Monday, July 14 – “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.” (1 Corinthians 8:13) Freedom is the ability to make choices. Choices based on your want to, not based on someone else’s have to. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’ve been set free from the bondage of sin and death. So, now you’re free to make decisions about who you’ll be and what you’ll do, in your relationships with others.
Tuesday, July 15 – “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) Your faith in Jesus has set you free. So, don’t turn around and allow other people or institutions to enslave you through laws, rules and traditions. You don’t do what you do, in order to be saved. You are saved. Thus, you do what you do. No more working your faith, in order to merit God’s love. You have God’s love. So, go out and start living like it, in your relationships with other people.
Wednesday, July 16 – “For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:23) Nobody will care how much you know, until they know how much you care. And the best way to show anyone how much you care, is to take an interest in that which they care. In other words, the best way to show someone that you care, is to walk with them. Not stand against them.
Thursday, July 17 – “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (Romans 15:7) Whenever you’re dealing with another person, you need to take yourself into account. Jesus saved you, because of who Jesus is. Not because of how perfect you are. Your salvation is based on grace, through faith in Jesus. So, stop making someone else’s salvation based on their perfection. Follow Jesus’ lead and meet people where they are. Instead of expecting everyone to be where you are.
Friday, July 18 – “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19) If your faith in Jesus is all about what you can get, what’s in it for you, then your faith is incomplete. Yes, Jesus has saved you. But Jesus didn’t save you so that you could simply live for eternity in heaven, someday. Jesus saved you so that you can be a blessing to others, right here, right now.
Saturday, July 19 – “’I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12) Just because you have freedom in Jesus, doesn’t mean that you can simply go out and do whatever you want. With freedom comes responsibility. The responsibility to use your freedom for the good of others. As opposed to simply getting what you want. In other words, freedom ushers in the transformation of your want to. Because of your freedom in Jesus, you now want to walk with other people.
Tuesday, July 15 – “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) Your faith in Jesus has set you free. So, don’t turn around and allow other people or institutions to enslave you through laws, rules and traditions. You don’t do what you do, in order to be saved. You are saved. Thus, you do what you do. No more working your faith, in order to merit God’s love. You have God’s love. So, go out and start living like it, in your relationships with other people.
Wednesday, July 16 – “For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:23) Nobody will care how much you know, until they know how much you care. And the best way to show anyone how much you care, is to take an interest in that which they care. In other words, the best way to show someone that you care, is to walk with them. Not stand against them.
Thursday, July 17 – “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (Romans 15:7) Whenever you’re dealing with another person, you need to take yourself into account. Jesus saved you, because of who Jesus is. Not because of how perfect you are. Your salvation is based on grace, through faith in Jesus. So, stop making someone else’s salvation based on their perfection. Follow Jesus’ lead and meet people where they are. Instead of expecting everyone to be where you are.
Friday, July 18 – “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19) If your faith in Jesus is all about what you can get, what’s in it for you, then your faith is incomplete. Yes, Jesus has saved you. But Jesus didn’t save you so that you could simply live for eternity in heaven, someday. Jesus saved you so that you can be a blessing to others, right here, right now.
Saturday, July 19 – “’I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12) Just because you have freedom in Jesus, doesn’t mean that you can simply go out and do whatever you want. With freedom comes responsibility. The responsibility to use your freedom for the good of others. As opposed to simply getting what you want. In other words, freedom ushers in the transformation of your want to. Because of your freedom in Jesus, you now want to walk with other people.
You try to eat right. You drink plenty of water. you exercise. don't forget your spirit - feed it!
daily devotions
