December 28, Friday
Devotional Thoughts for Today
“Parents and Children”
Ephesians 6:1-4
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
This is not a devotional; this is a confession.
I can genuinely say in all the ways that matter, I want my son to exceed me. I want him to be more successful and smarter than me; I wish him to be a better athlete and educated than I am; I desire that he becomes a better friend, father, husband, and most important, a better follower of our Lord. So when I think about my desires for my son, I know in my heart that I genuinely love him, not just a little, but tremendously.
I can also genuinely say this: There is no one on earth who can infuriate me like my son can. I can’t tell you how many times when we’re playing baseball in the backyard, he’ll give me a little bit of his attitude, and I’m so tempted to just chuck the ball at his stomach (hyperbolically speaking). Or if I want to teach him something that will benefit him later on, and he blows me off as if Legos are more important than a life lesson. Or after asking me how to do something that I’m more than capable of doing, he has the audacity to reject my wisdom in favor of doing it his way, only to then mess it up. Those are times when I want to (or do) flip my lid!
I didn’t realize I had a bad temper until I had children; my son also has a temper. In truth, we “exasperate” each other. I love my son, and I’m very confident he loves me. I think we have a good relationship, and so those incidents that I just described, while happening almost daily, haven’t had long term damaging effects on our relationship (or at least haven’t shown up yet).
They say that in the brain, the amygdala controls emotions like love and anger, so love and anger are physically really close together. Through having children (all four of them), I’ve realized it’s true. However, spiritually speaking, I would say that love and anger are very far apart? (See 1 Cor. 13:6). It makes total sense to me that Paul would instruct father’s not to exasperate their children, but rather to raise them up in the Lord. God help all parents. Lord, give me patience—the sooner the better! Lord, thanks for teaching me patience; thanks for being patient with me.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to love my children (or future children, or any person really) as You love us. If I struggle with anger, help me to replace it with love. Help me to know that You gave me my children as well as my parents for a reason—to be more like You. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 29
Lunch Break Study
Read Proverbs 29:22-27:
An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins. 23 Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor. 24 The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies; they are put under oath and dare not testify. 25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. 26 Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that one gets justice. 27 The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright.
Questions to Consider
- What are some of the character issues raised in this passage?
- What do you think the Proverbs writer means when he says the fear of man will be a snare?
- What do the righteous detest, and what do the wicked detest?
Notes
- Anger (vs. 22) which stirs up conflict and causes sin. Pride is also mentioned in vs. 23, but ultimately pride brings us low, not lifts us up.
- Fear of people is like a trap or snare that either slows us down terribly or stops us altogether from doing what God has in store for us.
- While it stands to reason that the righteous hate dishonesty, it’s ironic, but also true that the wicked hate the upright. People don’t like others that reveal our shortcomings.
Evening Reflection
The latter half of many New Testament epistles are practice-driven; in other words, it addresses how faith ought to impact our everyday life. Today’s passage asks how Christ impacts your relationship with your children and parents? This evening take some time to reflect on other relationships (work, school, church, etc.) that need the grace of God in your life.
December 27, Thursday
Devotional Thoughts for Today
“The Voila Moment”
Ephesians 5:25-27
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”
During the holidays, I often feel sorry for my wife who prepares most of our meals. The reason being is that preparing quality meals seems like such a painstaking and time-consuming process, while the actual enjoyment of eating lasts significantly less. So a couple days ago, to prepare our Christmas dinner, my wife was probably in the kitchen for a solid 3-4 hours, but actually sitting down to eat took maybe 20 minutes. I often offer my wife the out, that we can order out, but she won’t have it. For her, she wants to have that “Voila!” moment when her family takes that first bite, and she can see that all of efforts have culminated all of her loved ones happy and surrounded by great food. I think this “Voila” moment is what chefs live for.
When I think about what the Lord is doing for his church, I also think of this long painstaking process, which kind of seems inefficient, if you ask me. I mean think about how difficult people are; how petty we can be—how selfish, unforgiving, childish, stubborn, sometimes even malicious. Yet, our passage tells us that what Christ is doing with us (his church) is that he is making us holy, cleansing us through his word, making us clean and perfect, so that one day he can present us and say, “Voila!”
And that voila moment is “the Marriage of Supper of Lamb,” which the apostle John describes it in the following manner: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb’” (Rev. 19:6b-8).
