Category: Devotion for Men

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1st Marriage Devotion for Men ZZ

George Smiles From Jane’s Marmalade – Day 2

‘And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.’ Deuteronomy 6:5-9(NLT)

‘Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.’ Matthew 6:33(NLT)

‘For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.’ Titus 2:11-14(NLT)

‘I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. ‘ Philippians 3:7-9(NLT)


Putting God first in everything!

#1 on our list: GOD

ASK God to show up in your time today. I believe God will be speaking to you (through your thoughts, your reading and prayers) directly in this time as you are committing to put Him first in all you do. 

READ: DEU 6.5-9, MAT 6.33, TIT 2.11-14, PHP 3.7-9

DEVOTIONAL: Our personal stories of experiencing God all differ. Some folks have known Jesus their entire life without necessarily knowing when it happened. It’s just always been a part of who they are. Others know the exact time and date, coming to know God through an introduction at a vacation Bible school, summer camp or other gentle experience. And still others have to hit rock bottom or had some radical transformation to understand that God will love them no matter what. No matter how you have come to know God, the ability to put Him first in EVERYTHING we do can still be very challenging. 

I’ll be honest here, my biggest struggle personally with putting God first was His “tangibility,” i.e., believing that He could really be “right here” to talk with and be present in all I do and who I am. The Holy Spirit does bring incredible “power” to anything you do, and is a “presence,” but sometimes I felt closer to my spouse because I could go be with her in times of need. Here’s how that changed over time for me; I committed to God being #1, asking Him to be involved in everything I did and do. I found myself praying a LOT, like it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “pray without ceasing.” 

Let me use an old school example, from the days when our phones didn’t tell you who was calling and before Caller ID. If you talked with someone enough, you actually recognized their voice over the phone before they told you who is was. Or if they walked into a nearby room, you heard their voice and knew who it was. Why? Because you had listened to them a lot and you identified who it was without them telling you or like today with the name showing up on your screen. It’s the same way in prayer and communications with God. I find that if I am in regular communication with God, I recognize His voice. He is really there, and I know His presence and invite Him into anything and everything I am doing. I know God is with me through His Word, through my prayer, and through His Holy Spirit who is accessible any time I want Him to join me in my everyday life. 

WRITE down some thoughts about your Bible reading today. How do you feel about putting God first in everything? Is that possible? What habits might you need to adjust to put God first in life? What are the things that might be tough to overcome for making this the #1 priority? Be honest with yourself.

MEDITATE: Take the time to think and pray about what came out in your writing and reading time today. Pray over these things for a better clarity and direction for the Holy Spirit to speak to you for how to put God first in all you do and to overcome any challenges or obstacles in that effort. 

from George Smiles From Jane’s Marmalade

Categories
1st Marriage Devotion for Men ZZ

George Smiles From Jane’s Marmalade – Day 1

‘And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith. It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them. All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead. It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau. It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff. It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left. It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command. It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons. It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned. It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down. It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.’ Hebrews 11:6-40(NLT)

‘“I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me.’ Proverbs 8:17(NLT)

  OK, What’s with the title?!!! I use mnemonic devices in life to help me remember things, for instance BIBLE for me is Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. So follow me here: George Smiles From Jane’s Marmalade (GSFJM) is my mnemonic device for GOD, SPOUSE, FAMILY, JOB, MINISTRY. Let me explain…

My wife and I had a very unique experience while we were dating and wondering about committing to the next step, i.e., marriage, as we enjoyed hanging out with each other so much.  We started by going to the pastor of our church to ask for “help” in navigating the path to this kind of commitment. “Funny,” he said, “Nobody ever comes to me with this kind of question. People just come to me to ask me to marry them.” His normal course of action was to set a few meetings of counseling and “poof,” ceremony and marriage license. After hearing our desire to know each other at a deeper level, he gave us his “marriage inventory,” a list of questions that he would give the other folks that just wanted to get married without much input. It basically was a “how do you feel about this” type of thing with multiple choice answers that might drive some minimal discussion around potential future marriage issues. We filled the questionnaire out, compared notes together and it led to some opening discussions for us, but it also left us feeling inadequately prepared for taking this next step into a BIG commitment that we really did not want to mess up. Each of our nuclear families had their own level of “dysfunction” (whose doesn’t?!!) and we really wanted to address many of these things together before we took any next step in our relationship. I mean, really, wasn’t this the time to decide whether we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together – BEFORE we got hitched?! And frankly, we admitted that we’d like to have some “tools” to deal with anything that might come up in the future. 

