Fill the Gap - Stop Waiting, Start Serving

I keep wanting to write a book. I have no idea what it would be about or what it would entail, but I know I want to...someday. I keep wanting to travel more. The list I have to visit is long, and expensive, but I know I want to go see places in this world that are beautiful. I hear this theme over and over again from people. They want to have kids but they want the right career first. They want to travel, but they want a spouse first. They want to serve in the church, but they want to find time first. Let me be the first person (or the 100th) to say that waiting isn't the answer. Life passes quickly, and if you don't follow through with God's prodding when it comes, you might miss it. We have a God of second chances, but not necessarily a God of second opportunities.

Ruth, having moved to Judah with her mother in law heeded an opportunity and stepped out in risk to see what kind of life God may have for her now, knowing full well that a husband may not be in that picture. But she chose a land where God was worshiped, not another god. We read a parable by Jesus in Matthew 25 about 3 servants who are given their master's wealth to keep safe while he is away. The first servant gets 5 bags of gold to be entrusted with and returns to his master 5 more bags when he returns. The second servant gets 2 bags of gold and returns 2 more for his master. And the final servant is entrusted with 1 bag and returns the same bag, gaining no more to his master. The master is infuriated with this servant, saying he did nothing to further his wealth. Jesus uses this parable to challenge us to use what we have to further His kingdom.

We can sit on our hands and wait for "the right moment" or we can get up now and go. We have all been given an ability, words, gifts, desires, goals for a reason. God wants us to stop waiting around for us to have more money, find Mr. or Mrs. Right, land the right career, find the time, and just jump. Consider the valuable bags of gold you have been given, whether in something as simple as a smile and warm welcoming spirit, to words just longing to seep out onto a page in a book. Now is the time. Sign up to volunteer. Write the book. Go on the trip.

We build our character best in Christ when we are actively participating in His work. In order to fill the gaps in your life and know what He is calling you to do, well...you have to do something. I used to fear doing things. I want to believe that this is why I never went away to college, but stuck around locally. It worked out and ultimately, God's plan happened here, but I often wonder what that life would have been like. I feared a new place. I feared people. I still fear people sometimes. I got to a point though, where I found myself at home in serving our students - Jr. and Sr. High ladies specifically. I found a love for playing guitar and joined the praise team - talk about a step for me! I tapped into my love of traveling and joined a mission team to the Dominican Republic and since have been tied there with connections and more trips. I was able to find my place in God's plan and find where I belonged, whether or not I had a man next to me. Eventually, obviously, the man came along, but not because I was pining alone in my bedroom for him. I made a life for Jesus first, allowing Him to show me the gifts He put in me and use them to find my place for His glory. If the man never would have come, nothing would have changed in my heart in terms of serving the Lord, but now I serve alongside my guy and we challenge each other to tap into those gifts.

Start living. Stop waiting. Find what you can do NOW to be an active participant in God's plan, desiring first to expand His kingdom before trying to fill the voids of your heart. A quote I love  by Reggie Joiner is the following:

"Don't wait until you feel like it to do something. Do something in order to feel like it."

Serving God will give you a whole new, enriched energy and sense of belonging in this world with purpose. A purpose that far exceeds anything we can cook up for ourselves! Ruth went after it. And we will get to see more of her story as we plug away at this series more. God blessed her for her faithfulness in mighty ways, and He wants to use you to do awesome things for His glory too! Just get over the gaps you feel and fill them with His plans for you.

Scripture to Read:
Ruth 2:1-3, Matthew 25:14-30

Questions to Ponder:
How did Ruth take a risk and serve God by taking care of her mother in law?
What are some things God has put on your heart to do? How do you know they are His desires?
What are you going to do in order to serve God and furthering His kingdom rather than waiting for "the right time"?