And the major difference between what happened at our dinner table and at the Marriage of Supper of Lamb is the “payoff”: the joy won’t last a mere 20 minutes like a holiday feast, but an eternity. What a blessing! Thank you, Jesus!
Prayer: Lord, thank You that You are patiently making me more and more into Your image. Please allow me to submit myself to Your work and thank You for the person that I will one day be.
Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 28
Lunch Break Study
Read Proverbs 27:1-6:
“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. 2 Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips. 3 Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both. 4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? 5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”
Questions to Consider
- What can we learn about boasting from this passage? And in what ways do we “boast”?
- What are the dangers of anger, fury, and jealousy?
- Taken together, vs. 5-6 give characteristics of true friends and enemies. What are they and how do you compare as a friend?
Notes
- Boasting, a form of pride should be avoided. The Proverbs writer shows the folly of boasting about tomorrow, much like James reminds us in James 4:13-16, because we have no control over the next day. Verse 2 implies that self-promotion is another form of boasting; let others compliment you.
- In vs. 3-4, anger and jealousy are compared to something heavy that we carry around us. Isn’t the imagery so true because anger and jealousy often feel like a weight that slows us down.
- Friends speak truthfully even if it is hard to hear sometimes. Enemies are like “yes men”, they may make you feel smart and good, but their words don’t help much.
Evening Reflection
This morning we talking about the Lord’s patience with us and our slow transformation, and this afternoon we highlighted some potential areas of struggle, such as boasting/pride, anger, jealousy, and truthfulness. Are any of these areas you’d like to progress in? If so, remember transformation may be slow, but Christ is in it for the long haul.
December 26, Wednesday
Devotional Thoughts for Today
“Changing”
Ephesians 5:1-8
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
For the last year or so, my wife has been a changed person. She went from a relatively normal person into a fitness nut (maybe semi-nut is more accurate). Whereas before she didn’t regularly workout, now she spends several hours a week in studio doing classes like cycling, bar, and body pump. Sometimes she takes three classes back-to-back-to-back in a single day. It’s kind of humbling because I used to always be the most fit person in my house; now I have to hang my head in shame and admit that my wife is in better shape than me (unless, of course, you consider “round” a shape). Here’s the thing that I know because I’ve been around people who exercise a lot—I can tell that my wife is genuinely changed. She’s not going to be one of those people who hits the gym hard in January only to lose the love in February. I can see that exercising is in her blood, and it would take an extraordinary set of circumstances for her to go back to an inactive lifestyle.
In our passage, we get a picture of an even more dramatic change than even any fitness plan can put us on. It’s what you see when darkness becomes light (vs. 8). We see that the early Christians once walked in varying degrees of immorality but were now called to walk in love because we are God’s holy people. So this morning, let our passage remind you of who you really are in Christ and the implications of your changed identity.
Of course, like anyone who is committed to physical fitness, there are going to missed workouts and occasional snacking, you aren’t going to be perfect and you’re gonna mess up, but generally are you living like a genuinely changed son or daughter of the Holy God? Do you represent him well? Are you becoming more like Jesus? Are you changed?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that because the Holy Spirit lives in me, I am genuinely being changed. I am no longer darkness, but I live in Your light! Help me to live this day as a child of light. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 27
Lunch Break Study
Read Proverbs 26:17-22:
Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own. 18 Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death 19 is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I was only joking!” 20 Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. 21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. 22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.
Questions to Consider
- What does the Proverbs say about quarreling words?
- What are the dangers of gossip?
- Do any of these speech problems plague you?
Notes
- Quarrelsome words can get you or others hurt or bit (vs. 17), and they are the fuel for long-term feuds (vs. 21).
- We often forget how harmful gossip is as it also prolongs and fuels quarrels (vs. 20). But we also see that gossip, if we are honest, is kind of tasty (in a bad way – vs. 22).
- Application question for children of light.
Evening Reflection
Today’s theme was being a child of light and living like we are truly transformed. In the afternoon, we talked about speech patterns that we may still struggle with. Are there other areas in your life that you feel like the Lord wants to refine in you?