Based on our level of commitment to this journey, we were connected with an older couple from our church. At first, “Bill & Sally” might not have seemed like our “type,” but I can tell you that the time with them was amazing – it has had incredible value in our marriage over the years. They began meeting with us on a weekly basis. And while things started out “politely” as we got to know each other, it easily moved into very deep and hard questions addressing everything from how we’d discipline children – if we even wanted children – to how to handle money decisions and dealing with conflict in all kinds of situations. They prayed for us, through us, into us. We met almost every Tuesday evening for nearly two and a half years! They challenged us to think about and commit to understanding each other – even in disagreement – and gave us ways to have space if things got too heated. They gave us rules and guidelines to live by.  It really was an amazing time with incredible and tangible insight. What we like to say is that they unselfishly poured into us, cleaned our closets and gave us a toolbox to work with to address anything that might come up for us as a couple as we progressed through this thing called life. 

Now, I understand that not everyone is going to have the opportunity to go through that kind of focused marriage mentoring but seeking God and His ways for unity in life (and in our case, marriage) is important for any person/couple, even if you’ve already been married and/or following Jesus for 10, 25, even 40+ years. 

The most tangible thing Bill & Sally gave us was this biblical priority list for life, a list that if you had in order would help us tremendously in everyday life, no matter what came up. The list was this: God, Spouse, Family, Job, Ministry. I’m a mnemonic device guy, so I named it “George Smiles From Jane’s Marmalade” from the initials GSFJM so I could remember it easily. The point was this: If you’re living out your life with these priorities in this order – God, Spouse, Family, Job, Ministry – there should be a noticeable difference and “peace that transcends all understanding” that comes from God as a result. This does not mean that life will be easy or that any problems will just disappear. Joy is different than happiness. Contentment is different than fulfilling all your wants/needs. A Godly perspective is very different than a worldly one. The world will always try to pull us into its grip, making us get things out of order, pretending that my job priorities should come before my spouse or my family. No way! Hence this list, to help us focus ourselves on the hierarchy to follow and live in a way that honors God and our commitment to Him in our marriage and to our families and all the other things in life. 

You’ll notice a few things here: God becomes before my spouse. My spouse comes before my kids/family. My kids, family and spouse come before my work. And my work comes before my ministry or spare time “other stuff.” I’ve seen many a pastor or leader in ministry put ministry before even God – and it whacks everything! I’ve done it myself, and when I get these out of order, making a decision that goes against this list, it’s not pretty. I suffer, my spouse suffers, my family suffers, my relationship with God suffers. 

Now, I can tell you I am NOT normally a “three ways to a better marriage,” “seven habits of effective managers,” or “five steps to better sex” type of guy per se, especially given our Instagram, Facebook and socially engaged, blurb-based, attention deficit, “need it NOW,” media driven culture. But, I can tell you that this particular priority list has been very effective in our lives, and I use it or refer to it every single day in some form or fashion.

My hope is that during the seven days in this reading plan, GSFJM will give you some insight on how to live with this easy list of priorities that can truly impact your life from a Godly perspective, protecting your marriage relationship and being a bit more informed and prepared when dealing with big and little issues  through the power of God in your life. 

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

This is designed to do by yourself, or, ultimately together with your spouse, family or small group. Obviously, including your spouse in this process will open some deeper conversations in your desire to grow more closely together and live a life following God’s plan instead of your own or the world’s. Spiritual unity in marriage is the goal.  You are making a commitment to seek and follow God.  Next step: pick a time and location that will be quiet for you to spend 5-10 minutes (or more if you want) each day, whether in the early morning, lunchtime or in the evening.  Bring a notebook with you.  As a busy person, I find that a million things will come into my head when I sit down to do this type of focused study/meditation time, so writing down your “to-do” list as it comes up means your brain can let go of those items and get back to them later so you can truly focus on this time with God.   

