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Written by Steve Poe, a contemporary author. This is an excerpt from his book “Creatures of Habit.”

Feelings of guilt often come because you don’t think you measure up to your own high standards or because you did something you think you shouldn’t have done or failed to do something you think you should have done. It’s a feeling of shame or regret because of bad conduct or, more often, perceived bad conduct. And you keep yourself in that state of guilt because you think you need to pay for what you did or didn’t do… You do need some guilt. If you have never experienced guilt, it could be a sign you are a sociopath or have narcissistic personality disorder, making you one of those rare people who are incapable of feeling guilt or regret. There are actually two types of guilt. There is the healthy kind that comes from the Holy Spirit. It is intended to lead us to repentance and a return to God’s plan for our life. Once we respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, that guilt is gone and replaced by God’s peace and joy. The other type of guilt is often called false guilt. That’s when you have feelings of guilt even though you haven’t done anything wrong. Or maybe you did do something wrong but have already fixed it and asked God to forgive you — and yet you still feel guilty… People driven by false guilt feel they have to do everything perfectly so they don’t disappoint others… False guilt can also be caused by the feeling that you are responsible to save everyone that crosses your path or asks for help. This type of guilt is self-destructive and abusive. It will do harm to your relationship with God, with others, and with yourself. It puts a heavy burden on your back, a burden you were never intended to shoulder… Some people actually get so overwhelmed with guilt or regret they become physically ill, while others become so overwhelmed they take their own life. I’ve seen Christians walk away from their faith because they can’t handle the guilt from a mistake or wrong choice they’ve made. Guilt is hard to live with. This is what regret or guilt does: it consumes you. While the weight of it will pull you down emotionally, the disappointments will disillusion you. If you are tired of feeling guilty all the time, why not make a decision to do something about it? Guilt is never a pleasant emotion. However, it’s an emotion you can work through successfully and then, over time, eradicate from your life.

Prayer:

Written by Scotty Smith, a contemporary pastor.

Gracious Father, it’s nearly impossible for me to imagine there was a day when the emotion of shame did not exist. In their innocence, our first parents were absolutely free of any need to turn away from your gaze, or from the gaze of one another. There was no need to fear, cover up, hide, pose, pretend, get defensive, feel guilty, make excuses, blame the other, want to disappear, do penance, numb out, medicate, or try any other broken attempt to deal with the disintegrating effects of shame. It is only in you, Lord Jesus, that we now find hope to deal with both our guilt and our shame. For in light of the joy set before you by the Father, you endured the agony of the cross for us, scorning, despising, disregarding its shame—giving the shame of such a vilifying death no ultimate defining power over you. You took the shame of being made sin for us, that in you we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus, you shamed shame! What glory, what grace, what majesty, what mercy!  And now, those who trust in you don’t have to be defined by shame and will never be put to shame, for you took our guilt and shame and made them yours. And NOW we are living in the present and eternal favor of God—his steadfast love and great delight. How can we ever praise you enough for such —for such a rich standing in grace and such a deep rootedness in love? Amen.

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Written by Mark D. Roberts, a contemporary author and speaker.

As we do our daily work, whatever our role or responsibility, we remember God’s commitment to “maintain the cause of the needed” and “execute justice for the poor.” We seek to do our work in a way that benefits all people and advances the cause of God’s justice in the world.  God is especially committed to justice for those who are often treated unjustly, people with little power, money, or influence…Because God cares for those who are vulnerable, we who belong to God will do the same. In Psalm 82:3-4 God gives us our marching orders, “Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” Thus, as we acknowledge God’s commitment to justice for the poor, we also promise to reflect this commitment in how we live and work.

Prayer:

Written by Mark D. Roberts, the author of today’s meditation.

Gracious God, you do indeed love and care for all people. You do not show favoritism to people of wealth, power, and influence. In fact, you make it abundantly clear in Scripture that you are particularly committed to justice for those who are often victims of injustice. Thank you, dear Lord, for your care for the poor, the needy, the powerless, and the marginalized. As one who has been saved through your righteousness, I seek to be upright, to live in all of life in a way that reflects who you are. Help me, I pray, to do my work in a way that is consistent with your commitment to justice. May I have vision to see my work, not merely in terms of my own advantage or that of my organization, but also as a way to bless the poor and the disadvantaged.  As I pray for my own work, Lord, I also pray that more opportunities will come for people to do good work, work that supplies their needs and serves others well. Bless those organizations that see their work as a way of blessing others. Amen. 

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Written by John Matthew, a pseudonym for the author of the book “Jesus in His Own Words: A Layman’s Perspective.”  This meditation is an excerpt from that book.

