The Meaning of Life
Devotions That Lead To More Purposeful Living
Day 1
1 Corinthians 15:58
Be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Let’s be honest, we live in a world where we are told that we should look out for number one. To be truly happy, we should be our top priority. We have been conditioned to believe that the purpose of living is to be happy, no matter the cost.
Life is all about us, right? Wrong! In fact, if you take an inventory of your life, I bet you’ll discover that your happiest moments, most joyous times, are when you are not focused on yourself at all. A bit of upside down thinking in our world.
Jesus has called us to love others and to look at them as more important than ourselves. Our work on this earth is to glorify Him by loving Him best and pouring His love into others. This isn’t always easy. In fact, it sometimes feels downright impossible to love others. Let’s be clear, Jesus never calls us to be a doormat. We are never to condone abuse or bullying of ourselves. That is not love for ourselves or the other person.
So how can we be steadfast and firm in doing the work of the Lord? We can hold our tongues rather than lashing out. We can be charitable with our time and talents. We can help a neighbor in need. We can put down our phones and have real conversations. We can forgive.
What is something you can do today for the Lord? Whatever it is, be steadfast and firm. Your heart will be glad.
Go deeper with these corresponding verses:
Galatians 6:9 and Colossians 3:23-24
Day 2
Proverbs 4:23
Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.
In today’s society, it is quite the norm to have “entertainment” that does not honor God. Numerous TV shows, books, and music revolve around immorality. Sadly, many people have become very immune to the fact that if it does not honor God, we should not be putting it into our hearts. The more we allow our minds to take in things that do not honor God, the more we become complacent with the wrongs.
In truth, we are either for God or against Him. There is no inbetween. Partaking in things that go against His commands and instructions for a holy and honorable life will only feed your spirit with heart numbing lies. Even allowing just a bit of lies to enter our minds, dissolves our resolve to fully follow God. We start to justify our choices and then come to the conclusion that it’s really no big deal to God. If it’s no big deal, why did He take the time to warn us against such practices?
If Jesus physically walked into your presence, would you be embarrassed by your entertainment choice? Think upon this as you go about your day.
What areas of your life need cleaning up? Remember, Jesus never sees immorality as harmless entertainment.
Go deeper with these corresponding verses:
Luke 6:45 and Romans 12:2
Day 3
Proverbs 16:18
Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
Good 'ol pride brought Satan down. Funny, he uses pride to bring us down, too. Satan whispers in our ear that our choices to honor our ourselves won't hurt anyone. In fact, if we are happy, the enemy tells us, then everyone around us will be happy too. We hear the "I am" statements and believe them.
I am unhappy with my husband, he's not fun anymore.
I am tired of pleasing everyone else. It's time to focus on me for a change.
I am important, therefore, I can do whatever makes me feel good.
I am overweight, so I choose to starve myself.
I am a good person, so it is okay to make this choice.
We must never forget that there is only one I AM and that is Jesus Christ. Proverbs 16:18 tells us that when we are prideful and arrogant, we will surely have destruction. Who on earth plans to fall?
We do when we allow pride and arrogance to enter our hearts. May we boast in our Lord and Savior and never in ourselves. May our eyes ever be on our Redeemer.
What causes pride to rear its ugly head in your heart? How do you usually respond to it?