THE COMMITMENT

Over the next seven days, do these four things in your daily time:

  1. ASK God to show Himself to you.  Invite God to make Himself known so that      there is no question that the things you will experience are not just some      coincidence.  And be ready, because I believe God will show up – for YOU! 
  2. READ the short passages from the Bible that are part of this seven-day adventure. Reflect on them and how they might apply to you. (I recommend picking a translation of the Bible that is easy to read and understand like NIV or      The Message. YouVersion has lots of choices!)
  3. WRITE things down (we call this journaling) during these seven days so you have a record of what you experience and how this reading plan is working for you.  This will help you remember what happens as a launching pad for whatever else happens in life from here forward. You’ll find these “notes” very valuable as the journey continues. If you’re using an old-fashioned hard copy Bible, highlight things that stand out to you and take notes in the margin. You can do the same in the Bible App. 
  4. MEDITATE on the things that come to mind, on the stories from the Bible that you read. And talk to God like He is a friend sitting right next to you in the room.       We call this prayer, and there’s no magic way to do it. It really just feels like a conversation with someone you can trust with everything. Tell God what bugs you, what you’re happy about, who you’re concerned about, how you’d like help.  You might get immediate answers, you might not.  But you’ll be surprised how it affects who you are, how you think and what you believe as things progress. And doing this together with your spouse will provide another level of intimacy that      helps you grow in your spiritual unity together.

Today’s assignment is easy.  Find your quiet place. Then start with the following: 

ASK God to show up.

READ HEB 11.6-40, PRV 8.17

WRITE down some thoughts about your expectations for the seven days. Be honest. 

MEDITATE about your expectations – Talk to God – maybe what you think you’d like to see happen over the next seven days.  Be willing to listen to that still and small voice in your head. It may be leading you to some incredible conversations and discoveries over the next few days!

from George Smiles From Jane’s Marmalade

Categories
Devotion for Men ZZ

Covenantal Love

‘When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went down to the region of Judea east of the Jordan River. Large crowds followed him there, and he healed their sick. Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?” “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” “Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful.” Jesus’ disciples then said to him, “If this is the case, it is better not to marry!” “Not everyone can accept this statement,” Jesus said. “Only those whom God helps. Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs by others, and some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”’ Matthew 19:1-12(NLT)

‘Then God told Noah and his sons, “I hereby confirm my covenant with you and your descendants, and with all the animals that were on the boat with you—the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals—every living creature on earth. Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.” Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.”’ Genesis 9:8-17(NLT)

We’ve been talking about marriage and how we should serve each other as husband and wife for the past four days. You’re probably thinking I’m off my rocker for including this strange Genesis 9:8-17 passage. No, I didn’t type it wrong or mean to get that other Genesis passage about how Eve is Adam’s help meet, though it’s certainly true. Here’s why I wanted you to read that passage from Genesis 9. I want you to be reminded of God’s promises, and not only His promises, but His covenants. We don’t really talk that much about covenants these days, but we should. It has everything to do with our marriage and even Jesus dying on the cross for our sins.

In our passage found in Genesis, we’re post-flood, and God is making a covenantal promise to Noah and his sons that He will never again bring a flood that would destroy the earth. That the sign of a “bow” in the sky will be His continual reminder of this promise. He will not break this covenantal promise.

Alright, now we fast forward and are in Matthew 19 where we’re talking about divorce. A sensitive subject, for good reason and I’m not intending to answer any questions about remarriage or anything of that sort; that’s most likely a question for your own pastor. What I want to talk about is covenantal love and our vows. Now, our vows are important, but your love extends far more than those words ever could. I would encourage you to not get bogged down by checking off your vows to make sure you always complete that promise to take out the trash. The bigger vow and promise you made on your wedding day is to love your wife for better or worse, till death do you part.

Our modern day marriages have ruined these words. They aren’t promises; they’re just something we say at weddings. If it doesn’t work out, oh well, I’ll get ‘em next time. I want you to consider for a moment, again, the picture of the relationship between Jesus Christ and the church. Christ is bound to the church. Now, think of all the times we as Christians have not exemplified the church in an amazing way. Whether it was secret sin or public sin, we actually fail pretty often on our side of the bargain. Jesus seems to be doing all of the leg work in this relationship and, well, that’s exactly the point. We’re always failing and Jesus is always forgiving. It’s all up to Him. We’re completely dependent upon His grace and mercy.

