Together - Daily DevotionalSample

A Spiritual Rat Race

Reading: Phil.4:3-13

Key Verse: “I can do everything God asks me to do with the help of Christ” verse 13 TLB

A rat race is an idiom used to describe an endless, pointless pursuit. The phrase is equated to human beings on an incessant treadmill of work and activity but never achieving their desires. Nigel Marsh said, “Often, people work long hard hours at jobs they hate, to earn money to buy things they don't need, to impress people they don't like.” 

As Christians we can sometimes be caught up in a spiritual rat race of meetings and activities that simply lead to exhaustion and disillusionment. Spiritual exercise and activity is important but we need to understand Jesus does not empower us to do all things but only the things God asks us to do! We can become so involved in doing things for God that we lose our involvement or relationship with God. Jesus acknowledged the Christians in Ephesus were hard workers, doctrinally pure and persevered through hardship Rev.2:1-7). Yet they had lost their first love. It was Jesus who said to His disciples, “Come ... and get some rest” (Mark 6:31).

This is not an excuse for laziness but just as sleep is essential for physical fitness so rest is vital to be spiritually fit and only doing what “God asks you to do”

Prayer: Lord give me wisdom to do only that which You ask me to do