Defining Love - Types of Love

February in our culture is usually a mix of red hearts, glittery cards, and creepy cupids. This month can bring up all sorts of emotions, depending on who you are and how you view this Hallmark holiday. Some people eat up the roses and glitter, loving to feel the love, while others just absolutely hate the reminder of loneliness. I truly believe our world's view of love, however, is a little off of what God's view of love is. So, will you allow me to challenge you this month? Let's find ways to get around the loneliness or the glitter obsessions that hinges on people, and look to a never-changing, eternal kind of love that is far more valuable than any earthly relationship you will have.

The world has so many definitions for love today. It seems like one person has a definition of love that is completely different from the next person. It is sometimes messy, but it is also beautiful. I think we get too wrapped up in one type of love, especially if you're a girl, dreaming of prince charming and watched a lot of Disney or Hallmark movies. I don't think there are many ladies who wouldn't want a prince charming, and so many hit their heads over and over trying to find Mr. Right. But love is more than a prince charming or a perfect relationship. Even if we don't have those things, there is a love that is greater, stronger, and more permanent. There is a love that is playful. There is a love that is unconditional. Even though we can have our own definitions for what love is, the Bible gives us 4 types of love. The following are the Greek words, found in the New Testament, but examples are found throughout the whole Bible (the Old Testament was Hebrew).

Eros Love - Erotic love. A healthy form of love portrayed in Scripture to be exclusive to only a husband and wife. I think we misuse this love today, giving it away too openly and with anyone we could have feelings for. However, giving it to one person is a gift indeed. Call me old fashioned, but the comparison traps aren't a factor in this way, and the priorities are set straight. Most of the examples in scripture where "Eros" is used is talking about the boundaries of this love. 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 is one.

"Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good form them to stay unmarried, as I do. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion."

Celebrate Eros with the one chosen for you, not just with anyone.


Storge Love - A natural drawing type of love, like a mother to her newborn. It is a type of love that takes place within a household or within a family. Lack of this love is a hardened heart. The times it is used in scripture is in the lack of it, such as in 2 Timothy 3:3, using the word "astorge", or lacking a natural affection.

"...they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy."

A lack of natural love between a mother and her newborn would be crushing indeed. It is lacking happiness, mercy, understanding, as the passage states. There is work to do in a heart that can't experience this love, but there is work to do in any of these loves that are lacking.


Philia Love - A deep love in solid friendships. This love is one that we are called to have as a fellowship with other Christians.

John 13:35
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."  

This type of love is full of fondness for another. Liking of another. Kindness towards another. It is a camaraderie and a team. This type of love is of most importance as it looks to the benefit of others. Philia love has the potential to draw others into that camaraderie if it is used well and right. There is an appeal to this love that makes others want it because of the way it takes care of others.


Agape Love - This is a love that only comes from abiding in Christ. Agape is rarely used outside of the Bible because it can only be described through Christ. We strive for this love because it is the love that Christ His Father and He has for us. Unconditional. Sacrificial. Philia and Agape are set apart when Jesus challenges Peter, asking if he loved Him, and though Peter replies yes, Jesus asks him the same question 2 more times. Peter didn't understand though because he pictured Philia love, not Agape love. Jesus was asking if Peter Agaped Him. (

Agape love is not shown through how we feel or what is deserved. It is through our actions, regardless if the person deserves it. John 3:16 is the greatest example of agape.

"For God so loved (agaped) the world, that He gave is only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life."

The most powerful love we can have is that of Agape. Over the next several days, I want to look at how we can start defining Agape love through 1 Corinthians 13, where agape is defined practically.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Let's consider love this month in ways that are not of this world, but of our God.

Scripture to Read:
1 Corinthians 13, John 3:16, John 13:35

Questions to Ponder:
When you think of the word "love" what comes to mind for you?
Which one of these "loves" are you most familiar with?
How can you start to grasp Agape love?

Seek Like You Mean It!

