Men And Women Of A Different Spirit: A Seven Day Devotional To Greater FaithSample

There are so many times in our life we can make it by, just barely getting by...  

 We can do our jobs, parent, have a marriage, make it through school, church, etc. half-heartedly. However, as much as we may try, this is not the case for our faith. Our God is an all-in or out type kind of guy, and it’s one of my favorite things about Him. In the book of Revelation, He goes so far as to say He would rather someone be super committed or not at all than just on the fence about a relationship with Him. The language actually goes more like, “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelations 3:16).
 

Similar to the culture of fear in our world today, we are going to find ourselves swimming upstream if we accept the charge to be men and women of a different spirit regarding our commitment to following Jesus whole-heartedly. Remember that Joshua and Caleb had cultivated a reputation that was set apart from the others because of their commitment to following God fully:

“But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.” (Numbers 14:24)
 

Like the Israelites. we are not only a half-hearted nation, but by nature we are half-hearted beings.When sin entered the world, we were no longer whole, creating our need for a way to be whole again. We needed a way to restore the trust that had been broken. Our commitment to follow God fully had been breached. Yet, over and over again we see Jesus in the New Testament extending this one shocking invitation: “Follow me.” And the people He was inviting were not the kinds of people you would have expected in His day—these were thieves, uneducated fisherman, and scandalous women, among many others. His only requirement? Leave the rest. Get rid of the stuff that would compete for His affection, your loyalty to Him. This sounds far off, but you know what this looks like today?
 

More often than not, this looks a lot like saying no to the things that only make us seem busy and yes to effective and fruitful work. It looks like following His every Word down to the letter, from sexual boundaries to finances to the way you raise your family. It looks like slowing down to do what really matters in a world that is running at a pace not even the internet can keep up with.
 

Men and women of a different spirit are easy to pick out of a crowd because it’s easy to fit in with half-hearted people. But when someone decides to follow God because they are grateful for what He’s done for them, they stand out. Believe it or not, this is actually the goal for someone who say yes to the invitation to follow God! Think about where you would be without Jesus, right now. (Bummer, right?!) Now, think about how much your life has changed because of Him. Relationships restored. Shame gone. Forgiveness granted. Healing possible. Hope restored. Peace that remains. Anyone want some of THAT today?! (raises hand.) Matthew 5:14-16 says it this way:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
 

That’s the point, friends—because Jesus changes everything, our entire lives should be changed. His kindness should lead us to repentance and commitment in EVERY area of our lives, not just the ones that are easy to clean up on the outside.

Is there any area in your life today you are showing up half-hearted? You can choose todayto be of a different spirit, a whole heart, fully following God in every area. What area in your life could you recommit to giving Him your all? The way we love, serve, work, parent, etc. will be what sets us apart as men and women of a different spirit. It's hard--but so worth it, because HE is worth it!