches, followed by how we are to support each other as His disciples and how we are to relate to the world. John 15:13 sums that message up well. As Christ's followers, we are dedicated to pursuing a life like Christ, which means sacrificing for each other. That display of sacrificial love will be an example to the world.
We've discussed others laying down their lives for us, but it could be our responsibility to do so for others. We may need to sacrifice ourselves to help a friend climb out of a dark valley. This may look like mentoring someone during a weekly lunch date or giving up a weekend to be there for a struggling friend. In community, we know we have someone's back just as much as they have ours when we need them. We know Christ laid down His life for us, and it's our responsibility to be willing to lay down our life for someone else. Truly living a life modeled after Christ is the purest form of dedication to His kingdom.
I love history. Specifically, I enjoy learning about the kinds of men and women willing to stand up for good, even to the point of death. You feel the weight of their service when you read books or talk with veterans and active military members. They have a passion for protecting and understanding freedom's potential costs. This responsibility, this duty to prevail, is evident in soldiers who return home after someone has laid down their life so they may live.
The end of Saving Private Ryan depicts this kind of sacrificial love. Several men have literally given their lives to save this one man. With Captain Miller's dying breath, he tells Private Ryan to "Earn this. Earn it." It's such a powerful scene, and I can't help but connect it to our Savior. While we know there is nothing we as Christians can do to "earn" our way to heaven, I believe we are called to live a different life because of the love and sacrifice shown to us by Christ's death on the cross. A life was given for me, and it has become my responsibility to pay it forward and be willing to offer the same sacrifice for someone else.
You may have experienced the bond forged in battle or formed a stronger one with someone who helped you through a spiritual battle. Sometimes, our battle is internal, fighting our own sinful desires. Community's value is the greatest when we struggle, and we become more connected through the fight. Remember that Satan uses isolation to bury us in our dark times, magnifying the pain and suffering. However, loving sacrifice can be the light we need to see through the darkness.
In John 15, Jesus has been teaching the disciples what it takes to continue to further God's kingdom after He has gone. He discusses how he is the vine, and we are the branches, followed by how we are to support each other as His disciples and how we are to relate to the world. John 15:13 sums that message up well. As Christ's followers, we are dedicated to pursuing a life like Christ, which means sacrificing for each other. That display of sacrificial love will be an example to the world.
We've discussed others laying down their lives for us, but it could be our responsibility to do so for others. We may need to sacrifice ourselves to help a friend climb out of a dark valley. This may look like mentoring someone during a weekly lunch date or giving up a weekend to be there for a struggling friend. In community, we know we have someone's back just as much as they have ours when we need them. We know Christ laid down His life for us, and it's our responsibility to be willing to lay down our life for someone else. Truly living a life modeled after Christ is the purest form of dedication to His kingdom.
Personal Reflection
Has someone laid down their life for you? What is Dedication for a Christian? Why is it important? What does dedication look like in your own life?
Posted in UR Devotionals
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