Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
August 24, 2023
Romans 12:1-8
1 So, brothers and sisters, because of God’s mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. This is your appropriate priestly service. 2 Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God’s will is—what is good and pleasing and mature. 3 Because of the grace that God gave me, I can say to each one of you: don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Instead, be reasonable since God has measured out a portion of faith to each one of you. 4 We have many parts in one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function. 5 In the same way, though there are many of us, we are one body in Christ, and individually we belong to each other. 6 We have different gifts that are consistent with God’s grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, you should prophesy in proportion to your faith. 7 If your gift is service, devote yourself to serving. If your gift is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. 8 If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouraging. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful.
Good Morning. Embrace the gifts God has given you!
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
How often have you asked yourself, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Some seem to have this answer at a very young age and are unwavering in their calling. Others, like me, have many thoughts and go off in many directions as they work to discern this answer. I remember falling in love with the idea of many different careers as I met characters in books and movies. Based on my favorite characters, one day, I wanted to be a doctor; the next day a lawyer, and on other dreamy days even an astronaut. The sky was the limit, if you’ll pardon the pun!
I wonder if God’s plan for me were to discover the many joys and opportunities I would find during my years of wandering. Perhaps all the pieces and skills I gathered along my journey were necessary before God revealed my calling to me.
I love working on Jigsaw puzzles. I can become obsessed with finding the right piece to fit into the spot where I’m working. I sometimes enjoy the challenge of not seeing the image before working on the puzzle. In that case, you focus on colors and shapes, and when I’m finished, I am amazed at the picture that sits before me. I marvel at the intricacy of the pieces it takes to create this masterpiece. As individual pieces, some look exciting while others appear blah. You know, the filler pieces.
In those puzzles, each unique piece is essential to completing the whole. There are no leftover pieces to be tossed aside. God gives each of us special gifts and talents for which we must take ownership and hone over our lives. No gift is unimportant to the whole. The whole is the body of believers, and together, we are God’s masterpiece of tightly interlocked pieces of joy and opportunity.
Loving God, We thank you! Help us accept the gift that You have given to us. We can only see part of Your masterpiece, but help us remember that each of us is essential to its completion. We love you! Thank you! In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: We all needed to complete the picture.
What is your gift? Pastor Liz
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