Following Jesus is not a one-time decision; it is an ongoing choice, and we should always be pursuing our own spiritual growth by the help of his grace. As we become more Christlike in our daily walk, we should be mindful that it is all too easy to revert to the “ways of the world.” To be a follower of Jesus is to walk with him, speak with him, imitate him, and pursue him in every aspect of our daily activities.

Prayer:

Written by Izwe Nkosi, a contemporary South African author, passionate about worship and prayer.

God of every blessing, I invite you to shape my soul with Your words and inspire my life through Your works. Teach me to walk in the way of blessing. Amen.

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Written by Ken Boa, a contemporary author and theologian.

We either love or hate. There is no middle ground. And the reason is simple: love is not about our feelings or attitudes, it’s about our actions. To determine if we love, all we need to do is to look at our response to people in need around us. If we help them, we love them; if we don’t, we hate them and according to John are no different from murderers. Another way of putting this is that love pursues our neighbor’s good. At its most basic level, this means caring for their physical needs…  Jesus himself tells us that he will judge our attitude toward him by how we deal with the needs of those around us… So it is critical that we care for our neighbor’s physical needs. But at the same time, if we have a proper biblical worldview, we will understand that this world is a testing ground preparing us for eternity. This means this world is important but is not ultimately important. So if we are seeking our neighbors’ highest good, we have to meet their needs in this world but also help them prepare for the next.

Prayer:

Today’s prayer is from the Gelasian Sacramentary, a book of Christian liturgy, which is the oldest western liturgical book that has survived.  The book is linked to Pope Gelasius I. It was compiled near Paris around 750.

O God, you have made all those who are born again in Christ to be your chosen people, royal priesthood and holy nation. Grant us both the will and the power to do what you command, that your people who are called to eternal life may have the same faith in their hearts and the same devotion in their actions; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Written by Dallas Willard (1935-2013), an American philosopher known for his works on Christian spiritual formation. This is an excerpt from his book “The Spirit of the Disciplines.”

The persistence of evil rests upon the general drift of human life in which we all share…We delude ourselves about the sustaining conditions of people’s evil deeds because we wish to continue living as we now live and continue being the kinds of people we are. We do not want to change. We do not want our world to be really different. We just want to escape the consequences of its being what it truly is and of our being who we truly are. We certainly think it would be wonderful if we and all others would try to make a difference—to do what we should—and we often say so. But we do not want to bother with becoming the sort of people who actually, naturally do that. In fact, to look at our media—our novels, our movies, our television—sometimes it seems we may thing being such a person might be rather dull and unexciting. Imagine a television series called “Miami Virtue” instead of “Miami Vice.” We are drawn to evil, excited by it. Yet, interestingly enough, we seem surprised when it becomes reality…We must at some point stop looking for new information or social arrangements or religious experiences that will draw off the evil in the world at large, abolish war, hunger, oppression, and so forth, while letting us continue to be and live as we have since Adam. This is the illusion of our age, the Holy Grail of modernity, a pleasant dream in the sleep of secularism. The monstrous evils we deplore are in fact the strict causal consequences of the spirit and behavior of “normal” human beings following generally acceptable patterns of life…Justice cannot prevail until there are enough people properly equipped with Christ’s character and power…who cooperatively and under God constantly see to it that good is secured and that right is done.

Prayer:

Written by Maano Pohamba, a contemporary author.

O Eternal God and King of all creation, who has granted me to arrive at this hour, forgive me the sins that I have committed today in thought, word and deed, and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul from all defilement of flesh and spirit. And grant me, O Lord, to pass the sleep of this night in peace, that when I rise from my bed I may please Your most holy Name all the days of my life and conquer my flesh and the fleshless foes that war with me. And deliver me, O Lord, from vain and frivolous thoughts, and from evil desires which defile me. For Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

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Written by James Bryan Smith, a contemporary theology professor and author. This is an excerpt from his book “The Good and Beautiful God.”

Peyton Manning practiced indirection. He was the winning quarterback of Super Bowl XLI. It was a rainy night, and the ball was slippery. But Manning only fumbled once and threw one interception. Rex Grossman, the quarterback for the losing team, fumbled twice and was picked off twice—perhaps twice as bothered by the rain as Manning. A few weeks after the Super Bowl, a reporter discovered that every few weeks during the year Manning has his center (who snaps him the ball), Jeff Saturday, snap him water soaked footballs. He practices handling wet footballs so he will be ready in case it rains – even though his team plays half of ther games in a dome. Manning did what he could do (practice handling wet footballs over and over) to enable him to do what he could not without this preparation (play great in the rain.) We cannot change simply by saying “I want to change.” We have to examine what we think (our narratives) and how we practice (the spiritual disciplines) and who we are interacting with (our social context). If we change those things—and we can—then change will come naturally to us. This is why Jesus said his ”yoke” was easy. If we thing the things he thought, do the things he did and spend tim with likeminded people, we will become like him, and it will not be difficult. If someone had asked Peyton Manning after the Super Bowl, “So, was it hard handling that wet football?” he would have likely said, “No. I practice that all the time when no one is watching.” That is the perfect illustration of indirection. 

