Becoming A Better Christian

May 8 (Romans 6:13)

Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.  (NIV)

Imagine that you are a scholarship athlete.  For some of us, that may take quite a bit of imagining, but just go with me here.  Imagine that you are a scholarship athlete and that you just put in a less than stellar practice.  The coach calls you over and says, “That’s not going to cut it.  You have more talent than anyone else on the team, and you need to start acting like it.  We have some tough opponents coming up this season.  You have to become the athlete I know you are.”

What would you do?  Any serious athlete would get back in the gym, dig deeper, and give the coach what was being asked of him.  You would not get angry at the coach.  You would not think he was being mean or unfair or just trying to come down on you.  You would know that this is what a coach does, and since this is the sport you chose, you would want to get better.

Do you see where this is going?  Too many people think verses like the one for today are just about God wagging His finger like a stern, old grandfather.  God is not your grandfather.  He is not a cosmic killjoy.  He is the one Who knows the real you, what you were made for and what you can be.  When you chose to follow Jesus, God rejoiced.  And now He wants to get the best out of you.

Father, I want to be a better follower of Jesus.  Help me develop into the Christian You know I can be.  Where there is sin in my life, help me to be fierce in rooting it out.  Where I can be more loving, help me to develop the gifts You have given me to share the love of Jesus.  This day I choose to begin getting better in following You.  In the name of Jesus, Who is the model of what it looks like to follow You truly and fully, amen.

Copyright © 2016 by Steven R. Perkins

Living the Alleluia

March 27 (1 Peter 2:24)

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.  (ESV)

Christ the Lord is risen today!  Alleluia!  But why?  Why alleluia?  Why the celebration, the triumphant music, the unbridled joy?  We may have some family gatherings, but they are nothing like Christmas.  Familiar chocolate candies are wrapped in pastel colors, but there are no weeks of parties and vibrant decorations on and in businesses and homes.  Why alleluia?  What is so special about Easter?

Easter changed nature itself.  Death, the undeniable and unavoidable common experience of all living things, was stripped of its power when Jesus left the tomb.  You and I deserve to die.  Not only was death the destiny of all human beings, but we deserved to be separated from God forever because of our sins.  Yet Jesus took each and every sin of yours and mine with Him to the cross and left them in the grave when He walked out that Sunday morning.

So what does alleluia look like?  Is it tiny chocolates in pastel foil?  Jesus died so that we might live to righteousness.  Our greatest and best act of celebration is to live fully and richly, not in any way we choose as if our will and our rights were still paramount, but in the way of our risen Lord.  Christ the Lord is risen today!  May my life be the alleluia!

With all that I am and all that I have, I praise You God, one Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!  Glory to You forever in all that I say and do!  Thank You for the immeasurable gift of love and grace and forgiveness in Jesus!  I accept it, all of it, and give it back to You in my life, lived to righteousness.  Amen.

Copyright © 2016 by Steven R. Perkins