Devotions based on Scot McKnight’s book, One Life

If we could do anything with our One.Life what would we do and what would it be?  What is worth so much we’d be willing to give our life to it?  Climbing the corporate ladder just isn’t enough. Money isn’t enough. Fame isn’t enough. Finding a person to love isn’t enough. The only thing is Jesus and the way to get to Him is to follow Him. The author grew up as a legalist and did all the right things but found that going to church, reading the bible and praying etc are only a means to an end. They are not the goal but rather we are called to follow Jesus and let Him take over our lives. That means taking up His kingdom vision and let it shape what we do. God gives each of us the dream for our lives and speaks to us about what He wants to accomplish in our life.  We have only one life and we need to chase, find, and live our dream. We need to be consumed by our dream and that dream will give us life and make our life matter.

 “What God has planned can be called the dream of God, and God made us to give our One.Life to that dream of God. Jesus called that dream the kingdom of God.” 

Let us not settle for anything less than giving our whole life to Him and what God made us to do!

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

Jesus had a passionate concern for people and recognized the image of God in every human being. He saw people as they were and as they could become. He acted towards others with respect and care. He enabled them to realize their sacredness and specialness and called forth their very best. To be a disciple of His we too must learn to look at others through His eyes and pray that a divine passion for them will be formed in our hearts.  This doesn’t happen overnight but takes time and needs our full cooperation. One way to start is to show hospitality as Jesus and his followers practiced. When Jesus was at table, no one was sent away and everyone was welcomed.  Today hospitality may get twisted with hidden agendas. But genuine hospitality is a way of saying to another, “You matter. I welcome you and want to provide for you a safe place where you can be yourself….I have no desire to change you, judge you or get anything from you. Make yourself at home.”  Jesus also treated friend and foe alike and He taught that we should love our enemies. We must be honest and confess there are some people toward whom we feel hostile. We are to pray for them, and as we do we will begin to view them in a fresh light?  So let us become more like Jesus by opening our hearts to receive His love and to allow the Spirit to work within us to see others as He does.

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

We open ourselves to heaven by letting go and letting God. When we die we are forced to let go of all we possess.  But throughout our lives there are also minor deaths which we can rehearse the art of letting go and letting God.

As we do this we discover how God constantly acts through this process to give us greater wholeness.  Each of these experiences of letting go- whether it be ending a significant relationship, giving up a destructive habit, failure of a job etc- confronts us with a choice. We can cling to what was, or let go, believing that God is always acting to transform death into life. If we cling to the old, we get imprisoned in the past and it prevents us from taking up what God has for our future. “Daring to let go frees us for the future, enables new beginnings and allows Christ to rise afresh in us.”  We have the choice. We can practice letting go each night as we lay down all that has happened during the day. We give Him all the day’s mistakes, pressures and demands and trust His Spirit to do within us whatever our soul needs. The next morning becomes a resurrection moment as we do the tasks before us in union with Him.
As we let go and let God within the many “Minor “ deaths that  occur during our lifetime, we provide an opening for the life of heaven to touch us where we are.

Devotions from Trevor Hudson’s book, Discovering our Spiritual Identity

We can begin to live an eternal life today, here and now in this world. We don’t have to wait until we die. We can open ourselves up to heaven through the practice of Being Still. We are encouraged to do that as it says in Ps. 46;10 “Be still and know that I am God.”  Deep within us all is a quiet place, an inner sanctuary of our soul, a holy place where God speaks to us. As we enter into this place of stillness in faith, the Spirit draws us closer in intimacy with our Father, gives us a stronger awareness of our heavenly citizenship, and makes us more sensitive to His still small voice. The busier our lives become the greater our need is for this still center.

Another way we open ourselves to heaven is by living fully in the present. That means living by faith that His presence penetrates all that we do and experience—whether it be in the mundane or reading the Bible. The author suggests that we train ourselves to take one thing at a time and to focus on our immediate task so we can enter into it with complete abandonment and all our attention. That doesn’t mean we don’t plan for the future however, or reflect on the past. “Eternity intersects our lives!”  Let us persevere knowing that God’s grace and power are always available to us in the present moment!

