Did you catch TODAYs Proverbs Devotion? Day 11 - Monday, October 21 Daily Reading: Proverbs 21 The LORD is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices. – Proverbs 21:3 When I first read this verse I thought, Well, thats nice, and I set it aside for later without grasping the full meaning of the verse. Then I had one of the busiest - yet most fulfiling - seasons of my life, and I finally understood what happens when our heart and our actions (sacrifices) are in alignment. For most of the past six months I spent a chunk of my time either at the Journey Office or Hotel Pennsylvania, helping lead Journey Kidz through a time of transition. All the while, I was in school full time, nannying full time, and doing other miscellanous jobs I pick up here and there (I’m not trying to brag, but you need a little background info to understand my point). In order to accomplish everything that was on my calendar, I had to sacrifice quite a bit: sleeping in, Law and Order marathons on TNT, hanging out with friends, the master plan I had created to advance my post-graduation career, and did I mention sleep? Yeah, I know some of those things are a bit ridiculous, but you get the point. I had to put aside my orignal plans for what ended up being an even better plan. At times we can view sacrifice as one of the ultimate gifts that we can offer to God. And while it is good for us to sacrifice our time and talents to serve God and others, the act alone is not good enough if our hearts are not in it. Acts of sacrfice are not a bad thing, but I believe that it means much more to God when our actions come out of a place of love and devotion versus guilt and coersion. Would you rather have someone offer you a gift or help with a project because they felt like they had to or because they wanted to? Our hearts and attitudes tend to be more loving and joyful when we have a desire to participate in an act. There is no way I would have gotten through that crazy busy season of life had my heart had not been on board. Because my whole heart was invested in the sacrfice, I was able to continue going with a genuine smille on my face although I was exhausted (and often found myself flipping through travel websites in search of destinations where I could not be reached by technological devices). Today, I challenge you to examine your life. Ask God to show you the areas where your heart is not aligned with your sacrifices. Remember gifts and acts of sevice are so much better when you want to give them. - Renita Renita has resided in NYC for almost five years now and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Outside of class, her babysitting hustle, up-and-coming singer-songwriter career--naps on her couch consume most of her time. PS - This Sunday we continue our Wiser teaching series with Wiser With My Family. This is going to be a great day for everyone to attend - hey, we all grew up in families ;-) - so invite some of your family and friends and join us THIS Sunday. PLUS - in Journey Kidz, well have out Fall Family Fun Day with a Costume Contest, Family Photo Booth, Candy, Crafts, Bible Lessons and more! Your kids wont want to miss this! See you Sunday...
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 14:49:31 +0000
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