Best

divine servant (1 of 1)-2 — Sculpture located in front of Living Well Store in Colesville, Maryland

Day 59: Best

⁴so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

⁸“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

⁹“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

¹⁰Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

¹²When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

John 13:4-17 NIV

Jesus gave us an example of what being the best is all about. As I took the picture of the sculpture I didn’t at first realize it was Jesus. Because we know Jesus as the Son of God and King of Kings we often forget how he demonstrated His greatness while living here on earth. He served best.

His service included teaching about our Father in heaven. It included teaching us how we can show love best one to another. And he demonstrated His love by healing many. He lived His life serving well.

Today we see personified a very selfish vision of success. If the God of the universe were following the popular pattern of success we see glamorized today there would be no you or me. God bent over backwards to save sinful mankind. He didn’t have to do it. It was a perfect revelation of His supernatural nature. He loves to love.

Today, I will focus on how I can serve better.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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November 27, 2019

Day 58: Trustworthy People

Day 58: Trustworthy People

9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

Colossians 3:9 NIV

Have you ever had a problem and you wanted to get advice from someone you knew you could trust? A few days ago my van broke down. It wouldn’t start. I prayed and asked others to pray. I called for help. Tried but it still wouldn’t start. When I was about to give up I tried one last time and it started. PRAISE GOD!!! But I knew I needed to have someone figure out what was going on.

Often our health is tied to our mental peace of mind. When we feel anxious our immune system is weakened and we get sick more easily. The bible encourages us to be honest one with another. This way we can have a community where our anxiety is lessened because we can trust each other.

It came to me that I should take my van to my trusted mechanic, Hai. I hadn’t seen him for a few years but when I went he gave me excellent wisdom and fixed things and had me on my way quickly.

Today, I recommit myself to being someone others can rely on. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

November 23, 2019

Meaningless

Day 57: Meaningless

1 The words of the Teacher,^a]”>[a] son of David, king in Jerusalem:

²“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”

³What do people gain from all their labors
at which they toil under the sun?
⁴Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.
⁵The sun rises and the sun sets,
and hurries back to where it rises.
⁶The wind blows to the south
and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.
⁷All streams flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
there they return again.
⁸All things are wearisome,
more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
nor the ear its fill of hearing.
⁹What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
¹⁰Is there anything of which one can say,
“Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.
¹¹No one remembers the former generations,
and even those yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow them.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

Have you ever paused to ask yourself why you do what you do? Do you do it because you hope to please others? Maybe make your parents happy?

Have you ever asked yourself why you want what you want? If you want to be a famous singer or actor do you want it for the money? Or do you want it for the way people look at you and admire you? It’s important to understand why we want what we want. But it’s also important to realize that a lot of what we say we want isn’t going to make us happy once we get it.

When Solomon reflects in the book of Ecclesiastes about the meaninglessness of life he is getting to the truth I’m hoping we’ll see in this post. When you work to get rich but realize you can’t take it with you then what is the purpose of your pursuit? Solomon points out that the eye never has enough of seeing. Will another suit make you happy? Will a bigger house make you satisfied? Many movies and tales illustrate how the greed to have more can destroy us. Perhaps what will help us to live a balanced, healthy life is understanding that we find meaning in pursuit.

When we have a goal that isn’t easy to achieve but meaningful to us we garner a sense of purpose. And while we have this goal we can motivate ourselves because we have committed ourselves and we want to be true to ourselves. When we get the goal we initially rejoice but then need a new goal or we will fall into a sense of despair.

If we no longer think we can reach our goal or that it is important we can also become depressed and uninspired. It seems that we were created with a design that requires a worthwhile focus to keep us happy.

So my take away from Solomon’s wisdom is that a lot of what I’ve been stressing about will be gone soon so I shouldn’t worry and kill myself over attain it. And a lot of the fame I seek will not be remembered by the next generation. So it would be better for me to focus on making meaningful relationships with those in my community.

Today, I realize that I’ve been distracted by things that won’t matter very long. I choose rather to see things from Our Father’s perspective and pursue what is important to Him and a blessing to those He has allowed me to interface with.

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November 21, 2019

Day 56: Begin Again

Begin Again

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17

It’s alright to change your mind. What you believed when you were 14 doesn’t have to be the same when you are 40 or 50. Perhaps some of what you thought was golden really wasn’t. It’s OK to admit that you don’t understand everything.

One of the key ingrediants on the road to healing is being able to forgive yourself for past mistakes and begin again. If God tells us we can confess our sins and that he will be faithful to forgive them shouldn’t we do the same? Begin again.

So your first job didn’t work out. Find another one. So you thought he was the man of your dreams but he left you and hurt you. You can heal and begin again. Find some of that love that your Creator has bestowed upon you and see if you can imitate it. Love yourself.

Today I will begin again. I will forgive myself and set myself free to love and serve again.

