Devotion
How Do You Choose Your Friends?
Frances Taylor
How do we choose our friends? This week's gospel is about this question as much as it is about humility. I'm sure that when we make up an invitation list for a party or other special event we consider a lot of things, but Jesus is trying to tell us something important in this week's gospel that goes beyond just who we invite, he is also telling us to consider some things about ourselves. This can apply to all age groups!
Our children will learn from us and sometimes we need to learn from our children. Are there people we don't include in our circle of friends because of what other people might think? Perhaps people who are of another race, those who earn less money, people whose educational level is not the same as ours? I know that weddings can often be a bone of contention in families because someone feels the need to invite "the boss" or other people of influence even though there has never been any social interaction before. There are parents who don't want their children to befriend other children for some of the reasons mentioned above. Perhaps you know of someone whose relatives or acquaintances become overly friendly when they get a pool, or a vacation home at the Cape or in the mountains.
Jesus is trying to tell us that using people for whatever reason is wrong. Whether we surround ourselves with people of "higher status" or those we consider less than ourselves for the purpose of making ourselves look better is using them. Jesus speaks of the need for humility. Humility is a virtue that I have mentioned before and comes from the same root word as the word for earth. If we are grounded in the fact that we are made in the image and likeness of God, then we have no need to either put ourselves down, or try to life ourselves up. We will also recognize the fact that others are also made in God's image and we will treat them as the images of God that they are.
Prayer
Lord, teach us to be humble as your Son, Jesus, was humble. May we be more generous and open our hearts to all your people. Amen.
Devotion
Abraham is Father of All
Frances Taylor
There are questions in every age about the importance of the Old Testament for Christians. Abraham is considered to be the Father of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We forget that it was Abraham who believed in the doctrine of only one God. It is through him and his descendants that this tradition comes down to us. Another fact that we can overlook is that Jesus was Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died, rose and ascended into heaven as a Jew. Because we believe that he was the Messiah, the Christ, and we follow him, we are called Christian. Without the Old Testament, we wouldn't understand the promise of salvation; we wouldn't understand why it was important for Jesus to be of the family of King David. We would not understand his teaching either, because Jesus quoted from Scripture – the Old Testament – frequently. He told us that he came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to abolish them. In the same way, we can ...
Morning Prayer
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Inspiration
We have a responsibility, as Christians, to abstain from the sinful practices we partook in before we became saved. While it may be a gradual process of change, we should ensure that we are putting in our best to play our part in resisting temptation. God enables us to resist temptation, but it is up to us to actually resist.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that I will always be a person of action. Father, I take delight in my new life in you and I do not desire otherwise. I pray that in times of temptation, may I act on the strength you have given me to flee and/or resist. May I never rely on excuses or procrastination, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
Inspiration
We have chosen to surrender our lives and serve the Lord. We serve Him by witnessing, completing missionary projects, and ministering to those in need. There is always work to do and a world full of people to help. We will look for opportunities to provide for our brothers and sisters in Christ by any means necessary. We are servants to one another as a service to the Lord; He will never forsake us.
Prayer
Dear God, Help us see the world through Your eyes. We desire to serve those around us by reflecting Your love through our actions. You will never forsake us, and we will continually lift praises of thanksgiving to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
