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Written by John Wesley (1703-1791), an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who was a leader in the revival movement known as Methodism.  This is an excerpt from his book “Christian Perfection.”

Beware of desiring anything other than God. Jesus said, ​“If your eye remains single your whole body shall be full of light.” Do not allow the desire for tasteful food or any other pleasure of the senses, the desire of pleasing the eye or the imagination, the desire for money or praise or power, to rule you. While you have the ability to feel these desires, you are not compelled to feel them. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free! Be an example to all of denying yourself and taking up your cross daily. Let others see that you are not interested in any pleasure that does not bring you nearer to God, nor regard any pain which does. Let them see that you simply aim at pleasing God in everything. Let the language of your heart sing out with regard to pleasure or pain, riches or poverty, honor or dishonor, ​“All’s alike to me, so I in my Lord may live and die!”

Prayer:

Written by Betty Scott Stam (1906-1934), an American Christian missionary to China.

Lord, I give up my own plans and purposes, all my own desires, hopes and ambitions, and I accept Your will for my life. I give up myself, my life, my all, utterly to You, to be Yours forever. I hand over to You keeping all of my friendships; all the people whom I love are to take second place in my heart. Fill me now and seal me with Your Spirit. Work out Your whole will in my life at any cost, for to me to live is Christ. Amen.

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\Written by Arthur J. Schoonveld, a contemporary retired minister.

The well-known theologian Karl Barth was asked by a reporter, “Sir, you have written huge volumes about God. Tell me, how do you know it is all true?” According to the story, he answered, “My mother told me.” That’s a rather simple answer to a profound question. But this answer says a lot about the influence mothers have on the home and on their children. While both parents have an important role in early childhood nurture, it is usually the mother who makes the home and shapes the minds of little children. The mother is often the first one to tell her children about the Lord. As a child, the first person I looked for when coming home from school was my mother. After she passed away, our home life changed radically. My father did what he could to keep our home special, but it was never the same without our mother. If your mother is still living, tell her how much you love her and respect her. In the nine years I knew my mother, I never once told her that. Thank her for who she is, and for how she has shaped your life. And if she is gone, thank God for who she was in your life. If perhaps your mother is or was not the mother you wished you had, ask God to help you forgive her even now, and to give you the grace to love and accept her as she is or was.

Prayer:

Written by Arthur J. Schoonveld, the author of today’s meditation.  

Lord God, we thank you for our mothers. Help us to love and respect them. Help us to be loving children as well as loving parents and spouses, for your sake, Amen.

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Written by Ray Stedman (1917-1992), a pastor and author.

The great hindrance to having faith in God is pride, the pride that refuses to forgive. That is like a mountain that fills up your whole life. All you can see is that big mountain looming before you, and it is blocking the life of God in your life. You have the power to have that removed if, when you stand and pray, you will forgive those who have offended you. Because the only thing that stops us from forgiving one another is pride. We feel justified in wanting others to forgive us but also in feeling that we have to exact a price for the hurt they have caused us. So, in many ways—subtle, or direct and open—we insist that we will not forgive, that our offenders have to pay for what they have done to us. Somehow, we are going to make them crawl, make them beg or plead for forgiveness. And that, Jesus says, is a great mountain that needs to be removed, for it is blocking the flow of the life of God to your faith. 

Prayer:

Written by Richard Foster, a contemporary author and leader in the spiritual formation movement.      

O Lord, teach me the horridness, the awfulness of pride. Let this reality sink deep down into my consciousness. Cause my spirit to react instinctively to the very presence of pride and to flee from it. Purify my heart so utterly that no hint of pride is able to reside inside. This I pray in the strong name of Jesus. Amen.

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Written by Andrew Whitmore, a contemporary theology professor.

Virtue is timeless because human nature has not changed. As the saying goes, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Certainly, much is new in our world: new technologies, new challenges, and new opportunities. But what made people excellent a thousand years ago makes us excellent today—and will continue to make us excellent in another thousand years. So, virtue is always relevant. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, and difficulty.” How true this is today when seeking to raise responsible children, maintain good health, pursue higher education, and serve the impoverished. Pursuing virtue can be added to this list! Is it even possible to be virtuous in a sinful world?  Absolutely. With God, all things are possible (see Matthew 19:26). Fortunately, virtue is not an all-or-nothing proposition but admits of degree. What does this mean? It means that we can make incremental progress in growing in virtue…Virtue is possible. It is a process of self-discovery that is fun and exciting.

