Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
September 3, 2024
Romans 12:9-21
9 Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. 10 Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other. 11 Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! 12 Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home. 14 Bless people who harass you—bless and don’t curse them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying . . .
Good Morning! Remember, Jesus loves us; this I know! His love is a constant in our lives, a reassurance that we are never alone.
Paul offers us words to live by this morning. Many times, we struggle with these words. God calls us to be our true, authentic selves and accepts us for who we are, but this is hard when interacting with the world in which we wander.
Depending upon the situation, we create different personas that we believe will place us in the best light among our “groups.” These groups include our families, our colleagues, and our community. Even our church family is one of these groups.
Why do we choose to love others? Is it real or pretend? Are we afraid to be on fire for the Lord? Our best self is the one who responds to people as they are. We laugh and cry together, and we support one another no matter what the struggle is.
We should be the same person behind closed doors as we are in public. Oh, that’s a hard one, and we must all pray to be better at this. Christ did not build walls to hide behind, and neither should we. It is scary, but by God’s grace, we can be the one God created us to be.
Faithful God, Thank you for creating us. Oh God, we have trouble presenting our authentic selves to the world. Help us find comfort in who we are. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Our relationships improve when we dwell in God’s peace.
Embrace your authentic self! Pastor Liz
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