In yesterday’s devotional I shared a few words about success. More specifically, that success in God’s eyes has to do with humble faithfulness. James was a wise church leader and a half-brother of Jesus. He brings this into focus as he corrects some people about their behaviour: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will … Continue reading A biblical definition of humility
What is success?
What do you want to be successful at? Perhaps it has to do with your career or schooling. Perhaps it has to do with your relationships or a personal goal that only you know about. If we want to be “successful,” we need to be aware of how we define that term. It’s easy to … Continue reading What is success?
September’s Fresh Start
Proverbs 19:21 is quite well-known: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Ultimately, God’s purpose will prevail. It cannot be thwarted or undone. His victory is past tense and present tense and future tense. It is both glorious and inescapable. When something is that certain, and … Continue reading September’s Fresh Start
Internal civil war?
Edward the Confessor was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. According to some monks who knew him, he was a gentle man. But after he died, there was chaos and violence. The reason for this was because his throne was contested. Since there was no clear successor, bloodshed flooded the land. Let’s notice that all … Continue reading Internal civil war?
Short cuts make long delays
Short cuts are tempting. Perhaps that’s because we would prefer things to be easy rather than hard. When I was in elementary school we had our annual long-distance run. A friend decided to take a short cut through the woods. But the coach found out. Why? Because his legs were covered in cuts from running … Continue reading Short cuts make long delays
When you think you’re not noticed
Recognition. I’m not talking about face-recognition software or any other type of modern technology. I’m talking about being recognized, about being noticed, in a wider sense. When a young person dreams about being famous, I wonder if a part of the allure isn’t simply about being recognized and noticed. For adults, why do we like … Continue reading When you think you’re not noticed
We do what he does, but slower
Hello! After some vacation time, The Up Devotional is back. Before I begin, let me first say welcome to our new subscribers on email, social media and on the podcast! Let’s start. My family is quite particular about the movies we watch. As you probably already know, there’s a lot of junk out there. But … Continue reading We do what he does, but slower
Sacrifice is giving up good things for great things
Jesus calls us to live sacrificially. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34). But what is sacrifice? Here’s one way to think about it. Sacrifice is giving up something good for something great. For example, if you are fasting, you sacrifice a good … Continue reading Sacrifice is giving up good things for great things
Imitating the one who put others first
Gary and Mary Jane Chauncey were devoted to their 11-year old daughter, Andrea. She had cerebral palsy and was confined to a wheelchair. The Chauncey’s were on a train which was travelling over a bridge in Louisiana. A barge hit the bridge. Their train was derailed. Some of the train cars ended up on the … Continue reading Imitating the one who put others first
Is the purpose of life to arrive safely at death?
One of Jesus’ most frequently quoted sayings about discipleship is from Mark 8:34-35: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” Let’s … Continue reading Is the purpose of life to arrive safely at death?
