Five Invitations - Day 19
DAY 19 - Grace and Gratitude
Ephesians 2:8-10
Why should we serve others?
I suggest three motives. First, we serve others to strengthen our connection to God. Remember, serving is an invitation to connect with God. God shows up, we show up, and we’re changed for the better. This is enlightened self-interest.
Second, we serve because we recognize God in others. Authors of scripture say we have an obligation to care for one another because we're all made in the image of God. Every human being, no matter what, has a basic dignity that cannot be taken away. For example, James 3:9 says, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. This should not be.” God channels a little bit of himself through our neighbor.
But there's a third and more powerful motivation woven throughout the Bible. We see it here in Deuteronomy 10:19. “You are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.” Moses says, “You know what it’s like, Israel, to be a foreigner, so have mercy on immigrants just like God had mercy on you.” What’s the motive? Gratitude!
The Bible sees a back and forth in our lives between grace and gratitude. God takes the first step toward us. God does for us what we could not do for ourselves. That's grace. Unexpected. Unearned. Undeserved. Grace.
We respond in kind with grateful hearts. We serve because God first served us. We love because God first loved us. Love one another as Christ loves you. Do for others what God has done for you. Forgive as God forgives you. Help like you’ve been helped. We gratefully serve God who first serves us. As Paul says in Ephesians, grace feeds into good works.
Think about the power of gratitude. What’s your first response when you get a lavish, unexpected gift? You want to do something generous for the gift-giver. In a sense, God says, “Pay it forward. Serve others like I’ve served you.”
REFLECT:
What motivates you to serve others? How does gratitude fit into your serving others?
PRAY:
Come, Holy Spirit! Fill my heart with gratitude for your grace! Amen.
Ephesians 2:8-10
Why should we serve others?
I suggest three motives. First, we serve others to strengthen our connection to God. Remember, serving is an invitation to connect with God. God shows up, we show up, and we’re changed for the better. This is enlightened self-interest.
Second, we serve because we recognize God in others. Authors of scripture say we have an obligation to care for one another because we're all made in the image of God. Every human being, no matter what, has a basic dignity that cannot be taken away. For example, James 3:9 says, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. This should not be.” God channels a little bit of himself through our neighbor.
But there's a third and more powerful motivation woven throughout the Bible. We see it here in Deuteronomy 10:19. “You are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.” Moses says, “You know what it’s like, Israel, to be a foreigner, so have mercy on immigrants just like God had mercy on you.” What’s the motive? Gratitude!
The Bible sees a back and forth in our lives between grace and gratitude. God takes the first step toward us. God does for us what we could not do for ourselves. That's grace. Unexpected. Unearned. Undeserved. Grace.
We respond in kind with grateful hearts. We serve because God first served us. We love because God first loved us. Love one another as Christ loves you. Do for others what God has done for you. Forgive as God forgives you. Help like you’ve been helped. We gratefully serve God who first serves us. As Paul says in Ephesians, grace feeds into good works.
Think about the power of gratitude. What’s your first response when you get a lavish, unexpected gift? You want to do something generous for the gift-giver. In a sense, God says, “Pay it forward. Serve others like I’ve served you.”
REFLECT:
What motivates you to serve others? How does gratitude fit into your serving others?
PRAY:
Come, Holy Spirit! Fill my heart with gratitude for your grace! Amen.
Posted in Fall 2022
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The Way DAY 9 - Full of the Holy SpiritThe Way DAY 10 - Defeating Your DefeatersThe Way DAY 11 - The Year of JubileeThe Way DAY 12 - FreedomThe Way DAY 13 - Freedom to LoveThe Way DAY 14 - Ditch "What About Me"The Way DAY 15 - The Way of LoveThe Way DAY 16 - The TeacherThe Way DAY 17 - What is the Kingdom of God?The Way DAY 18 - Trust and ObeyThe Way DAY 19 - Follow MeThe Way DAY 20 - Differences and DisagreementsThe Way DAY 21 - Jesus and Mr. RogersThe Way DAY 22 - Respond Like JesusThe Way DAY 23 - Bend Toward MercyThe Way DAY 24 - Burden or Bless?The Way DAY 25 - BONUS: The TwelveThe Way DAY 26 - Happy?The Way DAY 27 - Excessive GenerosityThe Way DAY 28 - What is Love?The Way DAY 29 - Give What God Gives
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The Way DAY 30 - Follow the LeaderThe Way DAY 31 - Dinner with a PhariseeThe Way DAY 32 - Don't Be the HeroThe Way DAY 33 - God's GraceThe Way DAY 34 - The Grace You ShowThe Way DAY 35 - Our Sin and Our SaviorThe Way DAY 36 - Jesus and ParablesThe Way DAY 37 - The Farmer and the SeedsThe Way DAY 38 - The Seed and The SoilThe Way DAY 39 - The Good HeartThe Way DAY 40 - Who is Jesus, Pt 1The Way DAY 41 - Who is Jesus, Pt 2The Way DAY 42 - They Saw His GloryThe Way DAY 43 - Your Next StepThe Way DAY 44 - His DevotionThe Way DAY 45 - The Leadership of JesusThe Way DAY 46 - Pick Up Your CrossThe Way DAY 47 - Daily Denial
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June
COMING SOON! RevelationRevelation Day 1 - TAKE IT TO HEARTRevelation Day 2 - IN THE SPIRITRevelation Day 3 - Learning to SeeRevelation Day 4 - The VoiceRevelation Day 5 - A Faithful WitnessRevelation DAY 6 - Past, Present, or Future?Revelation Day 7 - PRESS ONRevelation 8 - Comfort and ChallengeRevelation Day 9 - Compromised CommitmentRevelation Day 10 - I'm Fine, ThanksRevelation Day 11 - Holy, Holy, HolyRevelation Day 12 - Who is Worthy?Revelation Day 13 - Don't Give Up!Revelation Day 14 - No ContestRevelation Day 15 - Worship WellRevelation Day 16 - The Problem of EvilRevelation Day 17 - When You Don't Know WhyRevelation Day 18 - The Limits of SufferingRevelation Day 19 - Is God Angry?Revelation Day 20 - Saved Through Suffering
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Revelation Day 21 - The Cry for JusticeRevelation Day 22 - The Judgments of GodRevelation 23 - They Still Did Not RepentRevelation Day 24 - Don't Curse CorrectionRevelation Day 25 - Search Me, O GodRevelation Day 26 - You Shall ProphesyRevelation Day 27 - Eat This BookRevelation Day 28 - Fight!Revelation 29 - Let the Truth TalkRevelation Day 30 - Worship and WitnessRevelation Day 31 - Our EnemiesRevelation Day 32 - The Enemy's WeaponRevelation Day 33 - The Enemy's FallRevelation Day 34 - Our ChampionRevelation Day 35 - Our BattleRevelation Day 36 - Where the Wild Things AreRevelation Day 37 - The Sea MonsterRevelation Day 38 - The Antichrist?Revelation Day 39 - Ordinary FaithRevelation Day 40 - The Heart of Ordinary FaithRevelation Day 41 - God's Guarantee
August
Revelation Day 42 - The Ugliness of EvilRevelation Day 43 - God's WrathRevelation Day 44 - God's DelightRevelation Day 45 - God's Just-nessRevelation Day 46 - The Wild Woman on a DragonRevelation Day 47 - Why a Wild Woman?Revelation Day 48 - Why is Babylon So Bad?Revelation Day 49 - Get OutRevelation Day 50 - Renew Your VowsRevelation Day 51 - He Shall Come AgainRevelation Day 52 - We Will Be Judged