MONDAY: COMPASSION THAT ACTS
KEY PASSAGE
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
DEVOTIONAL
Compassion is not just a feeling you experience, it is a garment you put on.
Jesus is recorded to have had compassion towards people multiple times in the gospels. However, Jesus did not simply feel compassionate, He WAS compassion. Every moment of every day He embodied compassion.
Paul challenges the church in Colossae, and all believers, to clothe ourselves with compassion. Meaning we choose daily to put it on ourselves. If we do not decide to clothe ourselves in compassion, not only do we present the opportunity to rob people of experiencing Jesus out of our lives, but we also rob ourselves from being able to see people like Jesus does.
Compassion does not stay dormant, it is active.
Compassion moves. It steps in. It interrupts schedules. It notices pain. It feeds, comforts, advocates, forgives, and serves.
Feeling sorry costs us little. Acting compassionately costs something.
Jesus didn’t just feel compassion for the hungry, He fed them. He didn’t just feel compassion for the sick, He healed them. He didn’t just feel compassion for sinners, He transformed them.
Our mission as believers is not only to feel like Jesus did, but to do as Jesus did and does today. Clothing ourselves in compassion is how we can embody this mission.
CHALLENGE
Ask - Pray this prayer, “Lord, empower me to clothe myself with compassion today so I may see, feel, and do as you do.”
Allow - Open yourself up to opportunities to walk out this compassion. Look for those around you who may need to be met by compassion.
Act - Don’t leave your compassion dormant, act on it. Offer encouragement to someone in need, feed someone who may be hungry, pray for someone who may be hurting, etc.
TUESDAY: LIVING AN INTERRUPTIBLE LIFE
KEY PASSAGE
“While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.”
DEVOTIONAL
Jesus lived a life littered with interruptions, whether they were from his disciples constantly at His side asking questions, or thousands of people coming from surrounding cities to see and experience these miracles they had heard about.
We see Jesus get interrupted back to back in Matthew 9, but notice His response: Ready and willing. Jesus knew what He was sent here for, but He also loved people so much that serving them was His greatest joy.
We should follow Jesus’ example, because along the way we may experience miracles that were years in the making. Jesus is responding to the healing of the little girl, but also heals a woman who was suffering for 12 years along the way.
There are miracles God wants to do in your yes. There are people who need you to be willingly interrupted. Jesus was interrupted and went with a joyful heart, not because it was a part of the agenda, but because He came to serve.
CHALLENGE
Take time today to ask God to help you see people as Jesus saw them.
Maybe they are not interrupting to be a nuisance, they are interrupting because they need something.
And today when you are interrupted, have a joyful attitude, and serve with a ready and willing heart.
WEDNESDAY: SENT AS JESUS WAS SENT
KEY PASSAGE
As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
DEVOTIONAL
Jesus was sent to give Himself for this world. This was done on purpose and for a purpose. In life we can get discouraged by this world, the things happening around us that we can not control, and often this discouragement can lead us to inaction.
Jesus calls us to live a different life. He calls us to action. Serving others is one of the greatest joys of life. Through service we build connection, relationship, and ability to impact someone for their whole life.
The Greek word for “sent” is the word apostellō and this means: “to go to a place appointed.” When Jesus was sent, He was appointed by God the Father to come to earth; and as Jesus has sent us, we are appointed to go to all the world.
May this thought ring true in all of our hearts and souls as we live this life, aiming to best represent Jesus to the least and lost in the world.
You are appointed. You are not an accident. You are not a second choice. You are chosen. You are given authority for “such a time as this” to love the people around you including those who may feel the most left out and forgotten. Our opportunity to serve them will lead to Jesus being known.
CHALLENGE
Take a moment and write down the three places you spend most of your time (Work, school, home, sports fields, etc.)
Write down some things you will do to better represent Jesus in these places.
THURSDAY: EMPOWERED BY THE SPIRIT
KEY PASSAGE
“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
DEVOTIONAL
Did you know that in the same moment you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord and receive him as your Savior, you also receive the Holy Spirit? This is called immediate indwelling, when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you and marks you as a follower of Jesus.
It’s this simple: If you have Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit. He is the Helper, Comforter, and Advocate; the Spirit of Truth, Promise, and Revelation. This is the same Spirit who filled the early Church and who fills us as followers of Jesus today, and the Spirit is not stagnant within us. The filling of the Holy Spirit moves us to DO something, and to do it boldly.
“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” – James 2:26
Just like the Red Letter Way journey starts with BEING and moves into actionable steps, our relationship with the Spirit is the same. As the Spirit works in our lives over time in a multitude of ways, each completed work in us leads us to a bold, God-glorifying action.
CHALLENGE
How has the Holy Spirit been working in you? Is he helping, comforting, or advocating for you? Is he speaking truth into your life? Is he revealing knowledge or wisdom to you?
Write down the ways you notice the Holy Spirit working in your life.
You might notice the Holy Spirit prompting you to respond with action. Sharing your faith… Forgiving someone who wronged you… Confessing sinful behavior… Encouraging a friend… Purchasing someone’s meal… Helping a coworker with a project… Meeting your neighbor… Talking to that parent at the sporting event… Asking a classmate out for coffee…
Write down what you feel prompted to do.
What is your primary emotion in moving in an act of faith? Excitement… joy… fear… frustration… eagerness… procrastination… Be honest with God about how you feel.
Write down a completed version of this sentence: “Today, filled with the Spirit, I will boldly __________ .”
FRIDAY: DEVOTED TO DO WHAT IS GOOD
KEY PASSAGE
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.”
DEVOTIONAL
Your salvation allows you to do good. Now that Jesus has cleansed you and led you out of the chaos of sin and selfishness, what is he leading you to do? Christians are here to do good work, to be good, and to show goodness to those around us. Verse 8 sums this up saying that believers should be “careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.”
That we should be “careful” suggests that doing good does not come naturally to us, that our impulses and emotions may take us in the opposite direction if we are not careful. The word “devote” brings to mind a daily decision and practice to do good. As Christians we order our lives based on doing good in the world. Our goals, our actions and our words are for good, and we should be careful not to be distracted from this. Being and doing good is not easy. It’s not any easier because we are saved by Jesus. We are saved by grace, filled with the Spirit, and we now have this task to do.
We can trust that when we are led by God, having been saved by His grace and made heirs of His eternal kingdom, to do the good work he has given us to do, that it will be “excellent and profitable for everyone.” This is the “trustworthy saying” Paul gives us in Titus 3, and now that we are saved, we should live a life that goes and does good in the name of Jesus.
CHALLENGE
We have spent these 4 weeks reading devotions on Serving. Now let’s devote our lives to doing good, serving each other, serving the stranger, and serving the Lord.
Create a daily practice that continues beyond these readings to seek the Lord on what, where, and how you can be and do good in your life.