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

Jesus talks a lot about money and possessions and what it means to put His kingdom first, to give generously, and to manage our resources responsibly. He talks about this more than any other topic, except for the kingdom of God. Our attitude and feelings towards money and possessions are shaped significantly by our childhood experiences and by the society we grew up in. Some live in fear of scarcity and so are not able to live in joyful trust and generosity. Either we put God first, or we allow money to capture our hearts and become our god. Instead of controlling our possessions, our possessions control us. Why do we tend to believe the lie that our well-being lies in what we possess? “ Worshipping material goods in the end leaves us feeling disillusioned, cheated, and spiritually bankrupt.  Even the poor can become consumed by the love of money, just like the wealthy. True security and freedom comes from centering our lives on Him and making the kingdom of God our focus. More tomorrow

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

A natural outflow of our life of faith is sharing the Lord with others. As we do this He becomes more real to us and deepens our dependence on the Spirit. Jesus tells us to let our lights shine before others.  (Matt. 5:16)  We can be his witnesses by: fasting from many words, discerning the right time, and sharing our faith with others.  There is a tendency to use many words to convince people of the gospel. But how much better to be quiet and give the other person our interest and attention. They will feel respected and valued and may ask us questions….what is different about us? etc. “We must let our lives speak, before our words can be heard!” Timing is also important and we need to watch for openings that the Spirit creates. If we rush in before the person is ready our words may be resented. When we do get the chance to speak to others we should use wise words and show respect. In I Peter 3:16 it says we should share the hope within us with gentleness and reverence. We should leave others the freedom to choose and trust the Holy Spirit to attract them to Christ. We don’t need to overwhelm them with our entire testimony. We all have a unique story of faith and even if ours seems ordinary and un-dramatic, the Spirit can use it for the glory of God.

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

Self-giving love is not only forgiving others who have hurt us but may mean being with others who are crushed by evil. On the cross Jesus joined himself in love with every victim of torture, rape and abuse, every homeless person, every person grieving the loss of a loved one etc. This kind of love means being present with others in their brokenness.  It means listening to the person before thinking of what we can do for them. Being with a suffering friend can be our greatest gift. God may use us to help them overcome despair and give hope for we bring His presence.

Sometimes we may need to take action against the evil and confront oppressive structures whenever we can. We may be led to include and share with others who have been neglected and forgotten. Judy Bassingthwaite is such a person demonstrating this kind of love as she ministers on the streets of Johannesburg amongst the homeless. She coordinates a feeding schedule, counsels those that are downtrodden, learns the names of those she serves, speaks on behalf of those who seem to have no voice. One thing we can all do is to pray and intercede for the spiritual battle can’t be won by just programs and our human efforts. Every time we intercede for others we increase the openings through which God’s power can freely flow. Let us practice holding others in the healing presence of Christ!

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

How do we demonstrate this self-giving love as Christ followers?  One way is to forgive those who have done evil against us. Jesus died forgiving those who had crucified Him. We are asked to forgive those that are hard-to-forgive too. We may begin by expressing our hurt and pain but then we must go on to see ourselves as capable of hurting others too. As we accept ourselves as fallible and sinful, we become less judgmental. We become more aware of how we also need God’s mercy. The crucial step in forgiveness is to inwardly release those that have offended us from the evil they have done. This means letting go of the right to retaliate. “Forgiveness overcomes evil. It brings liberation from resentment, release from bondage of the past hurts, deliverance from bitterness, and the freedom to live fully in the present moment.”

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

As God’s children we are in an intense spiritual battle and we must recognize the dark forces that oppose us while knowing that in Christ they are already defeated. C.S. Lewis said there are two errors that we must guard against. One is to disbelieve in the devils’ existence and the other is to believe and feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. Jesus engaged the powers of evil head-on. In His death, Jesus absorbed all the evil into himself with the vulnerability of self-giving love. That love cannot be stopped by all the powers of evil for His resurrection proclaims victory over all evil.  As we deal with the evil in our own lives we need to celebrate the Easter message that evil will not ultimately triumph!
We must first face and acknowledge our evil tendencies and see ourselves as we really are. Confessing our selfishness and self-centeredness can be painful but it will put us in the inner position to receive help from the  Lord. We can turn to Him and ask for His empowering presence.  We need help from beyond ourselves. Sometimes when the struggle is great we may need a soul-friend to share the battle. “Allowing faithful friends to know how we are tempted not only decreases our spiritual aloneness, it opens our lives to vital life-giving resources of the Spirit.”

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

When we pray we need to be honest before God, and not just say what we think God wants to hear. We must come warts and all and not say who we should be or who we could be.  We are to ask for what we really need for this puts us in touch with who we really are and moves us beyond pretense. Then we will find that God encounters us at our deepest need. It is so good when we can acknowledge our feelings, even our angry feelings. If we ignore them a split will appear in our praying and living: a split between our conscious relationship with God and what we are experiencing in our emotional world. “Owning and expressing our feelings to the God who came in the flesh helps us to live fully and maturely.”

When we neglect to do this, it has a draining and depressing effect on us.  Let us be real before God and others and we will find greater intimacy with Him and growth in our self- knowledge.

The author also suggests praying the Psalms as it trains us how to speak to God and to confess our secrets. The Lord’s Prayer also gives us a framework for communicating with Him and draws us into intimacy.

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

Our God who speaks to us, is also our God who listens to us when we speak. We are heard…everything we say, every sigh we make, every cry and groan. Everything is heard by our listening God. Talking with our God who listens has life-changing consequences. First it brings us into an intimate relationship with Him as we share our hearts. It transforms us as the power of the Spirit changes our character to be more like Him. Secondly as we speak openly to God, we come to know ourselves. As we take off our masks and acknowledge even our dark side, our self-knowledge increases.  We discover that as we share our broken selves with Him, He draws us deeper into His love and grace. Thirdly, as we talk with God, it changes the way we relate to others. Our self-centered hearts begin to care for others with greater concern.  We must come to God truthfully and speak from our inner depths. It will not diminish our Belovedness and we deeply know that we matter!!

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

It is good to offer up our daily work to God, whether it be preaching a sermon or doing the dishes. “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” I Cor. 10:31.  The ordinary is made holy when we resolve to do everything for God. Nothing is too trivial or mundane. To do everything for God is to put our whole hearts into what ever we are doing at the present moment. Just imagine the difference it would make in our lives if we lived wholeheartedly. I know so often I am doing one thing but thinking of another… mostly what needs to be done next. That is half- hearted living.   But it is better to concentrate on the task at hand and be fully present. Let us consciously welcome Him into every new activity before we begin it.  I think if we do, we will have a different attitude and we will sense the sacredness of the now-moment . Whenever we find we have disengaged from the present moment we can just ask Him for help to put our preoccupations aside and be present. I want to do this more.

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

We are made more aware of God’s presence when we choose to be constantly thankful. In the Word we are told to be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances. I Thess. 5:16-18. Gratitude is a choice. In whatever circumstances we are in, we are given the freedom to choose our response. Instead of saying, why did this happen to me, we can ask, What is there to be thankful for that we can use in constructing a new future?  The example given is of a pastor whose daughter died at the age of 10. He could have allowed this tragedy to make him bitter and despairing. But he chose to think of his daughter as a gift given by God and be thankful for each of those 10 years he had her. He chose the way of gratitude.

Let us focus is on the positive. Gratitude is not some duty it is a response to the sheer giftedness of our lives. What do we have that has not ultimately been given? Let us not take things for granted. Let our posture towards life not be one of grabbing and demanding but one of receiving and celebrating. It is good to pause during our day to give thanks to God for every sign of His goodness.