Thursday Reading: Matthew 5:3
Key Verse: Matthew 5:3
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Key Verse: Matthew 5:3
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Devotion:
If you wanted to be able to describe yourself, where would you start? Would you start by listing your good points, or by listing your bad points? Would you start by listing the things you are able to do correctly, or the mistakes you have made? Most of us would go for the positive approach so that we could talk ourselves up, so we could sound good or even better than we are. So many people try to go for jobs by describing all manner of things that they think they can do rather than what they have actually done… No matter how much of a storm we talk up about ourselves, when people get to know us, the truth will come out pretty quickly and they will see us for what we are. No matter how much we think of ourselves, we can only do a certain amount of things before people see through what we have said.
If you wanted to be able to describe yourself, where would you start? Would you start by listing your good points, or by listing your bad points? Would you start by listing the things you are able to do correctly, or the mistakes you have made? Most of us would go for the positive approach so that we could talk ourselves up, so we could sound good or even better than we are. So many people try to go for jobs by describing all manner of things that they think they can do rather than what they have actually done… No matter how much of a storm we talk up about ourselves, when people get to know us, the truth will come out pretty quickly and they will see us for what we are. No matter how much we think of ourselves, we can only do a certain amount of things before people see through what we have said.
If we are willing to acknowledge what sort of person we are in the beginning, then people will not be disappointed when they find out what sort of person we are by the things that we do. If we are able to admit to our faults up front, people will not be surprised when we do things the way we do. If we are willing to admit to our shortcomings, people will not be disappointed in us. But admitting to those shortcomings can be very difficult. Social pressure dictates that we talk ourselves up and make a good impression before we can be accepted. What that so called good impression entails is probably a few lies in the beginning!
If we were in debt to the tune of a few million pounds, we would be totally helpless. There is no way that we could make up that sort of money. That sort of debt would cripple us both economically and emotionally. But if we are willing to admit to it and there was someone willing to help, we would not have to look back… If we are willing to admit to the fact that we are in debt to Christ for our lives and that we are spiritually destitute we make a step forward. If we then accept Christ as our Saviour, we are once again no longer in debt – forever. Admitting our failures is the first step forward!
Points to Ponder:
How would you describe your spiritual state?
How would you describe your spiritual state?
How much have you admitted to Christ?