Giving It Up to Gain Him

By Jarrod Spencer –

Have you ever lost any or all of your belongings to a fire? I know a family who experienced two house fires within 5 years. One fire basically destroyed everything they possessed. The other fire—only a partial loss.

Most people who experience house fires only have to suffer through it once. Luckily, I have not had to live through one yet and hope I never do. However, can you imagine how you would react to this type of tragedy and loss? Imagine your belongings no longer being around because a fire destroyed everything. I’ve often wondered what inanimate object(s) I would take with me as I escaped a house fire. Have you thought about it or made a list/plan?

Whatever you took out of your house would only be a fraction of what would be left to burn. All those tangible memories would be gone. All the heirlooms, gone. All the toys, gone. All the clothes, gone. Not a pleasant thought. That is why there are a few areas in one’s life that are more important than things. The first one is family, both biological and spiritual. The second one is your faith.

Giving things up can be difficult but it may cause us to be more appreciative. Maybe it would help to see what we can give up in order to understand in part what it took for Christ to sacrifice so much for us.

First of all, the Apostle Paul mentions in Philippians 3 several things he accomplished in his life. Fortunately, they were nothing compared to what he found through a life in Christ. For us, may we press on toward that which is found in Christ, rather than what’s contained on a resume.

Something else to examine is that we may find it helpful to give something up for a short time to give us a hint of what Christ gave up for us. In the end we will gain an appreciation for Him, and we could also gain a new perspective on life.

Just give it up—for Him!

PRAYER: Father, I want things. However, things are not going to make me happier, as much as I think they would. May I learn from what Your Son did to give up Himself for me. May I learn to give up more than I want. May I model His example as I go through life.

“For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:3-8 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Jarrod Spencer. He is a seeker of God’s surprises in everyday life, looking for ways to be used by God to minister to others. He has a passion for encouraging people through the written word and exercises that passion with blogging and sending out a weekly text of encouragement. You can read more of his writings at http://jarrodspencer.blogspot.com and his church’s website is http://www.colbychurch.com.

Through a Father’s Lens

By Jarrod Spencer –

My parents would probably tell you that I was a handful to raise. I did not do things that would have landed me in handcuffs or send me to the principal’s office. No, I was a smart aleck. My mouth caused me to be a “handful.” I remember being upset with my father and hollering down the hall, “You’re the worst father in the world!” Needless to say, my father came back and let me know he didn’t approve. My parents were smokers and when we didn’t go on a vacation one summer I told them, “If you guys wouldn’t smoke, we’d have at least $520 extra dollars a year to go on a vacation.” That didn’t go over too well, either. Still another time, when I was twenty-two years old, traveling to see my fiancé, I stayed at friends of the family overnight. Mom called to make sure I had arrived safely and I communicated to her that I didn’t need to check in with her. I was older now. This caused her to be very upset with me.

Can you see how I was a handful?

God must have been laughing at me as He knew that when I became a father I would be dealt some humbling blows. I have only been a father for three years, but have already had my fair share of humble pie pieces to eat.

The initial piece was when I saw my firstborn in the flesh and thought, “He’s mine and I’m responsible for him.” I started to feel a love that was unlike anything I’d ever felt. A love that feels pain and “hurts me more than it hurts him.” A love that loves always even when I do not like all the things he does. A love that is proud over the smallest of things.

The other pieces came in times when same said firstborn showed signs of stubbornness or a keen ability to ask for a snack or something to drink at bedtime to be allowed to stay up a few minutes more.

Looking at my son through a father’s lens has caused me to be more appreciative of my parents and what I made them endure. It has also caused me to look at myself differently by viewing what I do through God’s perspective.

PRAYER: Father, thank You for allowing me to become a parent. I’m grateful for the two kids You have blessed me with. I appreciate how my view of my parents has changed after having children. Guide me in raising my children to fear You as I fear You.

“He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge” (Proverbs 14:26 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Jarrod Spencer. He is a seeker of God’s surprises in everyday life, looking for ways to be used by God with anyone he comes in contact with. He has a passion for encouraging people through the written word and exercises that passion with blogging and sending out a weekly text of encouragement. You can read more of his writings at http://jarrodspencer.blogspot.com and his church’s website is http://www.colbychurch.com.

Love and the Rubix Cube

By Jarrod Spencer –

The Rubix Cube came out sometime in the 1980s and I was one of millions that had one of those toys. I was also one of the millions who couldn’t solve it “legally” (I would take it apart and put it back together). Turn here—twist there, but I never quite figured it out. I’d get one, maybe two sides right, but getting the other 4-5 sides seemed impossible to solve. Life can be like that. So can love. Brian Cramer says, “Love is like the perfect Rubix Cube. There are countless numbers of wrong twists and turns, but when you get it right, it looks perfect no matter what way you look at it.”

Twist, turn, study, twist, turn, study, intermixed with wrong twists and turns. This is one of many ways to look at life and love. You work on solving a temporary situation and make a couple of adjustments. Then, you notice that on another side there is a jumbled mess of colored squares. So you attempt to solve it again by twisting and turning, trying to get all the sides to correspond to their appropriate color.

