Monday, June 22, 2020

June 22, 2020 - Closed Practices


I will be very honest as I start this week’s devo… I’m tired and a bit overwhelmed with stuff I need to get done. In case you didn’t know it, the world is a bit topsy-turvy right now, with a lot of things to draw our attention. On top of that, for me personally, I have a massive amount of irons in the fire (and even had one of those frustrating experiences where many hours of computer work I did on Saturday was lost in a computer update… nowhere to be found in my “history”.) So, planning to be short and to the point today…

When life is feeling this way, I remember what we would do in the sports world to focus in and remove distractions… Closed Practices! Yes, it was common to shut the doors of the gym and not allow in any outside influence, in order to concentrate on the task at hand. Friends in the gym led to horseplay… parents in the gym led to possible voices with a different agenda… etc. Bottom line was that we only had a set amount of time to accomplish our goals… and needed to stay on task!

In the hustle and bustle of life right now there are many voices vying for our attention, and my question is what is actually our task… our agenda? When I look at Scripture, especially the life of Jesus, I really don’t see Him being drawn away to every voice or issue. That is not to say that He didn’t address issues, but that He addressed everything based upon, or out of, love not legislation; based upon this mission statement: “…Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49)

Jesus was not blind to the issues of the day, nor did He ignore them; yet, He answered them in the context of His Father’s business… What is the Father’s business that we need to be focused on… not distracted from?

Fulfilling the Great Commission of evangelism and discipleship, via the Great Commandment of loving God and loving others, according to the Great Game Plan of reaching our community and beyond…

As stated over the past couple of weeks, this is by no means a political post! I have my views on politics… want to be informed… want to exercise my stewardship of voting… etc. BUT, the game plan / purpose of these devotions is to encourage and equip the team… they are “closed practices” based upon staying focused on the team objective… to motivate not legislate… (and to steal the motto of our church)… Love Is Why!

So my challenge to you is to measure the things you are doing against your purpose as a believer… as part of God’s team…

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