You did not marry your wife because you thought cleaning the house or eating dinner might get easier because you have some help now. You did not marry her because your family thought it was time to get married. You did not marry her for a tax break. You married her because it glorified God. It’s going to be hard to stay faithful and love each other for the rest of your lives. Nothing reveals that Jesus is so much better than seeing how much we fail. We fail Him all the time, and He forgives us without second thought, but it’s so much harder for us.

Your marriage is a covenant, and it is not intended to be broken. You aren’t intended to separate the moment things get hard. I pray that Christians would break the trends and not have just a slightly less divorce rate when compared to the rest of the world, but that we might have more fulfilling and more Christ-honoring marriages that point back to God’s covenantal promises.

Stay Uncommen.

Uncommen Questions::

1.How do our marriages glorify God?

2. What does covenant mean, and how can it apply today?

Uncommen Challenge: 

Have a fulfilling and Christ-honoring marriage.

Scripture References:
Matthew 19:1-12
Genesis 9:8-17

from As One

Categories
Devotion for Men ZZ

Spout of Grace

‘Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”’ Matthew 18:21-35(NLT)

This is one of my favorite passages in all of scripture. You’re probably wondering why this strange parable about a servant who couldn’t pay his credit card debt holds that place for me. It’s one of my favorites because it’s so gripping and exposes our sinful hearts. It’s a dose of reality for so many people and how we treat the Gospel. It’s not trying to tell you to pay off your credit card loans. It’s all about forgiveness and grace, and if there’s one thing every marriage needs, it’s forgiveness.

One of the most helpful things that my wife and I continually faced when completing our pre-marital counseling was the continual reminder that we’re both human. We’re so often easy on ourselves and hard on others,. When people make a mistake, it’s such a big deal, but when we make a mistake, we try and play it down. It’s a gut check to realize you and your wife are both human. No matter how much you love each other, you will fail each other sometimes. You cannot expect perfection from an imperfect being. The quicker we understand that concept, the quicker we’ll forgive our spouse.

The passage has many compelling points, but the most revealing part is how the servant responds after being forgiven of his massive debts. Quite literally, he immediately runs and finds the nearest person who owes him money and shakes him down. We think, “That’s crazy! I would never do such a thing!” but we do it every day. It’s astounding that our hearts could be this wicked. I have been forgiven of every wrong or sin that I could ever commit. It has been completely and utterly washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ. I’m a completely new creation in Him. I’m adopted into God’s family in Heaven. Because of Jesus, God sees me as righteous. He sees me white as snow as if I never did wrong.

Then, I got mad because someone was driving a little under the speed limit this morning. Doesn’t it just sound ridiculous? I’ve found that one of the quickest ways to get rid of these petty annoyances is to dwell in what Jesus has done for me and realize that no matter where I am in life, I’m blessed. I’m blessed so I should be a blessing to others. I don’t deserve anything, yet God was merciful.

In the passage, the servant was blessed because his debts were forgiven, but he didn’t extend that blessing to the people around him. The same is true when we consider that Jesus forgave us of everything. Then, we aren’t willing to forgive our spouse and understand their human condition. You’ve got the human condition too, unfortunately. You’re both going to fail, and you’re both going to need a lot of grace for each other. There’s no better place to find it than in the loving arms of your Savior.

Uncommen Questions:

1. Why does remembering we’re sinful help us?

2. What does real forgiveness look like?

Uncommen Challenge: 

Find grace and forgiveness in the arms of our Savior, and extend it to others.

Scripture Reference:
Matthew 18:21-35

from As One

Categories
Devotion for Men ZZ

Servant Ready

‘Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. “What is your request?” he asked. She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?” “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.” When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”’ Matthew 20:20-28(NLT)

We’ll be hanging out in the book of Matthew (with one minor detour) for the remainder of our devotional. When you’re looking for direction, I would always encourage you to visit the Gospels. Jesus has so much to teach us that you couldn’t possibly explore all of it in just a few read-throughs of the books.

