PRAYER PRACTICE
Cup Prayer – This prayer will help you pour your heart out to God (Ps. 62:8). Begin with your hands folded together like an upside-down cup. Pour out before God all your fears, anxieties, guilt, sin and shame. Tell Him what troubles you. Take time to be specific. When you feel like you’ve poured out your heart, flip your hands over, folding them like an open cup, ready to receive from God. Sit in silence, asking God simply to fill you with His Spirit. If your mind runs back to sin, shame, anxiety or concerns of the day, flip your hands back over and pour it out to the Lord. When you are finished praying, read today’s Scripture and listen as God shares His heart back with you.
DAILY READING
DEVOTION / REFLECTION
Identity in Christ, Rooted in Truth
by Jessica Efird
While
much could be written about the richness of Luke 22, when reading
this text again a word kept coming to mind: Identity.
As
Christians, we have our identity in Christ. We are loved, chosen,
free, and made righteous through Christ and His death and
resurrection. And yet, so many of us struggle with claiming this
identity and choosing to live into it.
Through
the Gospels, Jesus was clear on His identity as both fully God and man, even
when he first begins speaking at the age of 12. Jesus’ identity did not
waver, it was rooted in truth. And yet even His own
disciples struggled with their identity.
In Luke 22, we have three examples of how we can stray from Christ and our true identity.
Reputation: Peter famously denies Jesus three times just a short time after he insists he would do no such thing. But protecting his reputation and safety takes precedence, and he repeatedly denies himself as a follower of Jesus. How often do we compromise our relationship with Jesus because we don’t want to stand out?
Rank: Immediately after the Last Supper, the disciples break out into a discussion of who will be considered greatest. Oh, how we can relate to this! We want to put ourselves first over others in order to hold our identity secure. We rate our efforts against others, as if this is how we gain grace. When do we find ourselves slipping into a comparison game and why, since our status is secure in Jesus?
Riches/Renown: Perhaps the clearest example of finding our value in something other than Jesus is Judas Iscariot. Whether Judas was chiefly motivated by the silver or pleasing the chief priests, he chose riches and renown over Jesus himself. Do we find ourselves seeking substitute things to satisfy what only Jesus can provide?
Jesus, We are thankful that as Christians, we can choose to be rooted in Christ and all that he says we are in Him. Thanks be to God!
3 comments:
Jessica:
This is GREAT!! You have captured today's message in a thoughtful and insightful way that hits home, at least for me. You have reminded me that I am His and as such, I am totally free, forgiven, redeemed and made righteous. Wow! Reason to be filled with joy all the time- I'd say. Jesus has redefined my life and given me a completely new perspective on how and why to live as his child and disciple. Blessed, blessed, blessed.
I am also immediately convicted when reading your words on preserving my "reputation". I am embarrassed at myself when I don't joyously proclaim my Christian beliefs to anyone I encounter. My bad. If ever there was a season to let the world know who we are in Christ it is Easter.
May the Risen Lord shine brightly in you today.
Thank you for today's message.
Robin Lorms
Thanks Robin--to God be the glory! When writing this post, I was doing lots of self-reflection, as I have often struggled with my own identity being rooted solely in Jesus.
And yes, if there is ever a time to share the hope we have in Jesus, it is this week as we look to Sunday!
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