December 25, Tuesday
Merry Christmas
Devotional Thoughts for Today
“The Perfect Gift”
Matthew 2:9-11
“After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”
As a kid, I went to a church that gave away practical gifts and prizes. So at church picnics, we’d play your garden variety relay race games, but instead of being awarded a ribbon or a trophy, winners would get a three pack of paper towels, or an eight pack of Lever 2000, and during those years when the budget was particularly strong, a family sized bottle of laundry detergent. As teenager, I thought those were the strangest prizes and figured that’s just what immigrants do. Now that I’ve become the person who has to pony up the money to make sure that our house is stocked up with supplies like paper towels, soap, and laundry detergent, I see the brilliance of practical gifts and prizes. When it comes to presents, I’m very much into practical. So I’m very fine with socks, underwear, and Amazon gift cards. Now on the flip side, I understand that there are people who love to give and receive fun gifts. The thinking behind fun gifts is, I want to give something that this person wouldn’t or couldn’t buy on his own. FYI, when practical gift people receive fun gifts, they often think, “Can I return them?”
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have a wonderful day today as we celebrate the birth of our Lord. If you haven’t done so already, my guess is that today you will either give a gift to someone or receive one. Did you give fun gifts or practical ones? Hopefully, a lot of the former and enough of the later. When I think about the gift that our Heavenly Father gave humanity some 2,000 years ago by sending His one and only Son into the world, I realize that the Son was the ultimate combination of a fun and practical gift. Perhaps “fun” is the wrong word, but the idea that I’m trying to get across is that the righteousness of Christ is something we could never get on our own. You throw in the idea that God came in the form of an infant, and you realize that this gift is more lavish and extravagant than a string of pearls or a luxury car. Practically speaking, how else could the sin of humanity be forgiven? Only by the life of a perfect God-man. So, in that sense, Christ’s life was more necessary and more “practical” than anything we could ever need.
Today, I hope you spend some time with loved ones. I hope you have a lot of fun. Dads—don’t get frustrated if you feel like you’re building toys all day. Moms—don’t stress out if Christmas dinner doesn’t go as planned. Readers, don’t get angry that I stereotyped your gender roles☺. But most of all spend a few minutes and thank the Lord for the wonderful gift of the Incarnate Son, a gift that we couldn’t get on our own but desperately needed.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for your Son. Thank You that today we celebrate the gift of his life, without which we would all be dead in our sins.
Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 2
Lunch Break Study
Read Hebrews 4:14-16:
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Questions to Consider
- In general, why is the Incarnation such an important doctrine to the Christian faith (not found in this passage)?
- From this passage, why was the Incarnation such an act of kindness?
- How should the Incarnation impact us?
Notes
- The Incarnation is critically important because for many reasons. First, the idea of substitutionary atonement. As a human, Christ’s sacrifice atones for the sins of humanity. Second, the idea of imputed righteousness. Christ’s obedience as a human can be transferred to us as righteousness (sorry for the super brief explanations).
- In vs. 15, we see that because Christ came in the flesh, he understood first hand our weaknesses, yet was able to overcome temptation.
- Therefore, we can draw near to a God who is not distant but wants to be with us so much that he would take on the limitations of having a human body. God loves us and wants to be with us, so let’s draw near to him!
Evening Reflection
How are you doing with the Lord? Do you desire to draw near to him in an intimate relationship? One of the reasons he came to the earth in the flesh some 2,000 years ago was to let mankind know that God is near. Is He near to you now?
December 24, Monday
The AMI QT Devotionals from December 24 to 30 are provided by Pastor Yohan Lee of Remnant Church, New York City. Yohan graduated from University of Pennsylvania and Cairn University, where he studied theology. He is married to Mandie, and they have four adorable children.
Devotional Thoughts for Today
“Blessed?”
Luke 1:46-48
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.”
Whether it through personal experience or—as silly as it sounds—through TV and movies, I think we all have at least some idea of how scary and “inconvenient” an unplanned pregnancy can be for a woman. I know that some in our reading audience are actively trying to have kids now, but for the rest of us, imagine how much an unexpected pregnancy would flip your life around. For students, what would a child mean for your studies and your future? For you singles, how would a child impact your career and personal life? For you DINKs, are you ready for your cool vacations and trendy restaurants to turn into theme parks and Red Robin? On the other end of the spectrum, maybe your children are grown up or are teenagers: how would a baby change your life now? Money set aside for retirement quickly converts to college tuition? I just moved my last two kids from car seats to boosters, and that felt like a game-changer. You couldn’t pay me enough to go back to a world of strollers, bottle warmers, and diapers.