Prayer:

Written by Apollonius of Rome (?-185), a Roman senator, apologist, and Christian martyr.

O Lord Jesus Christ, grant us a measure of your Spirit. Help us to obey your teaching, soothe anger, cultivate pity, overcome desire, increase love, cast off sorrow, shun vainglory, renounce revenge, and not be afraid of death. Let us ever entrust our spirit to the everlasting God who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and rules forever and ever. Amen.

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Written by Kyle Norman, a contemporary pastor and author. This is an excerpt from his work “In Seeking Jesus, We See God.”

We all need comfort and encouragement. We all need to be reminded Jesus is not just a character in a story or a teacher of long ago; He is the Lord of life and salvation. He is the way to God, the truth of God, and the life of God. For anyone who asks questions like, “How do I know God? How do I get close to God? How do I get to heaven?” Jesus points to himself as the answer. To anyone longing for an experience of God, the answer is fully revealed: get close to Jesus. He is the way all our deep spiritual longings are fully and finally fulfilled. 

Prayer:

Written by Origen (c184-253), an early Christian scholar, ascetic, and theologian.

May the Lord Jesus place his hands on our eyes that we may begin to catch sight of the things that are not seen more than the things that are seen. May he open our eyes that they will alight on the things to come more than on the things of this age. May he unveil the vision of our heart that it may contemplate God in spirit. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ to whom belong glory and power forever. Amen.

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Written by Louie Giglio, a contemporary pastor, author, and speaker.  This is an excerpt from his book “Seeing God as a Perfect Father.”

It’s one thing to believe in Jesus, to acknowledge that God is our perfect heavenly Father and that we’re beloved children of God, and it’s another thing to truly live out those realities. If we’re truly living in light of our new identity, then our lives will change, and we will lean toward that change in conjunction with the power of the Holy Spirit working inside of us. By grace, we will deliberately walk that new direction with our minds and hearts and wills and whole beings. We put off the old man and put on the new man, and we won’t tolerate the stink of sin in our lives anymore. Far too often, even though we’re believers, we develop a comfortable tolerance of our old ways. But as dearly loved children of God, it’s up to us to shout, Enough! to the old ways of living. By faith, we can claim the light of Christ to guide our pathways. We must not settle for second-rate living anymore. We want to truly live, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer:

Written by Moya Hanlen, a contemporary English nun, educator, and canonical consultant.

May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us. Amen.

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Written by the Lead Like Jesus team, an organization founded by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges that promotes a transformational leadership model based on following Jesus.

How do you know what your values are? It is easy to speak eloquently about values, and those who follow Jesus would say that we value what He values (or at least, that we want to value what He values). To be honest, we have to admit that our present behavior reveals the things that we value most. Jesus was able to point to His life and behavior as evidence of His connection with the Father. What in your life reveals that you know Jesus and the Father, and share their values?

Prayer:

Written by Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), a French Carmelite nun,known as “the Little Flower of Jesus.

Eternal Father, since you have given me for my inheritance the adorable face of your divine son, I offer that face to you and I beg you, in exchange for this coin of infinite value, to forget the ingratitude of souls dedicated to you and to pardon all poor sinners. Amen.

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Written by C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), a British writer and lay theologian. This is an excerpt from his book “The Four Loves.”

Our reliance, our respect, and our admiration blossom into an appreciative love of a singularly robust and well-informed kind… In a perfect friendship this appreciative love is, I think, often so great and so firmly based that each member of the circle feels, in his secret heart, humbled before all the rest. Sometimes he wonders what he is doing there among his betters. He is lucky beyond desert to be in such company. Especially when the whole group is together, each bringing out all that is best, wisest, or funniest in all the others. Those are the golden sessions; when four or five of us after a hard day’s walking have come to our inn; when our slippers are on, our feet spread out towards the blaze and our drinks at our elbows; when the whole world, and something beyond the world, opens itself to our minds as we talk; and no one has any claim on or any responsibility for another, but all are freemen and equals as if we had first met an hour ago, while at the same time an Affection mellowed by the years enfolds us. Life—natural life—has no better gift to give. Who could have deserved it?

Prayer:

Written by John Cameron King, a contemporary author.

Father, in an age of distraction, social media and communication technology, nothing replaces face to face interaction with our brothers and sisters in Christ. You’ve called us to intimate, friendly and bold relationships with one another. Keep us from isolating ourselves and may we pursue those that seek to isolate themselves.  Manifest the love You’ve called us to walk in within our relationships in the name of Jesus, a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Amen.

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