Shine: Week 3 - Day 1
OPENING PRAYER:
Dear Lord, please help me to see the people of this world as you see them, and not in my biased, judgmental and broken view that seems so often to cloud my vision.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
REFLECT:
It seems like in our society today there is tremendous effort to categorize and label people. I suspect much of it is well-intentioned. Noticing positive attributes or highlighting and celebrating who or what we identify with can make us feel good and empowered. Unfortunately, people distinguishing themselves as distinct and different from others is inherently divisive. With division, feelings of fear, loss, regret and uncertainty can often be found, none of which are feelings God desires for us.
Even though pain and division will always be a part of this broken world we live in, God, who loves us infinitely, sent us a solution: His son, Jesus. No matter what differences or divisions may exist between us and everyone else, Jesus is the great unifier. Everyone who chooses to believe God sent his son into our world to take on our sin and die the death we deserved gets to spend eternity with God. He or she will get to know and share the greatest truth on earth. God’s love is more powerful than anything man could ever hope to do. Trust in Jesus and find peace in the knowledge that true harmony and unity is within reach.
APPLY:
If you pay attention at all to current events, you are inundated with categories and labels for people, especially in politics these days. If all of the “us versus them” energy causes you pain, feel the freedom to take a break and spend time with Jesus by reading the Bible. Even if it’s just a passage or two read at random, every second you spend in the word is one second you can be free from the pain and brokenness of this world.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Thank you Jesus for taking on my sin, and for dying on my behalf, so that I can have eternal life. I owe everything I have today and into the infinite future, to you.
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