There is nothing more irritating than when I have just sat down, with books, or computer on my lap, wrapped in my blanket and I hear, "mom, I can't find_______." (Fill in shoe, blanket, cup, toy, whatever here.) After much explaining of where I last saw the _______, I still hear the "I still can't find my_______." So I give it a good couple minutes for her to search more vigorously, even though she has convinced me that she has looked everywhere for her________, to which I finally dig out from my cozy blanket and unheap the piles of books/computer I have on my lap, working, and I get up, go up the stairs, and look in the exact spot I said the _______ was. OH! And it's there. Right in that spot my mind recalled. I swear I can recall the exact spot the baby kitty doll is, but for the life of me can't remember to send an email.

Now, I know that a baby doll isn't as crucial to find in life as Christ is. We are told to seek Him first and foremost, and this is because we need Him most. However, I do believe we tend to get distracted along the way. We see a toy we need, or a career path that looks appealing, or something that we desire so much. None of these things are bad, but we don't always stop to consider "is this what God wants for me?" We tend to make plans, execute plans on our own behalf, and glance up at God for a second to make sure He's good with what you're doing. Rather than seeking wholeheartedly for His direction, we go with what feels "good" or "right". Truth is, God's plan doesn't always feel "right" at first. I'm sure when Abraham was told to take his only son to the top of the mountain as a sacrifice, that plan didn't feel right either. (Genesis 22:1-19)

Jesus tells us to seek like we NEED Him. Like we absolutely can't live without Him, and we can't. The problem is, we try to fill our longings with other things in this world, when really the only thing that will fulfill that emptiness is God. We need to seek Him wholeheartedly, without distraction, like nothing else matters. Psalm 42:1-2 expresses this longing:

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?"

What does your longing for God look like? Do you long to meet with Him, seeking Him like He is the only One Who can satisfy your thirst for eternity. I just love this passage because it is a reminder for us to be satisfied in Him, wondering when we can meet with Him again.

I'm sure many know the verse, Jeremiah 29:11, but what comes after that verses is everything:

"For I know the plans I have for you,' declare the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord..."  - Jeremiah 29:11-14a

We can take comfort in the part about having hope and a future, but with it comes a call to seek the Lord and call upon Him. We are told if we seek Him with all our heart, He will be found. We can get so distracted trying to find Him in the midst of the clutters of life. He is like the lost shoe under the couch that we don't always think about until we absolutely need it, then we get distracted on the way to find Him. Strive to seek Him like you need Him all the time in every hour, minute, second.

In conclusion to our little series on Seeking and Finding, consider the things you are seeking truly. Do you set your plans and see how God fits into them, or do you seek God's plan and find your place in it? Seek humility and strive for unity because it is critical to our mission. Seek solitude in times of overwhelming life, so you can be drawn back to His care. Seek contentment when you feel like life isn't fair, and find gratitude and healing through in the midst of it. Seek relationships and open doors of opportunities to change not only someone else's life, but your own.

Scriptures to Read:
Jeremiah 29:11-13, Matthew 7:7-9, Psalm 42:1-2

Questions to Ponder:
Which one of the attributes we talked about do you want to strive to seek more and more in your life? (Humility, Contentment, Solitude, Relationships) How will you do this?
How will seeking God above all else be your foundation as you go about this challenge?
How is your longing for God? How can you be motivated to seek Him like you are vitally thirsty and can't live without Him?

Teachings of Jesus - Talents

I just love seeing a collaboration of gifts play out for a bigger picture. Church is an example of this, as people step up to share their various talents, from a smiling face at a door greeting, to rocking babies in the nursery, to singing in worship. It is truly something heavenly when people can use their piece to provide a means of testimony, no matter how big or small they feel their talent is. Working at camp was another example that I enjoyed seeing played out. I just loved seeing and getting to know everyone and what made them tick. I would never touch a skateboard, but we had guys (and gals) that could rock those things. And everyone of them carries a story with their talents and gifts. How they came to love this thing. How they came to use it for Jesus. How they grew from it. It's just awesome.

