Being Like Him - a 40 Day Lenten DevotionalSample

Mutual Deference

The family of the Godhead operated with mutual deference. The dictionary explains deference as “to yield to someone’s opinions or wishes out of respect for that person.” In the Trinitarian relationship, they not only gladly submitted to one another, but they also respectfully yielded to one another’s opinion. They did not allow their functional hierarchy to get in the way of treating each other with respect or dignity. They mutually deferred their work and none of them drew significance over the other from their authority or distinct responsibilities.

To be like Him is to have an attitude that respectfully yields to others’ opinion in humility and grace instead of spitefully holding strong to one’s own opinion/wish. How often have we belittled others’ opinion because of their position? How often has the feeling of superiority crept in, leading to our unwillingness to yield?

I have heard several stories of wives who expressed their feelings of insignificance and belittlement of their opinions in their family relationships. There are some husbands as well who have felt that way because of their wife and children.

How much of Christ is displayed in our attitudes with another? To become like Christ is to have an attitude change in how we treat our spouses and children, irrespective of how silly their opinion may sound sometimes. Husbands, wives and children need to learn to differ in opinion without losing respect and intimacy in the relationship. Even as I write this, I realize the number of times I have failed in respectfully treating a person, forgetful of how God treats me.

We will one day stand accountable before God for the way we treat one another irrespective of our differences in opinion. It is important we realize that God can speak to us through any means, including our spouse, friends and colleagues. If we harden our hearts and stubbornly reject this truth over the ‘rightness’ of our thoughts and opinions, we are most likely not heading in the direction of becoming like Him.

Prayer

Precious Lord, I truly confess that I have failed in this area of respectfully yielding to another. I have often felt superior about my own thoughts, dismissing the possibility that you may been speaking through the other person. Give me the grace to never look down on people even when they differ from me but treat everyone with dignity. In Jesus name, Amen.