The Top Twenty-Five

Galatians 5:13-26

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5%3A13-26&version=NIV;NLT

 

College football is upon us! We’re approaching the fifth week of the season and, as far as I know, no coaches have been fired yet. Every week the AP Poll and Amway Coaches

Poll comes out ranking the top twenty-five teams. For a coach whose team is ranked, they can feel secure in their job. For a coach whose team isn’t ranked, they might want to step it up.

 

In the world of athletics, success is based on victory. Iconic coach, Vince Lombardi, is quoted as saying, “Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing.” But winning all the time is a struggle because, not only is your opponent trying to beat you, but also you have to overcome adversity during the course of the game; and your own self-doubts and weaknesses.

 

Our life is like that too. Sometimes the circumstances of life can be very difficult; or you might face a struggle within yourselves. Sometimes we even face a competitor that wants to bring us down. There’s a constant battle going on. Paul wrote about this struggle to the Galatians.

 

¹⁷ The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.       NLT

 

As a believer, what we have going for us is that our sinful nature has been crucified on the cross, and although we still struggle, and may not win every battle, the war has already been won. So we have been called to live by the Spirit.

 

²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. ²⁵ Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.   NLT

 

A college football coach can easily measure his success by wins and losses and by where his team ranks in the weekly polls. What about you? How do you measure your success as a believer?

 

Even though you struggle; even though you aren’t always victorious; your name will appear in the top 25 as undefeated. You are undefeated because the victory has already been won by Christ.

 

 

 

Dysfunction Gone Wild

1 Corinthians 6:1-11

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%206%3A1-11&version=NIV;NLT

 

Television can make dysfunction funny. Take the successful TV series The Office which aired from 2005-2013. The setting was a paper distribution company called Dunder Mifflin. With a variety of quirky characters that you might find in any office anywhere, dysfunction seemed to be the guiding principle of the show.

 

Most likely the reason that a dysfunctional office is funny is because we can relate to it and identify with the quirky characters. In reality though, dysfunction is the result of our sinful nature and not to be taken lightly.

 

Consider King David. Although a man after God’s own heart, he had no clue when it came to the dysfunction of his family. Amnon, one of David’s sons, raped his step-sister, Tamar. When David didn’t do anything about it, her biological brother, Absalom, killed Amnon. In this case, it sounds like dysfunction gone wild.

 

The church at Corinth seems to have been the definition of a dysfunctional church.

They struggled with everything from divisions over leadership to immorality and incest to favoritism based on status. It’s hard to imagine that they had any redeeming qualities. Yet, Paul had enough hope in them that he didn’t give up.

 

In the verses today, Paul wrote about lawsuits amongst believers in the church. Here is yet another example of the Corinthian believers not being able to work and play well together; an example of their dysfunction. Paul makes these observations.

 

⁵ I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? ⁶ But instead, one believer sues another—right in front of unbelievers! ⁷ Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? ⁸ Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers.              NLT

 

You may not have ever taken another believer to court, but conflict starts small and builds to a crescendo. It begins with a something little between an employer and employee, or two business owners, or neighbors or between husband and wife.

 

Conflict is a part of the human predicament. It happens every day of our lives. The question is how will you deal with it? Paul suggests working things out, finding a mediator or just accepting the injustice.

 

 

 

Whatever you do, don’t let it become, dysfunction go wild.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(If God has spoken to you through this blog, please feel free to share it with others.)

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Submit or Surrender?

James 4:1-10

 

No matter how you say it, if you submit or surrender to someone, it sounds like you’ve lost.

 

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?   James 4:1 NIV

 

My first year of marriage was very difficult. It was a battleground of wills over the smallest decisions. Do you fold your towel in thirds or half? Do you squeeze the toothpaste tube in the middle or the end? Do you roll your toilet paper over or under? The battles seemed endless.

 

Each decision was a contest with the winner maintaining their position of power and control, while the loser took another step towards losing their personal identity. (In case you’re wondering, we will celebrate our 42^nd anniversary this week.)

 

The fact is that we all struggle with submission and surrender. It’s in our nature. Adam and Eve failed to submit to God’s will and it’s been like that ever since. Really it’s a matter of pride, and the symptoms are often visible through our attempt to control our world. Here’s an example.

 

Someone with an addiction, like drugs or alcohol, will use in order to feel better. In other words, it is their way of trying to control their world.  It’s the addict saying to God and to anyone else, “I can handle this myself thank you very much”.

 

That’s pride, and if we are honest with ourselves, our pride keeps us from submitting or surrendering to God just like the addict. In fact, you could say that we are addicted to sin.

 

God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.            James 4:6-8 NIV

 

Going into my marriage, I had the best of intentions to be a good husband and to have a wonderful marriage. But my pride and my sinful nature were working against my best desires. Nobody wants to submit or surrender.

 

It takes work to draw near to God. It takes an intentional effort. It doesn’t just happen. However, God’s word promises that if you draw near to Him, then He will draw near to you.

 

 

 

(If God has spoken to you, or touched your heart through this devotional, please feel free to share it with others.)