Prayer:

Written by Thomas Merton (1915-1968), an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist, and scholar of comparative religion.

 In one sense we are always traveling, and traveling as if we did not know where we are going. In another sense we have already arrived. We cannot arrive at the perfect possession of God in this life, and that is why we are traveling and we travel in darkness. But we already possess God by grace, and therefore, in that sense, we have arrived and are dwelling in the light. But oh! How far have I to go to find You in Whom I have already arrived! Amen.

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Written by Amanda Idleman, a contemporary writer.

Intimacy is something that each of our souls deeply desires. Intimacy is defined as close familiarity or friendship; closeness. Intimacy in marriage includes physical acts of intimacy, but we yearn for intimacy in every close relationship we have in our lives… Our longing for closeness is a part of our design. We long to be close to our maker! We are created for relationships. Yet, we all know how difficult it is to create safe spaces for true intimacy in our lives. Humans are imperfect, and we so easily hurt each other. Hurt, disappointment, insecurity, and grief lead to walls going up in our hearts. Only God is made of perfect love that we can trust with our whole hearts. Nonetheless, we need each other and can’t give up on the work of tearing down the walls and trying again to build safe, long-lasting, and close relationships.  Intimacy requires a radical commitment to forgiveness. Please note that forgiveness does not mean you are called to remain present in an abusive or unhealthy relationship. Forgiveness is a daily requirement to remain close to other very flawed humans. You need to be forgiven too because you bring selfishness and brokenness to your relationships each day too!… I have to lay down my right to be right if I want to feel close to another person and embrace a life of radical forgiveness…God tells us that we are to interact with our brothers and sisters in Christ with a heart that seeks unity. He likens us to a body, each of us different in our skills, gifts, and uses but we all work together towards one mission which is to keep the body alive! We do not have to see eye-to-eye on every issue in our relationships to live in unity, but we do have to be humble enough not to let divisions grow among us.  Building intimacy requires time spent sharing the same space with open ears and having an open heart ready to connect. One tip for time together is to commit to making some of this time screen-free time. When we want to really hear our spouse, friends, family members, or children’s hearts, we have to remove distractions such as our phones so we can fully engage. We grow closer in our relationships when we are intentional about being present with each other when we interact. 

Prayer:

Written by Mark Roberts, a contemporary author and speaker.

Gracious God, thank you for the example of Jesus. Thank you for how he called the twelve to be with him in a special way, to share in life and work together.  Thank you, Lord, for calling me into relationship with you and into your ministry. Help me to “be with you” even as your first disciples were with you. By your grace, may I discover how to know you better as I live my life in relationship with you.  May I also follow your example by living and working in community with others. I thank you for those who share life and work with me: my family, colleagues, friends, and church community. As we follow you, may we share in your kingdom work and grow in mutual love and understanding. Amen.

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Today’s meditation is from Theodyssey, an organization for spiritual seekers who long for something more.

“Making our home in Christ” [John 15:5-8] can feel like a crazy concept in our hi-tech world. But it didn’t during most of history. Our culture is biased against anything that cannot be measured. Mystery, beauty, truth, and belonging cannot be calibrated. In Google’s world of everything binary, “ambiguity is not an opening for insight, but a bug to be fixed.” Don’t be intimidated: mystery and technology can share the same playground. Give yourself a lifetime to ponder, wrestle with, and embrace the mystery of Christ.  When we receive Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us [John 14:15-17]. Question: What part of us? How we answer has significant implications for the way we conceive of and experience our relationship with Jesus. The Bible suggests that the Holy Spirit resides at the center of a self-shaped by our entire life development process. This includes every dimension of our inner being: thinking, self-esteem, sexuality, disabilities, emotions, perceptions, longings, virtues, family dynamics, motivation, intelligence, lies we believe, fears, affections, hopes, dysfunctions, conscience, addictions, failures, self-concept, memories, personality, habits, will, strengths, co-dependencies, how we value things, weaknesses, boundaries, etc. Jesus’ invitation to make our home in him involves the whole person. This can feel very uncomfortable for those whose faith is primarily a cognitive affair. The Bible provides practical insight into the dynamics of the inner person, regularly referred to as the “heart.” The most frequent Old Testament word for “heart” (leb) occurs at least 850 times. The heart was considered the location of every interior activity. The Greek word kardia, “heart,” appears at least 210 times in the New Testament and refers to the center of our emotional and spiritual life. This inner life is the core of who we are and becomes the domain of the Holy Spirit. In what ways has your life development process shaped how you relate to Jesus today?

