Sunday Reading: Mark 9:38-41
Key Verse: Mark 9:40
40 For he who is not against us is for us.
Devotion:
How many times have you been uncomfortable with the way that other people do things? When we come up against someone doing something in a different way to us we are most often put on the defensive and shy away from them a bit because they are not doing it the same way as we would. When we feel like our comfort zone is being stretched, we tend to start backing away. Sometimes there is good reason for this because there are many times when we will be confronted by something that we think is not right – God has given us an inquiring mind so that we will search out all that is right.
But there will also be times when we are confronted by Christians who will be doing things differently than us. At those times we have to examine what they are doing and find out whether they are doing it for Christ. There are many different cultures around the world and many different ways of praising God; just because someone is not doing it in the same way as us does not set them apart from God. As long as they are following and believing the same bible truths as us, then surely they are working for Christ in the same way as us – just in a different manner.
Sometimes we like to think that we are protecting other by separating them from those other ways of doing things; sometimes what we may well be doing is restricting them to what we think is comfortable. We all need to be able to face up to new challenges and to new ways of doing things – how else are we to expand? We need to embrace all ways of taking God’s Word with us. We need to embrace all ways of teaching His Word. We need to embrace all those who go forward in Christ’s name because they are glorifying Him as Saviour just as we do. We are all here to glorify Christ, let us try not to trip each other up but push forward together in His truth.
Points to Ponder:
Do you get uncomfortable with the ways others support Christ?
Does Christ turn away anyone who is lifting Him up?