As Jesus shares in Matthew 25:14-30, a parable about how to give back through the resources He gives us, we can't help but cringe a little reading that story. The truth of the matter is, all of what we have has been given to us from God. He gives to us based on how well we use what we have to further His purpose, and that is Kingdom expansion. There are some things we need to take note of here, however:

Using our gifts and talents takes work on our part. If you notice in this reading, the servants who had a return on their talents were the ones who went out and did something to earn more. They doubled their starting amount and the master was pleased with how they had worked with it. The one servant, however did nothing. Yes, he kept it safe, as he justified in the passage, but he also brought nothing out of it to help his master.

The master also gave his servants a different amount of gold each. He knew what each one was capable of. Perhaps the first servant had proved before many times that he was reliable and would do what he was supposed to with his gold, thus the master trusted him with more. On the flip side, the last servant didn't get as much because he really didn't do anything with what was given to him, defeating the whole purpose of being handed a bag of gold in the first place. As we place this principal with what we have been given, would you say you are the first servant, doing what you can to use your gifts wisely to fulfill your master's purpose and mission? Or are you considered the 3rd servant, trusted with little and returning with little? This is a hard pill to swallow, but a necessary one if you truly want to grow in the mission.

Finally, we see that we work for Christ. Nothing else in this world matters, but furthering His Kingdom. That is our mission. We do that through our gifts, our talents, our resources, our love for people. He has given us what we need to accomplish this in the unique ways He created us. We can use our gifts for our own, selfish purposes, or we can do it for an eternity of good on behalf of something greater than ourselves. You will be held accountable and God will give you what you can be trusted with. How you use it is up to you.

Scripture to Read:
Matthew 25:14-30; Ephesians 2:10

Questions to Ponder:
What are some gifts, talents, resources that God has given to you?
How are you using these things for His good?
How does Ephesians 2:10 tie into this concept?

Day 128: Unique Puzzle Pieces

Day 128
Judges 13-15; 1 Corinthians 12

There is no such thing as "ordinary" when you are working as a child of God. He calls each of us here on this earth for a reason and He uses us and the gifts He gives us to help carry out something intricate and incredible for Him. Today, we'll read the front end of Samson's story, as well as look at how we are to be used as a part of a greater picture.

The way that Samson came about is very similar to the way Isaac, John the Baptist and Jesus came about. Parents who couldn't have children. An angel appearing. Restrictions or requirements that set them apart. Samson was to be someone great to the history of the Israelites and he was a very unique and gifted individual.

Like any other person, however, Samson had his downfalls. He was a wild at heart sort of man who sought revenge in harsh ways, and was overcome by the spirit of the Lord on many occasions. And like any other person, he got tired, worn out, and depressed after coming off a high. Despite his downfalls and revenge tactics, God used him to rule over Israel for years. This proves that God gives us all different strengths and skills. He gifts us with passions and things that "make us tick". Samson was a unique piece of the puzzle that God used to carry out the rest of history for the Israelites. As a child of God, you are also a piece of the puzzle. Though what you do today may not come to fruition or make sense until after you are gone, it meant something if God commanded it. Don't make sense of the things God calls you to do, but do them, trusting that God will use it in the puzzle He is creating.

You are probably fairly familiar with the passage out of 1 Corinthians today. Just like Samson, you are blessed with a certain strength. God wants to use your passions, skills, gifts, and even your weaknesses to carry out His plan. We are all a part of one body of Christ, working together to carry out the mission set for us. How are you doing with your part of the team? How do you feel when someone else gets the praise for the work you helped with? Are you able to be a team player without letting your selfish ambitions get in the way?

Even though you may be good at some things, you are not good at others. You need others on the team to make it a well-rounded team. This way, you are able to face different situations more often. A team of 1 is not a team. But a team that works together as one is a great team. Work to see the gifts that others possess and bring them in on your team. Consider your weaknesses and who you can rely on to help you when you need a skill you don't have. Don't allow selfishness and pride to tear your team apart. You are working for the King and He deserves the best team working with Him.