Our passage of the day has almost nothing to do with marriage, but it has everything to do with Christians. It’s all about how we view the world and serve people around us. It just so happens that someone who is always around you and ready to be served is your spouse. As a result, this perfectly applies to your marriage.

It opens up with a relatively strange request by the mother of James and John, who is desiring for her sons to have high positions within the Heavens, right beneath Jesus to be exact. The question immediately misunderstands how we might consider Heaven, because it’s never been about power or levels. Greatness in Heaven has nothing to do with your status or how much honor you have, but everything to do with Jesus Christ. After all, we’re there to glorify Him. As Christ did many times during His earthly ministry, he flipped the script on what the disciples and people thought about Him. They were expecting a military leader, but didn’t get one. Now they were expecting honor and positions in Heaven, but don’t need it.

How should being a Christian shape our worldview knowing this? Certainly, the first thing that we must understand is that wealth, power, riches and other temporal passions are not what we strive for while on earth. They’re not our end goal. Some of us may attain these things and they aren’t evil on their own, but don’t make something that’s good, ultimate. Only Jesus is ultimate and later in our passage, He paints the perfect picture for how the Christian should see and act in the world. We are to serve because He first served us.

Jesus didn’t come to earth and expect people to come and serve Him; in fact, He served them in return. The Son of God, the creator of the world served them! Such a simple fact that can be overlooked sometimes. The only person worthy of praise to ever live didn’t want or need it; He served and gave His life. I wish I lived like that all the time, or even 1% of the time. Sin taints our efforts, but thankfully, God still works in and through us despite this. He can take our imperfect efforts and make them meaningful. You are called to serve your wife, and we learned that from yesterday’s devotion. Why should you serve? Because Jesus served you. He didn’t have to, but He knew that you couldn’t save yourself. He came to stand in your place and take your punishment.

So, the next time you have to sacrifice and help with the dishes, put the kids to sleep, or help with her work, remember how much Jesus served you. Your justifications for why you can’t serve just might melt away, God willing.

Uncommen Questions:

1. How do we get into Heaven?

2. Why do we serve others?

Uncommen Challenge:

Sacrifice something this week so that you have the time to serve your spouse.

Scripture Reference:
Matthew 20:20-28

from As One

Categories
Devotion for Men ZZ

Married For A Purpose

‘For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body. As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” ‘ Ephesians 5:22-31(NLT)

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Certainly, many of you have read over this passage when studying about marriage. We’ve even used this same passage for many of our online articles and previous devotionals. So, why do we keep using it? Because God’s Word is so rich! And, well, we’re so stubborn. I wish we could read His truths and just implement them into our programming, but it’s not that simple.

A growing trend in the younger generation is the questioning of marriage; why even do it, besides some mysterious tax break? Most dangerously, it can sometimes seep into the talk of some church members and Christians. My hope and prayer is that we never lose sight of why we marry. And, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but it has nothing to do with saving a little bit of money during tax season.

By verses 23 and 24, we should be getting some strong hints from the passage. Your marriage reflects the relationship between Jesus Christ and the Church. In almost every reference to how the wife should submit or how the husband should love, the church and Christ are mentioned in this passage. This isn’t simply a metaphor to help you get the idea; it’s a real thing that husbands and wives will reflect in their marriage. How you love your wife is intended to reflect how Christ loved, and continues to love, the church.

How does Jesus love the church? Well, He loves them so much that He went to the cross and died for their sins! He didn’t have to, but He did. What a perfect picture of the attitude that we should have as husbands for our wives. Sometimes men will abuse verse 21 to force the wife to submit to the husband’s every last desire. In actuality, what we get is a picture of sacrifice from the husband. You are to serve your wife to the degree that Christ served the church!

How backwards we have twisted the idea of submission in Christian culture and it’s led to such sorrow for women who believe they must submit to everything their husband says. When you lead your wife to sin and outside of the will of God, she has no duty to follow or submit to you. You should probably be feeling the weight of that statement. Your decisions matter, and you aren’t free to live in sin and expect everyone else to follow suit.