Prayer:

Written by Matthew Dickerson, a contemporary Christian author and professor of Computer Science at Middlebury College in Vermont.

You have clothed us with skin and flesh, you have fenced us with bones and sinews, you have granted us life and favor, and your presence preserves our spirits. You are the Father of our spirits, for you formed our spirits within us, and made us these souls. The spirit of God has made us, and the breath of the almighty has given us life. You put wisdom in the inward parts and give our hearts understanding.  Amen.

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

In 2 Corinthians 4:18 the Apostle Paul talks about seeing the unseen. He’s not thinking mainly about seeing visual things with unusual insight, however. Rather, when Paul writes, “we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen,” he’s referring to a different kind of seeing. Physical eyes see physical things. But unseen things can be “seen” with the eyes of faith and through the lens of the Spirit. This is made clear in the final phrase of verse 18: “for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.”  So, I wonder, how do we see what is eternal? And what happens when we do? First, we see what is eternal – what cannot be seen with human eyes – when we pay attention to what God reveals to us. What God shows us in Scripture about the future, for example, allows us to see the unseen. We catch a glimpse of the invisible future in Revelation 21, where God dwells among us and wipes away every tear. God can speak in other ways as well, through dreams and visions, through prophetic words, through art and music…When I was young, I didn’t think much about the unseen world of God’s future. I had many things to occupy my mind besides Heaven. As I get older, I have a growing desire to “see” what lies ahead, not just for me, but for the world. When I see people in such pain, when I observe a world racked with violence and injustice, I want to know where all of this is heading. Plus, as I feel the weight of my own mortality more heavily, I yearn to know the greater heaviness of God’s future glory. This desire does not make me less concerned for the world of this age, however. If anything, the more I reflect on the future, the more I pray for God to grant us a bit more of the future today. I am also more attentive to moments in which God’s grace can be seen in the kindness of strangers. I am more appreciative of times when God’s people seek the justice of God’s kingdom. I am more grateful than ever for moments when God’s love penetrates my sometimes hard but often yearning heart.

Prayer:

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

Gracious God, I must confess that I find it much easier to see what is temporary than what is eternal. I tend to focus on what my eyes actually see rather than what my faith reveals to me. Forgive me for the limits of my vision. Help me, I pray, to see what is now unseen, to catch a glimpse of your future, your glory, your kingdom. As I do, may seeing the unseen inspire me to live more fully for your kingdom now. And may I do so with confidence that my life is in your hands both now and forever. Amen. 

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Written by Lisa Harper, a contemporary author.

A few years ago I went to church with a young friend named Laurie who I met while volunteering at a faith-based, addiction recovery program. Laurie had turned her life over to Jesus after experiencing horrific abuse, which led to drug addiction and ultimately being arrested for possession with intent to sell. And like most of my friends in recovery, she is refreshingly honest. Even in church! After listening to the pastor preach for a few minutes about what a motley crew the disciples were – how they were largely uneducated, coarse, and mistake-prone men – Laurie elbowed me in the ribs and whispered loud enough for most of the congregation to hear, “Hey Miss Lisa, Jesus has a thing for losers, doesn’t He?” Although it’s admittedly informal, “Jesus has a thing for losers” could be an apropos subtitle for the Gospel according to Luke because his narrative reads more like Jerry Springer than Shakespeare! It’s replete with stories about Jesus engaging with outliers and outcasts like Samaritans, tax collectors, and the poor – people that ancient culture would surely have labeled as losers – yet the King of all kings lavished them with unconditional love and what some regarded as scandalous grace. A great example of our Redeemer’s counter-cultural compassion is found in Luke 18, which Luke frames in verse 9: “Then He told this story to some who boasted of their virtue and scorned everyone else.” In other words, the audience Jesus told the following parable to was a haughty group of yahoos who had the double whammy of being self-righteous and judgmental…It wasn’t uncommon in the First Century to lump tax collectors with sinners because ancient tax collectors – also called “publicans” because they collected public revenue on behalf of the government – were about as well-loved as dinner-time telemarketers! And to add insult to injury, they were infamous for charging whatever the market would bear and then skimming off the top before turning the coffers over to Rome. Which meant Jewish tax collectors built their bank accounts on the backs of their fellow countrymen making them the worst kind of traitors because their Beemers and fancy Mediterranean homes came at the expense of their friends, family, and neighbors. Yet Luke makes one of those ancient Jewish IRS agents the unlikely star of this story! The takeaway is: being reconciled into a right relationship with God isn’t based on our deservedness, it’s based on His divine grace. Human nature presumes that we have to earn favor with God. That we have to justify ourselves by checking off all the boxes on some sort of spiritual “to do” list. But the tenor and tone of our Redeemer’s earthly life and ministry prove otherwise. Luke paints a compelling portrait of Jesus opening the restorative refuge of His arms wide to include mistake-prone misfits and that is the really, really good news of his gospel account!