As “inconvenient” as it would be to have a child now, think about how utterly terrifying it must have been for Mary. What must have gone on in her head after the angel Gabriel left her that night? How would Joseph react? There’s no way he’s staying, right? No one’s gonna believe that this is God’s Son; everyone’s gonna think that I had an affair. Are my parents gonna kick me out? Who’s gonna help us? Am I gonna have to raise this baby alone? How will I support myself and a child? Given all these overwhelming thoughts, would you have felt “blessed” as Mary says she was in v. 48? My guess is that many of us would have felt the exact opposite. In reality, Mary was blessed and was given an opportunity no one in the history of the world will ever have again. However, in order to see this, she had to overcome her overwhelming circumstances by faith.
Here’s the truth for us today: Oftentimes, God’s biggest blessings will feel overwhelming at first, and if we aren’t careful, we’ll mistake them for a burden instead of the blessings they were meant to be. Think about some of the hard things you’ve gone through. Looking back on them, did you grow through them? Did God become more real to you afterwards? Can you use those experiences to encourage others? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, my guess is that you’ve seen how difficulties can become blessings. What are you going through now? I’m sure they feel overwhelming, but can you, like Mary, see the blessing on the other side?
Prayer: Lord, thank You for the example of Mary, who showed that even in difficult circumstances You are still with us and we are still blessed. Give us faith to trust You through all times. Thank You also for sending Your Son into the world to save us! Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Luke 2
Lunch Break Study
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Questions to Consider
- What are the imperatives that Paul gives us?
- Instead of being anxious, what should we do?
- What are the benefits of God’s peace, and are you experiencing them in your life now?
Notes
- Paul commands us to rejoice; he also says not to be anxious, but to pray and give thanks to God.
- Pray and ask God. Also give thanks. This is a reminder that while we are often powerless in our circumstances, we can ask the One who is powerful for help. Giving thanks reminds us of His goodness and faithfulness.
- God’s peace is transcendent—meaning, it goes beyond human reasoning. In other words, when we have no reason to hope, God’s peace can help us to see past our circumstances. Of course, the second part of the question is an introspective one.
Evening Reflection
In John 14:27, Jesus tells His disciples that He is giving them his peace, which is a peace that is not of the world, a peace that can only come from the Lord. This Christmas Eve, as we celebrate when God’s peace offering entered the world, let me ask you this: Do you live in this peace, or are you anxious and worried? Take some time to reflect on what the Lord wants to do in your heart.
December 23, Sunday
Today’s AMI QT Devotional is written by Joshua Chzen who serves at Kairos Christian Church, San Diego.
Devotional Thoughts for Today
“Imperfect Love”
Ephesians 5:28-33
In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.
After a few months into my marriage, my wife pointed out a bad habit of mine that I hadn’t really paid attention to before: I love eating junk food, and I love eating it late at night. (In reality, there were quite a few more things to be pointed out.) When we moved to our new apartment, there were two Jack-in-the-Box restaurants within a mile of us. So after a long day of work or a late meeting, I didn’t think it was harmful to treat myself to something satisfying—it was my way of “loving myself,” even if a little bit indulgent. Of course, this sort of habit would be detrimental to my health, both in the short and long term, which is why my wife took issue with it in the first place.
In reality, my imperfect way of loving myself affects not only myself, but my wife as well. Paul directs husbands to love their wives as their own bodies, and he’s talking about complete selflessness in love and attitude. But even as I look at how my heart is shaped through something like indulging myself, I can see that same heart reflected in how I love and care for my wife—that is, if my desire is to grow in and prioritize holiness, then I will love and care for my wife in a way that reflects that for her. The way I “feed and care for my body” will be the same as how I “feed and care for” my wife.
This makes it all the more important to pursue a life of love in Christ. We understand how Jesus “feeds and cares for” His body, the Church: He sacrifices Himself for it, builds it up and equips it, casts out its fears and covers its weaknesses, and brings it to holiness, righteousness, and purity. As members of His body, we can personally experience this perfect love. And we understand that as Jesus calls us to love others as we love ourselves, He’s not referring to an imperfect love that’s been shaped and affected by worldly understanding or fleshly desire; rather, He’s calling on all of us to reflect that same perfect love that we experience as Christ Himself loves His Body.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for loving me and caring for me as part of Your Body. Show me how to love like You do—and if it seems unnatural, difficult, or in conflict with where I am, I pray that You would reorient my heart back to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 26
December 22, Saturday
Today’s AMI Quiet Time Devotional is written by Claudia Robbie who serves at Journey Church of Atlanta.
