Daily Devotional For Sunday, May 11, 2025
As I have told you several times, Sunday is my favorite day because billions of Christians all around the world come together to worship, praise the Lord, learn from His Word and then are challenged to go out and make disciples. We are saved to serve. Look at 1 Peter 4:10-11:
“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the multifaceted grace of God. (11) Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking actual words of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
When it comes to serving others, sometimes we find it challenging because at times we either do not like who God wants us to serve or we simply want others to serve us. There is a persistent, nagging voice inside each one of us, telling us the most important things are what “I” feel and what “I” want. The Bible calls that our carnal or earthly nature, the part of every person that is in rebellion to God. The Bible tells us we should not use the freedom we have in Christ to indulge our sinful nature, and “indulge” is a good word. It means we know some thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors are not godly, but we decide to engage in them anyway.
We know we shouldn’t use our words to manipulate people, but we do. We know we shouldn’t allow our thoughts to wander in an ungodly direction, but we do. We know we shouldn’t watch certain television shows, but we do. The Bible says that instead of focusing on “I” and indulging any kind of ungodliness, we should turn our eyes away from ourselves and turn our focus toward others—and then serve them in humility and love.
Some messes are worth making, but some aren’t. Turning your kitchen into a disaster zone to put on dinner for close friends, that’s a mess worth making. Letting your two-year-old finger-paint on the dining room table—that’s probably not a mess worth making! If you haven’t noticed, church can be a messy place with everyone’s own mess that they bring. This is a reality you cannot escape. Why? Everyone is an imperfect sinner and the church is made-up of imperfect disciples and members. So, to God, the church is a mess that is worth it.
In their book, Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp rightly point out in their excellent book Relationships: A Mess Worth Making, say this:
“While we would like to avoid the mess and enjoy deep and intimate community, God says that it is in the very process of working through the mess that intimacy [and true community] is found” (Timothy S. Land & Paul David Tripp, Relationships: A Mess Worth Making, p. 12).
In Galatians 5:13, the Apostle Paul says this: “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love” (NASB). Paul says that all disciples must resist the urges to give into the “flesh,” especially when it comes to serving one another. Paul uses the Greek word [σάρξ, sarx] for the world flesh. Another way to translate this Greek word is “self-indulgence.” Paul knows we have to battle this all the time. In Galatians, he has already used this word 8 previous times: 1:16; 2:16, 20; 3:3; 4:13, 23, & 29. Paul knows how our flesh can motivate us not to serve certain people for all kinds of reasons we feel justified in not doing. Paul makes the case that freedom is relational. No church and no Christian or disciple of Jesus Christ can flourish without being grounded in the freedom that Jesus gives us in spite of our sarx (flesh). The closer your relationship is with God, the more of your freedom you will enjoy and experience, especially in this area of serving.
Assignment: After worship today, intentionally choose to grow in your freedom with Christ over your flesh this week by serving someone who you might not want to serve. Use your freedom for godliness and good, not for selfishness and ungodliness. Ask the Holy Spirit to show how you can help or serve someone today. Serving others is an expression of God’s love and how we build up the Body of Christ.
Scripture To Meditate On: 1 Corinthians 9:19, “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible” (NIV).
Prayer To Pray: “Heavenly Father, I repent of indulging my flesh and selfish ambition. I ask for Your forgiveness. Holy Spirit, I invite You to search me and know my heart. Bring my intentions in alignment with Your Word. Today, I choose to humbly submit myself to Your Lordship. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly