Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
December 12, 2024
1 Timothy 6:6-12
6 Actually, godliness is a great source of profit when it is combined with being happy with what you already have. 7 We didn’t bring anything into the world and so we can’t take anything out of it: 8 we’ll be happy with food and clothing. 9 But people who are trying to get rich fall into temptation. They are trapped by many stupid and harmful passions that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some have wandered away from the faith and have impaled themselves with a lot of pain because they made money their goal. 11 But as for you, man of God, run away from all these things. Instead, pursue righteousness, holy living, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness. 12 Compete in the good fight of faith. Grab hold of eternal life—you were called to it, and you made a good confession of it in the presence of many witnesses.
Good Morning! Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus!
We live in a world consumed by commercialism! The almighty dollar seems to be the foundation upon which our society functions. Why do holiday decorations get bigger each year? If companies create new things, we will want and buy them, and the makers of such things make money.
Most of us remember when things were much simpler. Christmas stuff didn’t appear until the day after Thanksgiving, and Valentine’s Candy filled the shelves around the first of February. We complain about the rushing of the seasons, yet we are the ones who propel this cycle forward. If no one bought things early, they would disappear from the shelves until a more appropriate time.
Timothy reminds us of the pitfalls of ruin and destruction when we focus on money instead of our faith. So, where do we draw the line? These words are a great place to start!
Pursue righteousness, holy living, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness. 12 Compete in the good fight of faith.
Perhaps we can start by dedicating at least an equal amount of time to developing and growing our faith as we do those “other” things. Take time to work to meet the needs of others before focusing on the “decorating” of your life.
I truly love decorating for Christmas, so I don’t want to sound hypocritical. Decorating brings me joy as I remember the greatest gift ever given: the Christ Child. We are unique and have different ways to compete in the good fight of faith. The key is to remain centered in Christ.
Loving Lord, We are your children! We love all the new “stuff” available in the stores. We enjoy the glitz and glitter of the season. Help us always remember the gift you sent to us. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Focus on the light of Christ this Advent season.
Look for joy! Pastor Liz
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