You’re a picture; a reflection of Jesus Christ! Surely, we’ll fall short. If you aren’t having much luck with the lottery, you can take that bet and be sure that you’ll win. You will fall short. As we learned in yesterday’s devotion, your love will be imperfect, but Jesus has grace upon grace upon grace to cover you. Why do Christians marry? Because our relationship together has much more meaning than just love and a tax break, but a spiritual meaning that shines light in our world.

Uncommen Questions:

1. Why do Christians get married?

2. How does Jesus love the church?

Uncommen Challenge::

You’re married for a purpose and your relationship reflects a whole lot more than just your own love. Understand and live that out.

Scripture Reference:
Ephesians 5:22-31

from As One

Categories
Devotion for Men ZZ

Two Wholes, One Flesh

‘The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord .’ Proverbs 18:22(NLT)

‘And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’#19:5 Gen 2:24. ‘ Matthew 19:5(NLT)

‘So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. ‘ Galatians 5:16-25(NLT)

It feels strange to offer any sort of advice or wisdom concerning marriage being a newly-married man myself. I think it’s much more comforting, for me at least, to see this less as advice and more talking through things I’ve felt and have learned as I approached marriage. 

For our first day, we’re setting up a general theme for the rest of our daily devotions. We’ll dive deep into longer texts, including a revisit to the whole of Matthew 19, but for now, dwell on the passages that were presented today.

I think a crucial element of entering marriage is a correct understanding of who you are. The Bible is very explicit that you weren’t less important before your marriage. Now that you’re married (or have been married for a while), your importance to God hasn’t risen. It’s always been high and your duties as a Christian have been present. Matthew 19:5 points out that the two shall become one flesh.

The striking thing I’ve always considered when reading this text is that two wholes created one flesh. It didn’t take some incomplete ratio of the two of us to make up the whole, but two whole people separately becoming one flesh. You, in yourself, are capable of glorifying and serving God. This isn’t all that revolutionary of a theory when we consider that Jesus never married and it seems as if Paul never married either. Both certainly accomplished much for the glory of God. What a comfort that can be for single people who aren’t blessed with a help meet.

But you are one flesh now that you’re married. So now what? Rejoice! God purposed your marriage and it was in His plan that you would join together and not serve God separately, but as one! He who finds a wife finds a good thing (Proverbs 18:22). You should be thankful that God worked through each of your lives and brought you together. You have a new role as husband and wife (which we’ll discuss tomorrow).

Spending over 6 months in premarital counseling before the wedding day prompted many conversations concerning finances, communication, family, and a whole lot more, but the whole of it can be essentially summed up by our verses found in Galatians 5:16-25. Walk by the spirit and live out the fruits of the spirit. Always so easily said, but never so easily accomplished. Respect each other, listen to one another, sacrifice, and love Jesus. Your love is imperfect and it will always be so. May we rest in the perfect love of Jesus Christ.

Uncommen Questions::

1. How important are you to God?

2. What new roles do we take on as Husband and Wife?

Uncommen Challenge::

 Serve God, together. You are now one and you’re meant to serve as one.

Scripture References:
Proverbs 18:22
Matthew 19:5
Galatians 5:16-25

from As One

Categories
Devotion for Men ZZ

Following the King

‘Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. ‘ 2 Timothy 2:3-4(NLT)


Remember, every Warrior requires two things greater than himself to keep him on the path of becoming himself:


He needs a cause worth living and dying for, and


He needs a king to love and a king who loves him back—one who loves first and loves the most, and to whom the man can turn for counsel, guidance, and training.


Great kings lead by example, inspiring and imparting to their men power and authority when their men are ready to wield it. The foundation of the relationship between a king and his men is trust, love, admiration and respect.


When a man has these two interlocking requirements; a cause and a king, he is ready to be turned loose, deployed back into the Story. He is ready to be dangerous for good.


The King of we “small-k” kings heals, settles, and trains Beloved Sons. And in the same way a mission finds us, the King and the cause find the man. They come provoking, inviting, intriguing, and even disrupting a man. They come with answers to a man’s questions:


Do you see me?

Am I worthy?

Am I strong?

Can I come through?


The Father’s answers are yes, yes, yes and YES.