Devotional Thought for Today
“Humility”
Luke 1:48
For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed.
This Christmas season, I have been drawn to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and I wonder at the kind of relationship she had with God. There must have been anxiety and fear when she received the news that she was going to be pregnant with the Son of God, but she aligned her life to what God had laid out as His plan.
Mary risked being stoned (Old Testament punishment for adultery), and being misunderstood and ostracized by those around her. This woman walked in obedience, her soul glorified the Lord, and her spirit rejoiced in God her Savior. When I am misunderstood for even the smallest of things, I am thrown into emotional and spiritual turmoil. So how did Mary do this? It hinges on her humility. “For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant” (Lk. 1:48).
Humility, as it is defined by Andrew Murray, is the place of entire dependence on God. When I think of humility, my thoughts are usually filled with surrendering my pride or beating back my own desires; but Mary’s humility reminds me that it is about cultivating a heart/place that is completely dependent on God.
It reminds me that it is a daily encounter with the greatness of God that allows me to lay down my fears, anxieties, and thoughts of myself to put on His person and His confidence. It is trusting on Him to go before and behind me as I listen for His leading, obey and align my life to what He wants so that my soul will glorify the Lord. This kind of cultivated heart happens with intentionality and over a period of time. It is also God’s grace to us. God chose Mary, not because she was deserved, but He was mindful of the humble state of His servant.
It is a commitment to keep cultivating a heart of dependence, even in the face of adversity, even when we are faced with our own sin, and even when the odds seem insurmountable, because we are loved by a great God who has called us to live a life that will glorify Him.
So today I will not be shocked by my own shortcomings or the ways in which I can improve. Instead, I choose to trust God who knows my thoughts, my attempts to serve, my intentions, my sins—and loves me still. I choose to cultivate a heart of dependence on the One who has a plan for me, and who is now restoring and refining me for that purpose.
Prayer: Lord, cultivate in me a humble heart like Mary, who could let go of all her fears and risk even her life in order to glorify You. May Your greatness far outweigh anything else in this world. May I bring glory to You in this Christmas season and rejoice in the gift of Your Son/my King. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 24-25
December 21, Friday
Today’s AMI QT Devotional is written by Joshua Chzen who serves as the college pastor at Kairos Christian Church (San Diego, California). Joshua, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Bethel Seminary. He and Sandra were recently married in 2017.
Devotional Thoughts for Today
“Self-Less Love”
Ephesians 5:22-27
“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”
My wife Sandra and I celebrated our first anniversary last month. Upon reflecting on the past year, I thought I had been doing my best to love my wife. I would go out of my way to take care of chores and errands knowing that my schedule had more flexibility than hers. I learned to adjust my expectations of my wife considering her busy season of balancing ministry, school and work. The past year has been fun, but not without struggles and disagreements—much of which stemming from my self-centeredness.
Christ’s love is selfless. Not once did he struggle to consider the needs of those whom God called into His service. He gave himself up completely so that his church could be redeemed into something radiant, holy and righteous. It was with a complete regard for the well-being of his people that Jesus completely disregarded his own well-being, suffering and dying on the cross. In this passage, Paul calls on the married men in the Ephesian church to love their wives in that same way—to love those God has called them to love, with complete selflessness, so that they might be built up in holiness and righteousness.
I thought I had been doing a good job of loving my wife; nevertheless, being married for a year has revealed to me how natural it is for me to consider my needs first. Even though I’ve grown in my tendency to think about my wife’s perspective, desires and needs, I’m still infinitely far away from the bar of selfless love that Jesus sets. It’s only through being filled with that love, through the Holy Spirit, that I can hope to do an adequate job of giving that same love to my wife.
Although Paul directs this passage at husbands and wives specifically, we know that as Christians our call is to extend this Christlike love to everyone around us (Matt. 22:39), even our enemies (Luke 6:27). There are likely people we’ll be seeing during the Christmas season who we know we’re supposed to love. We may feel like we’re doing an adequate job of loving them already. Or we may not want to love them at all. Regardless, let’s take the time to ask for the love of Christ to fill us and the Holy Spirit to transform us, so that the conversations, interactions, and thoughts we have will radiate the love of Christ to our friends and family (as well as neighbors and enemies!).