As you think about your life right now, how many sides are you getting to match up? Are you twisting and turning with no avail to get the sides to match? As you continue on in life, think about all the twists and turns that come your way. Some may be incorrect, but eventually they will come out where all the colors match up.

Enjoy life and love and look forward to those times when the sides match up!

PRAYER: Father, thank You for watching over me as I may not see what twists and turns I am supposed to make in life. You know how to make the sides match up. Please guide me in making the correct twists and turns as I go about life.

“Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long” (Psalm 25:4-5 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Jarrod Spencer. He is a seeker of God’s surprises in everyday life, looking for ways to be used by God with anyone he comes in contact with. He has a passion for encouraging people through the written word and exercises that passion with blogging and sending out a weekly text of encouragement. You can read more of his writings at http://jarrodspencer.blogspot.com and his church’s website is http://www.colbychurch.com.

Losing ME

By Jarrod Spencer –

We live in a world full of “ME.” Under someone’s facebook links was a cartoon that was supposed to say “America” at the top. All the letters were on the bottom of the cartoon except for M & E. My thought is that America is becoming more and more like that. ME is the most important person in the country. One of the issues with that is there are millions of MEs. With losing a few pounds a common New Year’s goal, why not try to lose a different kind of weight, the ME weight?

Losing excess pounds will help make your life healthier. Losing excess ME pounds will make your life healthier, too. If ME is weighing you down, causing you to be less healthy, you are probably being prevented from doing some really amazing things!

As a way of shedding the ME pounds, think about these suggestions to having a healthier life.

One: Examine what areas are preventing you from accomplishing your goals. Make a list of these obstacles. Look at what ME areas are the biggest obstacles and seek a way to lose them.

Two: Refrain from “I can’t.” When you are thinking about accomplishing a goal do you tend to look at the negatives so much that you say “I can’t”? That phrase has the potential to keep you from great things. This may be one of the weights you must remove in order to have a healthier future.

Three: Take a step. Think about stepping forward to start accomplishing your goals. Losing the ME will help you be on the path of accomplishment. Is there something that you could use your talents in, but aren’t sure how? Take a step and see how God uses the opportunity. Have you wanted to meet that neighbor that you frequently drive by? Take a step and go out the door to shake hands and simply say, “Welcome to the neighborhood!”

Your ME may be preventing you from seeing what you can do with life. Shedding the ME weight may not be an easy process, but what weight loss ever is?

PRAYER: Father, help me to remove myself from Your plans for me. Help me to be submissive and attentive to what You would seek me to be involved in, who to be involved with, and how to be the most useful servant in Your Kingdom.

“Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth” (Matthew 19:21-22 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Jarrod Spencer. He is a seeker of God’s surprises in everyday life, looking for ways to be used by God with anyone he comes in contact with. He has a passion for encouraging people through the written word and exercises that passion with blogging and sending out a weekly text of encouragement. You can read more of his writings at http://jarrodspencer.blogspot.com and his church’s website is http://www.colbychurch.com.

Make 2011 a Masterpiece

By Jarrod Spencer –

Many areas in life are made up of people using creativity to make something out of very little. We tend to be a “meat and potato” country. You can go to restaurant after restaurant and see some variation of the “meat and potato.” These variations make it seem like there are much more options, but if you narrow it down, there are only about three to four meats and one potato, just with different variances between each one.

You are just you. What you do with that you is up to you. You can say “I’m bored” or you can say, “What can I use today for to make a difference in someone’s life?”  Both are really a choice based on the state of mind you are in at the time. How you use the things we have brings to mind a quote I really like by Jim Rohn, “There are only 3 colors, 10 digits, and 7 notes; it’s what we do with them that’s important.”

Three colors make up everything you see in color form. As a husband who has a wife who likes OPI Nail Polish, I have noticed that there are a lot of colors in the OPI line. There isn’t just one red—probably hundreds of variations of red! Ten digits compose numbers that are infinite, literally. Seven notes that have helped compose songs that draw people close to God, pump people up, or even bring people down. Notes have an unlimited amount of placements and arrangements throughout a song.

In the coming year, how will you use colors, digits, and notes to make 2011 a fun year for you? What will you “paint” in 2011? What “song” will you compose in 2011?

Ask yourself, “What can I use today for to make a difference in someone’s life?”

PRAYER: Father, You are the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me. May I be flexible and moldable to what You are developing in me. Soften my heart to remember that Your ways are not my ways. Use me mightily in the upcoming year!

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen” (I Peter 4:10-11 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Jarrod Spencer. He is a seeker of God’s surprises in everyday life, looking for ways to be used by God with anyone he comes in contact with. He has a passion for encouraging people through the written word and exercises that passion with blogging and sending out a weekly text of encouragement. You can read more of his writings at http://jarrodspencer.blogspot.com and his church’s website is http://www.colbychurch.com.

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