Prayer:

Written by Lisa Mojica, a contemporary writer.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your incredible, infinite, and unfailing love. Even though I don’t deserve it, You still love me. Lord, help me to love the unlovable and the forgotten. Help me to see the best in people and to forgive the worst. Lord, help me to share Your love with the lost. Amen.

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Written by Dawn Wilson, a contemporary author, publisher,  and director of Heart Choices Today.

To change our future, we must address bad habits. Good intentions aren’t enough. Changing habits is an ongoing work of God’s grace and requires our humble obedience. We observe what holds us back from pleasing and honoring the Lord. We learn to align our choices and behavior with Scripture. We heed the conviction and nudging of the Holy Spirit. Essentially, as author Priscilla Shirer says in the book Gideon, with God’s help we can “choose to convert our good intentions into obedient actions.” Perhaps instead of “change,” it would be clearer to say “exchange.” Years ago, a teacher taught me the “Replacement Principle.” It is biblical, he said, to chuck things that are foolish, unhealthy, and unholy, then cultivate habits that are wise, healthy, and godly. In our ongoing sanctification—God making us more like Christ—our part is to “put off” and “put on,” to put off evidence of the old self and put on the character of the new self. Imagine experiencing peace by putting off anger and bitterness, and putting on kindness and learning to forgive (Ephesians 4:22-32). Imagine the freedom in putting off immoral behavior and harmful addictions, and putting on self-discipline and holiness (1 Corinthians 6:9-20). That surely would change our future!

Prayer:

Written by Joyce Meyer, a contemporary author, speaker, and head of Joyce Meyer Ministries.

“Father, You know everything about me, and I can only begin to develop healthy new habits with Your help and strength. Please show me where to start. I ask You to direct my steps and uncover the things that I need to see about myself. Thank you so much for Your grace to change and make good choices for my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

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Written by Carey Nieuwhof, a contemporary author, pastor, speaker, and podcaster.

It’s possible, Marcus Aurelius said, to not have an opinion.  In other words, you don’t have to let this (whatever “this” is at the moment) upset you. You don’t have to think something about everything. And that makes perfect sense, especially when it comes to the trivial or relatively unimportant things everyone is worked up about these days.  To rage at traffic, or a flight delay, or at how your sister-in-law messes up the dynamics in your family, what another preacher said last Sunday, or whatever some social media influencer you don’t like is raging on about, rarely does any good.  Social justice aside, the amount of angst you have over many issues rarely changes the outcome. In fact, take it one step further. The amount of angst usually doesn’t change the long-term outcome – it ruins it. Because the other person or situation isn’t changed by your frustration. Most of the time, they don’t even know about it.  Often, you are the only one changed by your frustration, and not for the better. In a letter to a friend, C.S. Lewis wrote: “I doubt if it’s the duty of any private person to fix his mind on ills which he cannot help. This can even become an escape from the works of charity we really can do to those we know.”

Prayer:

Written by James Lowry, a contemporary retired pastor and author. This is from his book “Prayers for the Lord’s Day.”

Lord God, few of us misunderstand you all of the time, but all of us misunderstand you some of the time: Your thoughts on happiness; Your ideas on giving; Your way of making whole. These are not always our ready choices. Give us faith, we pray, to risk a dangerous hope, to be ready to think as you teach, and to act as you lead. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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