Devotion
Some Rules to Live By
Frances Taylor
How does Christianity call us to live? Paul had some very specific ideas about this and outlines them in this letter to the community in Rome. I like especially the first: let love be without hypocrisy. Love of neighbor is the second of the great commandments given us in the Old Testament. This is confirmed by Jesus in the New Testament and he goes even further by telling us that our love must be like his. That's a tough job to live up to, but Paul gives us some concrete ways to proceed. Abhor what is evil. First we need to look around and see what is evil. Sometimes evil looks good. It can be tempting to cut corners at work, either by using sub-standard materials or not putting in the time you claim for your pay. Cheating has been a problem in school at every level because a person wants a higher grade, but doesn't want to put in the time to study. Be diligent, not slothful – would that the workforce in every situation would adhere to this! We should be steadfast in prayer and patient. Patience can be one of my faults in many situations! We also are told to be hospitable and this is not limited to those we like. I'm sure there are many examples you can give that are even stronger than mine. Knowing what to do is easy, doing it is hard.
Prayer
Loving God, you have called us to be your witnesses to the world and given us the best example of how to accomplish this – reflect the love of your Son, Jesus. Give us the graces we need to hold firm to what we know to be right and to act upon it. Amen.
Night Prayer
Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
Inspiration
We humble ourselves before the Lord when we come to Him with earthly burdens. We understand we do not have the power to control or fix our problems alone, so we lay our egos down and align our lives with the will of God. We are proud to be His servants and accept His help throughout our struggles. His love is unconditional, and His wisdom parallels none other.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we humble ourselves before You, seeking Your wisdom and guidance all the days of our lives. Thank You for Your presence and unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
You are a Temple of The Holy Spirit
Frances Taylor
This is a hard saying in today's world. Sexual immorality is so rampant and public that few people believe it to be immoral! People no longer think of sexual behavior outside of marriage as wrong and, in fact, have no problem with going from one person to another quite publicly, broadcasting their behavior on social media and if you're famous enough, on twitter, on TV, in magazines, etc. What happened to "Thou shalt not commit adultery?" I guess I'm old fashioned. I'm not about to condemn anyone who truly loves another and is faithful to them regardless of marriage, but I don't understand and cannot condone random sexual encounters that are not based on love but lust, have no desire for permanency but are literally just to satisfy a sexual itch.
Sorry if I offend anyone, but if we believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit to be kept holy, how can we treat them as what – toys, prizes? I'm aware that women have often ...
Morning Prayer
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Inspiration
Think of a grudge that you held on for a long time. Did you feel better from holding this grudge? Now think about this deeper: what if God held a grudge against us? Wow, how blessed we are that he forgives our sins! He leads by example, forgiving those of us that do exactly what he asks us not to do. We all should all be more forgiving, like God is to us.
Prayer
You sent your only son to the world to die so that we may be forgiven, merciful God. Forgive me, once again, for being too selfish and proud to not forgive those that trespass against me. I wish that I can sin less and ask for forgiveness and guidance when I need it. I thank you for sending your son to us, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