We all have a unique skill set. God will use your strengths, gifts, skills, passions, and even your weaknesses on His team. Be sure to keep your heart in check as you work with others, so you don't fall into the temptation of selfishness or pride. Rather than always seeking the applause, allow others to have the credit. Most importantly, point that credit right back up to God, as it was Him Who gave you these gifts in the first place.

Day 108: Heart Health

Day 108
Deuteronomy 25-27; Mark 12:28-44

Your heart is the central part of your body that keeps blood flowing and nourished with oxygen so you can continue living. Without a healthy heart, other body parts start to suffer, and eventually your entire body shuts down. Keeping your physical heart healthy is vital to a healthy body. The spiritual heart, however, is even more vital to your life. A healthy spiritual heart is what God sees and considers. Today, we'll look at what this means and how it's done.

There are certain things you naturally do if you indeed have a heart that yearns for God. In our trading in Mark today, we encounter the greatest commandments, which are love God with all of your heart, mind, and strength, and equally as great, love your neighbor as yourself. If your heart is one filled with taking pleasure in pleasing God, you will find these to come naturally. However, we are humans, and we tend to self-sustain, self-preserve, self-indulge, self-serve more than we should. We will fall short, as Jesus was the only One Who lived perfectly. Deep down we know we should show compassion to the people who drain us, and we should speak lovingly to the people who hate us, but needless to say, it's hard. We need to get heart healthy to see them the way God sees them.

How do we do it? In Deuteronomy, we discover how the people will get to experience God's blessings in their lives versus the curses. In agreeing to obey God, they are claiming allegiance to Him, and calling Him their God. Over and over we read about the presence God had with them and the presence He wanted with them. On the flip side, we read about the people when they truly experienced God's presence and when they only wanted God to protect them and obeyed to simply stay out of trouble. It goes deeper than wanting to stay on God's good side. Our obedience to Him must be a way of life if we truly want that heart that beats for Him. Get closer to Him by obedience to Him, cutting out things that you put before Him, and spending time with Him. Want to get closer to Him. Remember, if you seek Him with your whole heart, you will find Him. Stay spiritually heart healthy by remaining in His presence, as the Israelites learn the blessings of it.

All of the commands we read in the Bible boil down to these greatest two, as we discussed earlier. Love God, love people. Our hearts, our whole hearts should love Him fully. If we permeate Christ through our entire being, we will live lives that are spiritually sound and full of faith. Your worries will be on His will and His way, rather than your own. 

Don't worry about how you look to the people around you. The religious leaders were out to impress with their wordy prayers, upholding the legalistic rules, and flaunting their robes. Their hearts were not right, as they self-served. Worry about what God thinks of you. If we live our lives trying to appeal to people, we will die of rejection, and the glory is going to the wrong place (you). Our performance is not what God is looking at. The motive and state of our hearts are. 

Finally, a spiritually healthy heart gives from the heart and with faith. We can hold back because we don't want to give of our time and money in fear we'll be short or burn out. However, giving from the heart will feel different. As we read of the poor widow giving all she had, Jesus points out that she gave more than the others. She gave it all. It's not bad to give a portion of your income, in fact it is advised throughout the Bible, but Jesus is pointing out the heart motives here, not the amounts. The widow had faith God would take care of her, so she gave it all. Her attitude in giving was much different than the rich. She gave willingly and out of joy, while the others gave out of obligation and reputation. Check your heart for what attitude it has.

Give yourself a spiritual heart check up. Do you long to obey God and remain in His presence? Do you love God fully with all your heart, mind, and strength? Do you care about how you look to others more than you care about how you look to God? Do you have an attitude that trusts Him in your giving? Be aware of your heart health, as that is what God sees when He looks at You. Strive to impress Him and not the people around you. 

Day 100: Giving Our All

Day 100
Deuteronomy 4-6; Mark 8

We have motivation to go all out for God. Simply remember how good He has been to us should be more than enough to make Him the center of our thoughts, lives, actions, words, etc. Moses wants to be very clear to the people never to forget what God has done for them. In fact, he tells them to treasure it so much, that they pass it down for generations. Have you considered giving your stories of what God has done in your life to your children and friends? Think of the impact you could have if you simply gave all of your glory to Him and shared it with all around you. Smile, and let people know why you smile so much. He is enough for you, and that is every reason to be joyful despite this world and this life.

