Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Charles Choe (Tapestry Church in Los Angeles), was originally posted on December 4, 2014.
Devotional Thought for Today
“Where Are You Headed?”
Proverbs 14:12
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
In the children’s book Alice in Wonderland, Alice finds herself at a fork in a road that leads off in different directions. Seeing the Cheshire Cat, she asks him for advice: “Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” says the cat. “I don’t much care where,” says Alice. To that, the cat responds, “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”
The importance of understanding your purpose and living accordingly is clear all throughout Scriptures. For instance, if we don’t have a particular destination in mind, any road will do. But most of the time, we like to travel with a purpose—a destination— before we begin our journey.
One reason why we sometimes make terrible choices in life is because we do not know the point of life, where life’s path is leading us. If we believe that life is for our own happiness, we will make every decision based on that self-interest. But if we believe, as the Bible says, that life’s goal is to glorify God and delight in Him, our choices in life will look remarkably different. In other words, though we might make choices that may “seem right,” if it does not serve the purpose of exalting Christ, no matter how noble, sacrificial, or meaningful, “its end is the way to death.”
Take a moment now and consider your ultimate purpose. Do the choices you make serve that end? Whether you are considering a new major for college, a possible job change, or even something more mundane, like choosing to surf that particular website, ask yourself: Do these decisions seem “right” just for the moment or do they serve the ultimate purpose of bringing honor to God? To mature in Christ is to increasingly see that it’s all for Jesus, for his glory. Knowing and living in this truth is the only path to life.
Prayer: God, make my life count for your glory. Help me not to waste the one life You have given me so that I might live for that one purpose, to glorify You, and help my decisions this day to reflect that choice. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Bible Reading for Today: 2 Kings 20
Lunch Break Study
Read 1 Corinthians 10:31-33: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. [32] Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, [33] just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.”
Questions to Consider
- What should be the ultimate motivation for everything in life?
- What is one measurable way to determine if we are seeking the glory of God with our lives?
- Why is it helpful to exhale and think twice about the ultimate reason for everything?
Notes
- The glory of God.
- Paul tells us that he does not seek his own advantage but that of many–that they may be saved. We are to be mindful that the end of everything is to bear the Good News of Jesus for the benefit of others.
- It gives us a proper perspective and keeps us focused on the mission of God.
Evening Reflection
Every aspect of every Christian’s life has the potential to honor God. How did you do today? Did you attempt to use every opportunity to use it to bring God glory?