Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
November 25, 2024
Colossians 3:12-17
12 Therefore, as God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Be tolerant with each other and, if someone has a complaint against anyone, forgive each other. As the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other. 14 And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 The peace of Christ must control your hearts—a peace into which you were called in one body. And be thankful people. 16 The word of Christ must live in you richly. Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him.
Good Morning! They will know we are Christians by our love!
Love is the glue that holds us, the body of Christ, together. Without the glue, it is hard to hold all the pieces in place.
I mostly enjoy doing crafty things. Sometimes, I try my hand at a new DIY project. I start with a positive approach and employ all my growth mindset techniques to guide me through the challenging parts. Things go well until I make that first big “mistake.” I put “mistake” in quotation marks because I had a friend, an art teacher, who assured all her students that misdrawn lines or cuts were simply a way to consider a new way to do things.
Well, the problem begins to mount when I permanently attach one thing to another and discover it’s not the best place or way to proceed. If I try to disassemble or remove it, I will likely cause more damage than I have the ability or the resources to fix. At that point, I have two choices: give up and put it in the unfinished project container or visualize and see my project in a new light.
Christ came to teach us a new way. Even when we try to follow Christ’s example explicitly, we mess up and discover we made a wrong turn. Christ sent the Holy Spirit to live within us to guide us, help us work through our mistakes, and discover new ways to navigate our ever-changing landscape. Love is the malleable glue that allows us to be shaped and to reshape our ideas as we grow in faith.
Dear Lord, We are your children! Help us be flexible when we need to see new ways. Help us be strong when we must stand firmly in our beliefs. Praise be to God! Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: There is a time to bend and a time to stand straight.
Love is the answer! Pastor Liz
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