There are so many things we can put between our hearts and God. Creating idols is more than just making statues and moldings, as you've read about throughout the Bible already. It can be anything from social media to a person you admire. Creating idols happens when you put something ahead of God and you seek it more fervently than Him. We all fall to this often. It is easy to get so wrapped up into other things like sports, family, careers, a mission to find someone, be someone, etc. that we forget to put God first in line. We get too tired to give Him even a percentage of our time. We get too worried to give Him a percentage of our finances. We get too busy to remember to ask His advice. None of the things I listed above are bad within themselves, but when we give to those things, we can't give our all to Christ. Fortunately, God tells us that if we search for Him with all our heart and soul, we will find Him. He will never abandon us, because we are the ones that have grown distant from Him, not the other way around. Give Him your all.

The way you live your life now will make a lasting impact on the family you leave behind. Giving Christ our all will set a standard for the generations to come. This isn't to say that they will for sure live by Christ, but the foundation will be there for them to decide how they will build on it. It's interesting if you look at the 10 Commandments, and see how they are sorted out. 4 of them, the first 4, are dedicated to how we should love God, and 6 of them on how we are to love others. If you have a heart that follows God, the rest on loving others will fall into place. If you live your life honoring anything but God, that is what your children will learn and notice about you. What legacy do you want to leave? One that gives it all to God and in turn pours out to others, such as your family, those in need, neighbors, friends, etc? Or one that gives your all to success, achievements, destructive things, etc, and teaches your kids that without those things they are nothing? God will show them how much they are worth more than anything else in this world can.

Bring Christ everything you have - including your concerns, big or small. We read that Jesus was concerned for the people who hadn't eaten in the crowd of 4,000. I know I get concerned with my feelings of inadequacy and clumsiness in this life. I feel dumb bringing them up so often. Yet God cares even about my smallest doubts, worries, and fears. We see as He takes the things that seem so small, such as the seven loaves and couple of fish in a crowd of 4,000 hungry people, and turns it into something miraculous. I have to chuckle when the Pharisees ask Jesus to perform a miraculous sign for them right after this. How many times do we begin to doubt Christ's ability in us after He has done something so great for us? The trouble is we try to see God's miracles as these HUGE things, yet He works miraculously in the tedious details of how things fall into place. How has realizing this and recognizing this in your own life made all the difference in trusting God with everything you have? Jesus warns His disciples that a little bit of evil can corrupt a whole person's heart, as He states with the yeast commit that the disciples didn't understand. Give your little struggles to God so He can protect you from them becoming large ones that take you over.

Jesus didn't come to receive glory and status, but to serve and to give. He tells us to lose our lives for Him, so that we may have life fully. This may seem counter-intuitive, but when you can honestly let go of everything this world offers you, including family, trusting Him to take care of it all, there is quite a freedom released within you. When you realize that all you need is Jesus in this world, it takes so much pressure off. However, if you try to hang onto things in this world, only giving Jesus half of your time and energy, you will get neither of them. Peter tries to cling to the life he has with Jesus on earth, without fully grasping the bigger picture of why Jesus came and what His mission is. When we fail to see the bigger picture and the ability of God, we lose out on His power. Give Him your all, so that you may experience Him fully and openly!

The essential part of today's reading come out of Deuteronomy 6:4-9.
Listen to ONLY God and value ONLY His opinion.
Love Him with all of your heart - a heart is what we use to think and feel with. It is an emotional symbol of us.
Love Him with all of your soul - the very breath you breathe - honor Him with it.
Love Him with all of your strength - Glory be to Him when you achieve anything. Give Him your all when the load is too much.
Commit yourselves wholeheartedly to His Word and His ways. - What you do will leave ripples behind, for good or for bad.
Repeat them, teach them, talk about them, write them everywhere - His Word, His ways, Christ in general should be what you center everything you are around.

