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DAY 28 | ALL THAT LINGERS
centering thought
“You have been compelled by the example of Christ to overcome the stench of sin, selfishness, and sorrow with the fragrant aroma of sacrifice, service, and love ...”
encouragement from God’s word
Read: MARK 10:35-45
devotional direction
Left unchecked, our natural bent is to ask the world around us to conform to our desires and whims. We want a clear passing lane on the freeway, our latte with little to no wait, people to respond to our texts within nanoseconds, and children to do as they’re told … and now. We want to be recognized for our every achievement, we want to be rewarded for our every sacrifice, we want to be considered distinctive and special, we want know that our lives somehow count.
And yet.
Whoever wants this deferential treatment, Jesus said, must become as everyone’s slave.
Ugh! Such a swift kick to the gut.
“Me?” we think, disenchanted. “A servant? An underling? A slave?”
Such ideas fly in the face of our illusions—for power, for elevation, for control. This drinking from a bitter cup, this baptism of suffering … is this really the life God has for us? Is this really how things must go?
God nods his head knowingly, lovingly, certainly. “This is the way of the cross.”
question to ponder
Will your bent today be toward being served, or toward graciously serving others?
Scripture
About this Plan
Based on the "The Stories We Tell: Real Women. Real Lives. Real Love" Church Edition. This twenty-eight-day devotional experience has been created for you to, in effect, think more carefully about what you’re thinking—about who you are and why you’re here and the role God longs for you to play in impacting the world around you for good. Consider carving out ten or fifteen minutes each day for twenty-eight days, during your first waking hours, perhaps, or just before you close your day and head to bed.
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