A man longs to hear these answers, and when he does, his heart is both settled and inspired. The relief this can bring is tremendous. Since every man has a unique and personal path to hearing the Father’s answers, the eventual answer “yes” may be the same but it will be delivered at tailored times for each man. This relieves us from being in charge of one another (you’re not the boss of me, nor I you). What we can do for our brothers (and sisters) is lovingly point one another to the King, encourage one another with his cause, and walk as friends on the journey.


Friendship bears a great fruit: accountability. Without friendship, accountability becomes just a chore or a job. Few men receive Life from a chore, but from a friend—that is a different story.


Many “accountability” arrangements fail for lack of real friendship; there’s no time invested or trust earned in one another’s life. The result is just two men policing each other. And who wants to be policed?


The Warrior doesn’t go to others to have his heart policed or the questions of his deep masculine heart answered. The weighty answers come from his Father, his King, and by the Spirit that dwells strong within him.


This is an enormous and fundamental shift for a man, changing to whom he goes with questions about his worth and ability.


As long as a man seeks validating answers from others (a woman, his kids, or other men), a man is vulnerable to the enemy (Satan) using anyone, but if his source for validation and affirmation is God, then the answers he receives are final, transformational, and settling for the man’s heart.


A settled heart is a declaration that a man is ready to re-enter the Story. His Warrior Heart will then be tried and strengthened through battle. We see this principle at work all through the chapters in the book of Acts. The disciples are settled, trained, and initiated. Then they are deployed, stepping into the fray to ensure that the freedom campaign, the cause of their King, advances.


It doesn’t take long before the first casualty is recorded, a beautiful heart named Stephen. He knows the truth, tells the truth, and just like his King, those who hate the truth kill him.


But the truth can’t be killed.


Where there is persecution, hearts are convicted of the truth. When truth convicts hearts, change occurs. And when change occurs, persecution comes.


The friends of Jesus experienced who he truly was and were changed. Equipped with their convictions, they were then deployed into the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8) with their King’s promise, power and presence, telling them “I am with you always.”


The effect of it all reminds me of a quote I recently heard, “Be the kind of man that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, the Devil says, ‘Oh crap, he’s up.’”


In your Time alone with God, ask Him:

Jesus, do I know that the answers to the questions “Do you see me? Am I worthy? Am I strong? Can I come through?” are all a resounding “YES”? Why or why not?

PRAY: Holy Spirit, I KNOW You will give me the strength to fight the battle well and to be dangerous for good in my day-to-day life. Show me where I still need to allow You to work in my heart, how to fight for the hearts of others (when I’m ready), and the courage to fight from a settled heart. Amen!

from The Heart Of A Warrior by Michael Thompson

Categories
Devotion for Men ZZ

Loving a Woman

‘Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. ‘ Revelation 12:7(NLT)

‘And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children—all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.’ Revelation 12:17(NLT)

If the masculine heart is opposed, the feminine heart is all-out assaulted. Satan comes at a woman’s glory with a jealous and vengeful hatred. And it makes sense. The archangel, Lucifer, was the strongest and most beautiful of all created beings. He was the reigning general of the angel armies—until he went astray.


Why did he go astray? Jealousy.


Eve was the crown of creation. Beautiful and strong. Lucifer did not want to share the glory of God with God’s new creations, man and woman. Lucifer was unwilling to hand over his crown to Eve, the beautiful image-bearer of God. The mutiny was Lucifer’s idea. And the book of Revelation (12:7) tells us that now in a new role and playing a new part in the story, Satan, the ol’ dragon, is hurled to earth and continues his jealous campaign of hatred, making war against the Sons of God (Revelation 12:17).


The prince of this dark world is deemed a liar, a villain who wants to steal the crown back, kill the image-bearers, and destroy love.


And now for the feminine heart… achieving the world’s standard of womanliness is utterly exhausting for women—always striving and yet never measuring up.


If you know the glory of your wife’s or daughter’s heart—what they love to do, what they are passionate about, what makes them come alive, what each one uniquely brings to the kingdom—then you know what the enemy is up to in their lives.


The question is, do you know, do you see, will you invite and validate those things in her heart?


You must know her… each of their stories, their journeys of heart, but most men don’t. What happened to her?


Men’s wounds and those of our wives mixed together making for the perfect storm.


Women cannot turn to us for healing just like we cannot turn to them.