Love God fully. Give Him everything. Experience Him completely in losing yourself in Him. There are so many other options in this world that can hoard what is His - our time, our finances, our agendas, our goals, our missions to be happy, etc. None of these are bad, but all must be put in the faithful hands of your Heavenly Father. Love Him with all of your heart, soul & strength. Lose it all for Him, and you will find everything you have ever needed.

Day 67- Roles

Day 67

Leviticus 8-10, Matthew 22

Aaron and his sons had very important roles as priests. We read about the tasks and procedures they needed to carry out and the consequences of not fulfilling those roles well. We all have a role to fill. We are all called to live for Christ (if you are a Christ-follower) and fall into the roles He calls us to to carry out His ministry. When we are called to our roles, it is best to obey and use them for God's purposes so that we may carry out the mission in bringing others to Christ.

As priests, Aaron and his sons had to carry out some daunting and detailed tasks. But God called them to that role because He had faith in them. When Aaron's sons didn't fully obey and fully respect what God had called them to do, we read that there were deep consequences, because the role they filled was one that required careful respect.

Jesus talks about different types of roles and callings through Matthew. The parable about the wedding tells us that many are called or invited to the kingdom, but few accept the invitation. This invitation is open to anyone, but only few choose it. Again, being called to God's kingdom requires respect as you are displaying Who He is.

Jesus also brings up Caesar's role in taxing him, as well as how our roles in heaven will be different than what we have come to know as our roles here on earth. But one important element of being a follower of Christ is to carry out a role of love. This is our greatest commandment. Love God first. Love others second. Simple as that. All of the laws are based on these two commandments. Love is a huge piece of showing others Who Christ is. When we react out of hatefulness and shun those we don't agree with, what makes you think they will ever come to Christ? We must love all. We don't have to agree or waste our efforts over and over again on someone who isn't going to follow Christ, but at least treat them like a human being, created by Christ.

We have roles as friends, siblings, children, spouses, workers, etc. But our role in God's plan is by far the greatest, and encompasses all of these other roles. When we are content being in the roles He calls us to, and use those roles to further His kingdom, we will feel blessed and ultimately experience our rewards in heaven. Respect the roles He has put you in, and use them for Him.

Day 66 - Authentic Hearts

Day 66
Leviticus 6-7, Matthew 21:23-46

As followers of Christ, we all hit those slopes in life where we have a hard time being on fire for Christ. The meaning of what we're called to do and be fizzles low, and you kind of stop caring. That is what happened with the people who followed the rules of sacrifices throughout their lives. The meaning behind what they did with the sacrifices became monotonous and duty-driven, rather than a heart change. 

Sometimes, we hit these ruts. We face the duties of being a Christ-follower rather than the bottom line. Christ didn't intend for us to burn out and to feel doused in our flames. He came so that we may have life and have it to the full. The sacrifices offered in Moses' time was a form of worship. When our worship doesn't feel authentic and driven by the leading of the change in our hearts, it is time for a heart to heart with God, and some reflection on what He has done for us. Our worship to God comes in all shapes and sizes, but having the authenticity is key.

Christ dealt with some task-driven leaders. They talk a good game, but underneath, they are fakers, simply trying to say the right things to look good, and maintain control of others. The parables Jesus shares here hits them straight between the eyes, and causes them to be more angered. They wanted to play by their rules and the traditional rules they knew without having the heart change for why the rules were even in place. We can be guilty of this too. Perhaps you go to church each week, read your Bible when you can, and do everything right when it comes to serving and volunteering. These things, however, don't get you to heaven, and are not far off from the standards the Pharasees had. 

Authenticity. A heart that pounds and yearns for Jesus. Doing these things because of the passion you have for your Creator is where it is at. Never do things to gain or earn heaven; do things because heaven has been given to you by a wonderful Savior long ago and you just can't help but respond in love and worship.