Wednesday September 22, 2010

Speaker: Ben Sigman

Theme: Shame

Weekend Music links on iTunes: Today is the Day - Lincoln Brewster, Holding Nothing Back - Jesus Culture, The Time Has Come - Hillsong, From the Inside Out - Hillsong

Read:  2 Cor 3:4-6, John 4:24

Think:  True Confessions: It was our turn to host small group at our house. I have come to love the people in our small group. They are real, and funny and going through the highs and lows of life, just like us. But, I was stressing out over our house- was it big enough, nice enough, clean enough to host? And what about me? Was I “Christian” enough to pray, to facilitate? I thankfully recognized these insecurities as being unfounded and useless- but also amazed how automatic they were.

This feeling of “not being enough” is a real joy killer and opportunity stealer. It is related to the sense of shame that was spoken about in this week’s service. 

We have tendencies to justify our worthwhile-ness with our actions and possessions. We look to the tangible to give value to life. We are result oriented. We like to see our bank accounts grow, move into the office with the window, put the degree on the wall, the letters behind the name, and to see our kids graduate the best colleges. We like to see in tangible forms that our lives are worth something, and we use our accomplishments and possessions to tell us so.  Thankfully, this is not how God measures success and value. 

Jesus said in John 4:24, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” We can’t describe the Spiritual God in material ways. Nor can we adequately measure one’s self worth in material ways.  A Spirit cannot be contained, let alone measured or counted. And that is what we truly are. We are Spirit. The Spirit within us is enough, because it is in Christ. 

2 Cor 3:4-6 says, “And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” 

When we get that sinking feeling that we are not doing enough, we are not making enough, we are not being enough, we know that feeling is not from God. This feeling is a product of the letter of the law, which brings death. A feeling of sufficiency, contentment, confidence and faith is from the Spirit, and the Spirit gives life. In fact, it is more than a feeling- it is a knowing. 

Do: Set your mind on the abundance of God’s provision, Christ’s sufficiency and adequacy for your needs.

Pray: Jesus, I want to have my sufficiency through you, and not through the world’s means of measurement. I don’t want to be run down by unattainable expectations. Let me see the truth of my situation and align my thinking with your Spirit.

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

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