November 15, 2019

The Road You Choose

Day 55: The Road You Choose

¹⁵And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:15

It would be nice if everyone had a happy ending in life. But life is filled with the consequences of the choices we make. Even if we have good reasons for the poor choices we make they still yield negative results. So I know when I make excuses for myself saying that I deserve to choose what makes me feel good even if it is bad for me that I will reap what I sow. The bible says clearly:

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Galatians 6:7

Today I choose to make decisions that are wise even when I don’t like how they feel. I forgive myself for past decisions that were based more on feeling than on wisdom, and commit to improving future decisions.

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November 15, 2019

Pain

Day 54: Pain

The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psalm 34:18

Sometime we want to avoid the pain necessary for our transformation. I don’t want to wake up earlier to get that walk in. I know that if I do those push ups and planks that I’ll start to see a change in my body. I know that if I stop eating foods that are fat and sugary I’ll start to lose weight. But if I deny myself something I want it hurts.

So we read more and more about health. We watch documentaries about the dangers of processed foods. We watch youtube videos about the latest dietary trends that have helped others lose weight. But learning more doesn’t change us. Taking action changes us. But the action may hurt.

God does not promise us a life without pain. But he does promise that he will be with us in our pain. Today I want you to realize that God had to endure pain in order to save us. If God doesn’t get to avoid pain in order to bring about positive and heroic change then why should we think we get to?

Today I will accept the pain involved in taking the actions that will improve my health.

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November 10, 2019

Honor

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”

Exodus 20:12

Day 53: Honor

As we sat together eating I thought about what a blessing it has been to have my mother still with me. I lost my father when I was in my 20s. I am sorry that he wasn’t able to see my children or watch me fulfill some of my dreams. But mom has been there. And she has seen me at my worst. She has encouraged me when I’ve been depressed and felt like giving up. She truly deserves honor.

The bible tells us that we receive health as a result of showing honor to our mother and father. So it would only be appropriate to mention the importance of taking care of those who have taken care of us. We must honor those who have set the foundation for our success, even our very existence.

I know that life is harder in many ways as we age. So my prayer is that God will show me how to be a blessing to my mother. I desire to give Him glory in the way I honor her.

Today I will show my mother honor.

November 8, 2019

Manage Desire

charles-_p-DIj5LJKc-unsplash — Photo by Charles 🇵🇭 on Unsplash

6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

I Timothy 6:6-7 NIV

Day 52: Manage Desire

Have you ever been told about the importance of setting goals? When reading books about success or having a better life often we are told that we must set goals and that they should be specific. I have found that when I set a specific goal I have a greater sense of purpose. I can know where I’m going and how close I am to getting there.

But there is another side to goals. We can become unhappy and dissatisfied with our lives–good, God blessed lives. By intensifying our desire we are able to create greater energy towards our goal. If we write down the goal daily or meditate on it we intensify our desire to achieve it. If we visualize it we also increase our desire to have it. But are we creating goals that will take away from enjoying the life we’ve been given?

¹⁹Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

²⁰But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

²¹For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Matthew 6:19-21

Don’t let someone trying to make a buck control your desire. I was happy with my IPHONE 8 until the next one came out. My apartment was nice till we went to potluck at your townhouse. My modest single family home was the bomb until I came to the cook out in your new development and I saw your mansion with walk in closets and stainless steel appliances. The things we have our wonderful. We are blessed if we can pause and count the good. When you live in famine then the food that we throw away looks spectacular. It’s easy to be tricked into not appreciating all we have.

The problem with setting goals can be the goal. Imagine if I set a goal to be a millionaire. What happens if that goal took me away from creating a loving household or a vibrant church community? Will Our Father be pleased? Can everyone be the president of the company? NO! But everyone can be happy and a blessing.

Today, I will manage my desire! I will learn to be content with what I have. And I will pray both for my needs and the needs of others.

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November 7, 2019

Day 51: Order

Day 51: Order

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning….of the school day, I straighten out the desks. Some chairs are under the desk while others didn’t quite make it back. Some desks are in a row but others are out of place. When I’m done there is peace. I feel better. When my kids come in although they may mess it up in 10 minutes or less they feel better.

When God created he had an orderly process. As we live and look for lives that are healthy we should respect the value of order.

Today, I will make a plan and a schedule and use it. I value the time God has given to me.

November 7, 2019

Day 50: Visit Home

Downtown Takoma Park.

8 ¹all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

²So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. ³He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

⁴Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

⁵Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. ⁶Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

⁷The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. ⁸They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear^[a] and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

⁹Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

¹⁰Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:1-10

Day 50: Visit Home

There are places that are familiar to us from our past. Often they are places that we have special memories from. Even places that we discovered many of the ideals we currently hold sacred. It’s important to visit home. Visiting home can be going to a neighborhood you use to hang out in with your friends. It can also be going back to the roots of your spirituality.

In the above scripture from the book of Nehemiah we see depicted a seen where people are weeping. They are weeping because they are listening to the words of the Law of Moses. Perhaps they realize that God had been so good to them and yet they had neglected their relationship with God. Maybe they understood more clearly things they had heard many years before but had forgotten. Sometimes we need to visit home. We need to be reminded of what we have valued in the past. We need to remember what truths we already knew and see how they relate to our current situation.

In visiting home we may find the answers to many of the questions of our today.

Today, I will meditate on past locations and journeys, reflecting on lessons learned.

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