Devotions based on Trevor Hudson’s book, Discovering our Spiritual Identity

“Compassionate caring is the acid test of the authentic Christ-following life.” If our spiritual disciplines don’t result in others close to us feeling more valued and loved then our practices are empty. If our relationship with Him is ever deepening it will show in our care for others. When we belong to His kingdom then we will share with others the same kind of compassion we have received from God. The great commandment to love others as we do ourselves. helps break our ingrained self-centeredness and narcissism  to become instruments of His love for others.  As we love like this we become alive and responsive, and life has fresh meaning.  We are told in Eph. 5:2 “Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us.”  We can start by loving those closest to us, but we need help from beyond ourselves to do this. Asking for God’s help and sharing our struggles with a faithful friend who will listen to us and pray with us helps tremendously. “Confession-whether it happens in the inner sanctuary of our soul or in the presence of another-opens clogged channels between God and ourselves, allows for the in-pouring of His love,  and provides us with new resources for the work of love.”