Devotions from Trevor Hudson’s book, Discovering our Spiritual Identity

Our view of death and dying affects the quality of our present lives. Death is not the final word for it was defeated by the resurrection of Jesus. As His children we shall never die, in the sense that our spirit lives forever.  Our bodies may decompose but the spiritual dimension of our life continues their existence with Him.  One day we will receive new spiritual bodies, although our unique personality will continue to exist. We will be recognizable, expressing our individuality and able to communicate to one another. Even though we may suffer in this life, all the broken pieces will be mended then. The author pictures heaven as ” rich possibilities of energetic action, participative worship,, challenging responsibilities, and unimaginable creativity.”  We will have plenty to do!!!  Let us develop self-giving love, sacrificial servanthood, faithfulness etc so he can take these spiritual qualities and employ them in His kingdom.  Can we picture what it will be like to see Him for the first time, to delight in being with other loved ones and fellow pilgrims, to experience wholeness, and to be creative in working in His vast universe?  In our every day lives, let us live from the perspective of the everlasting kingdom.

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

Our words are important and in Prov. 18:21 says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” When used carefully words can be used to reveal ourselves, to build community, and to bring healing. When used carelessly, they can create confusion, hurt others, and create conflict and chaos.  Jesus places value on the words we speak and said we will have to give account for every careless word we say.( Matt. 12:36-37)  Words reveal the true condition of our hearts for out of the abundance of our hearts the mouth speaks. Our words manifest our attitudes, thoughts, feelings, inner wounds, choices etc that make up our souls. Our words impart spiritual power for either good or evil . When words are spoken unfairly and carelessly they can wound others, destroy confidence, tarnish reputations.  When they are spoken at the right time, they can bring life and light and make a significant difference in the lives of others. We can extend blessings to others by speaking good into their lives. It can be as simple as saying, “You are a special person!” or “May your life be filled with the light of Christ.” We can also share words or images drawn from the Bible. But whatever our situation is, we need to keep our antennae open to the Spirit and speak what He gives us to say. .

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

All that we possess belongs to God….our house, our car our savings etc. It is good to reflect on the personal management of all that we own. Do we think that what is mine is mine and I have the right to use it as I please, or do we see ourselves managing our material goods as a steward of God? “Managing responsibly our material goods for kingdom purposes requires rigorous self-honesty, prayerful planning, and the mighty power of God’s Spirit.” It isn’t easy to keep things without clinging to them, to own things without treasuring them, to possess things without being possessed by them. Before we realize it, we can end up serving mammon rather than trusting God. Dallas Willard said, “Get all you can; save all you can; freely use all you can within a properly disciplined spiritual life; and control all you can for the good of humankind and God’s glory. Giving all you can would then naturally be a part of an overall wise stewardship.”

Let us not be seduced by wealth but manage our resources well for the greater purposes of God. That may mean asking the Holy Spirit to free us from greed and stinginess and sign our assets over to Him.

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

Jesus stresses the spiritual dangers of having material goods, but he also emphasizes how they can be used for good. He pointed out how the poor widow’s sacrificial offering expressed genuine devotion. Also, how the rich tax collector gave away half of his possessions to show that the rich can enter the kingdom of God. If we give generously, it strengthens our relationship with God and brings us greater wholeness. Jesus taught us,  “give and it shall be given to you.” Luke 6:38  Do we find it easy to give with generous hearts? Generous giving symbolizes the depths of our love for Him. It is almost impossible to give sacrificially without giving of ourselves at the same time. Our material resources represent personal time, talent and toil. As we give to others we impart something of who we are.  When we hang on to what we possess, we become possessed by our possessions. Behind money and material things there is a powerful spiritual force. “We dethrone money when, in a spirit of loving abandonment and confident trust, we give it away.”  We all have many opportunities to bless the lives of others by sharing our resources and it builds eternal interest! Let us start with a tithe as the bottom line in our giving and experience the joy of generous giving, which expresses our love.