We cannot heal one another. Love each other, yes; heal, no.


That is God’s department.


God will often partner with a man by giving him a message of truth to deliver to a wounded feminine heart, but the man never heals her, nor can she ever be his source of healing. Just as neither image-bearer, man nor woman, can be the primary source of life for one another, there must be someone else they turn to for Life.


Our hearts are far too needy to put that kind of pressure and demand on one another.


You must know, the daughters of Eve hold a special place in the Larger Story. They are in our story and lives for a very important reason…God has them in our lives to teach us how to love.


As men, we can play an important part of their healing journey, or we can aid the enemy in wounding them. When God lovingly allows us to see the wounds women bear—the lies, brokenness, and false self they carry within themselves—what then? How are we to help the feminine heart be free?


The feminine heart, the deepest and truest thing about a woman, was designed to be loved, pursued, delighted in, enjoyed, protected, and fought for. Like us, women long to be loved—to be the Beloved Daughters, to know that God sees them and loves what he sees.


Every feminine heart on the planet desperately needs to experience God’s love and possess it as her own.


If a woman does, it will change everything.


In your Time alone with God, ask Him:

Father God, when have I turned to the women in my life to provide the healing only You can provide?

Jesus, what wounds or hurtful moments are affecting my wife’s (daughter’s, mother’s…) ability to know You? To know that she is Beloved?

Holy Spirit, reveal to me what I need to apologize for, accept responsibility for and seek forgiveness for from the women in my life (living or dead).

from The Heart Of A Warrior by Michael Thompson

Categories
Devotion for Men ZZ

First Things First

‘We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.’ 2 Corinthians 10:3-6(NLT)

Most of boyhood is a hands-on learning experience of how to do and how not to do.Watching someone else do something, like watching my dad hammering a nail or painting a chair, was never fun, but it was part of my learning curriculum. Whenever he turned that hammer over to me and said, “You give it a whack,” I grinned from ear to ear.


Try it with any boy or girl under the age of eleven and you’ll see. Crack and whisk an egg with a young heart looking on, then casually drop the invitation “You want to try?” and watch what happens next.


Sometimes the learning proposition is that life is grand and beautiful. Other times, the hammer hits the thumb or the eggs splatter on the floor.


The apostle Paul wrote,

The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way— never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for [1] smashing warped philosophies, [2] tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, [3] fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity. -2 Corinthians 10:3–6 (MSG)


Did you see the 1- 2- 3?

 Read it again. 


Far too many men believe their mission is to fight for other peoples’ lives. I believe Paul is talking about the “1, 2, 3” as the mission of a man’s own comeback- the fight for his own heart.Walking with God to smash my own warped philosophies helps me to tear down the truth barriers in my heart, and to restructure my life in alignment with that of Christ’s.


The “School of Hard Knocks” has a high tuition. I hear stories every day of the mistakes people make and their hopes of recovering. Some mistakes are innocent enough, casual mishaps or the messy debris of an unfocused moment. Other mistakes can take months, even a lifetime, to repair. We’ve all heard the lines and maybe even said them ourselves:

 “I only did it once.” 

“Never again.”

“I wish someone had told me.” 

“I should’ve listened to my . . .” 


These are not promising ways to begin a story.


Think back on your life.

What moments of bad judgment or split-second miscalculations have led to wounds of your heart or those you love?


I have a history of casualties due to impulsivity, misunderstanding, or simply being at the wrong place spiritually at the wrong time physically. It’s what can happen when a Warrior helps others sort through their stories, helps in uncovering the lies, and escorts a heart to healing.


The rescue, redemption, and restoration of any man, and the validation, acceptance, worth, and belonging he continues to seek in his story, is an incredible experience in which to play a part. It is why a man’s first mission and training is to get his heart back… journeying with Jesus through his past in order to partner with Jesus for the future— first the man’s own future, then that of others.


It’s an overwhelming proposition, inviting us to settle into God . . . always.

 In your Time alone with God, ask Him: 

Father God, when have I focused on Your love of others more than of me and set Your pursuit of my heart to the side? 

Jesus, what barriers to the truth are residing in my heart?

from The Heart Of A Warrior by Michael Thompson