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the selfless love you demonstrated when you gave yourself up completely for our sins. Sometimes I take that love for granted, but I pray that you would remind me specifically of the people in my life I know you’ve called me to give that same love to. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and change my heart so that I can demonstrate that same selfless love. In Jesus name, Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 23
Lunch Break Study
Read John 15:9-17 (NIV):
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
Questions to Consider
- What does Jesus say about keeping his commands?
- What is Jesus’ command?
- Whose love does Jesus demonstrate?
Notes
- If we keep Jesus’ commands, not only will we remain in his love, but he will call us friends instead of servants.
- Jesus’ command is to love each other, which he reiterates twice in this passage. He gives more details the first time: we are to love each other as he loved us, exemplified in laying down one’s life for one’s friends.
- Jesus himself refers to being loved by the Father as his model for loving us. Ultimately, in demonstrating the love of Christ, we also demonstrate the love of the Father.
Evening Reflection
Ask God who (specifically) He’s challenging you to love during this Christmas season. Spend some time reflecting on your heart toward this person and pray that the Holy Spirit would fill your heart with more of the love of Christ to soften, restore, and radiate this same love.
December 20, Thursday
The AMI QT Devotionals for December 20-21 provided by Doug Tritton. Doug, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, is currently serving as a staff at Symphony Church (Boston), while pursuing a M.Div. at Gordon Conwell Seminary. He is married to Cindy and they are proud parents of Audrey.
Devotional Thoughts for Today
“Who Are You?”
Galatians 4:6-7
And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Even though December is the Advent season—a season meant to be filled with joy—many people are quite stressed. I imagine some of you who are reading this are stressed right now. For those who are students, finals and papers are probably occupying all your thoughts; for those with families, there is the stress to complete all your Christmas shopping—for the children, for the extended family, for children’s teachers, and so on. Or others are just trying to get things done before the holidays come. Personally, I am a bit stressed as my family waits for our son to be born—any day now!
In the midst of the stress and the craziness of life, it can be easy to forget who we are—who we really are. We know we are employees and students, mothers and fathers: these are the responsibilities that are at the forefront of our minds right now and certainly we should not forget about them. But we can easily forget our true identity, our identity as children of God. This is the foundation of our lives— being daughters and sons of our Father in Heaven. Knowing this brings freedom. Knowing this means acknowledging we are not slaves to this world and its fears and troubles. We belong to our Heavenly Father, a Father who cares for us.
When we lose sight of our true identity, we ultimately grow deaf to God’s voice in our lives. Our passage says that God sent His Spirit into our hearts, the Spirit who speaks into our hearts and reminds us who we are. Forgetting our identity as God’s children means we are not listening to the voice of the Spirit within us. Can we pause for just a few moments in the midst of the hustle and bustle of this season and just listen? Can you listen for God’s voice? Listen to Him crying out for you to come to Him. Listen for Him to remind you of your identity as His child. Listen to Him to remind you of His great, unchanging love for you. You are His child, you belong to Him. Knowing this reality enables us to truly enter into the joy and peace of this advent season.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for sending Your Spirit in our hearts to teach us who we are. May we not grow numb to Your Spirit and to Your voice. May we not grow numb to our true identity as Your child. Remind us again and again and may we not lose sight of this identity during this season. May we know Your love so that we can experience the joy of Advent. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 22
Lunch Break Study
Read Philippians 4:4-7: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Questions to Consider
- What does it mean that “the Lord is at hand” (v. 5)? How is that connected to verse 6?
- How do we receive the “peace of God”?
- Are you in need of God’s peace right now? Spend time lifting up your burdens to God and invite His presence over you.
Notes
- Many people know and memorize verses 6 and 7 and say these verses to others in times of difficulty. Yet, we often leave out the best part: the Lord is at hand! This means He is near to us. He hears us and responds to us. We pray because God is near to us and listens.
- There are two main exhortations here: rejoice and pray. Peace comes through doing both of these: rejoicing and by praying. May we find peace this season through worship and through prayer!
- Worship and pray in order to seek God’s peace!
Evening Reflection
Before going to sleep this evening, take some time to listen for the Spirit speaking within you. Hear His voice as you go to bed this evening. May His voice bring you comfort, peace, and restful sleep!