Category Archives: Daily Devotionals

Hardness of the heart is more deadly than hardening of the arteries.

“The devil made me do it.” That isn’t just a line made famous by comedian Flip Wilson. It is also a popular excuse that many people use when they are confronted with their own sinful conduct. It makes for a good punch line, but it is a lousy excuse.

The devil doesn’t make you do anything. Your heart does. (I’m not talking about the blood-pumping muscle in your chest; I’m referring to your inner spirit.) The heart of every person is inclined toward sin from the moment of birth. It doesn’t get any better on its own. A heart transplant is required if you are going to enjoy real life. Your sinful heart must be replaced with a heart filled with God’s love.

“The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” Jeremiah 17:9

You won’t have to take your chances so often if you make wise choices more often.

Choices. We make them every day. Some are insignificant (”What cereal should I eat for breakfast?”). Others are monumental (”Should I marry this person?”).

Behavior is also a matter of choice. Every day, throughout the day, we choose between following the desires of our sinful nature or following the direction of the Holy Spirit. The sinful nature will lead us to immorality, destruction, and despair. In sharp contrast, the Holy Spirit will fill your life with love, joy, and peace.

When you are faced with the choice of following your sinful nature or following the Holy Spirit, remind yourself of the consequence of each choice.

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient…. Our lives were full of evil and envy…. But then God our Savior showed us his kindness and love. He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. Titus 3:3-5

If you look for the best in people, you are likely to find value in every person.

It seems that our natural tendency is to be critical of other people. (Maybe it makes us feel better about ourselves if we belittle someone else.) As with most of our natural tendencies and instincts, God wants us to act in the opposite manner.

Instead of finding fault at the outset, we should look for the good in every individual. Think of it as a type of treasure hunt. You’re looking for the value in people. You may be surprised that you will find much more than you expected at the outset of your research.

We acknowledge that this may be particularly difficult to do with some individuals. But even with the most abrasive person, you won’t come up empty in your treasure hunt. Every person has value because each of us is loved by God.

Now all of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27

Commit yourself to projects; dedicate yourself to people.

There’s nothing wrong with projects, but projects never accomplished anything, because people do the projects. Keep that in mind when you begin your next project. Your performance is important, and it’s important that you commit yourself to giving your best effort. But the people you involve are even more important.

In today’s project-driven culture, you are wise to bring other people–with their diverse talents and gifts–into your projects. It’s called teamwork. Whether you work in a business, a factory, a classroom, or a church, you need to recognize that teams–where people with complementary skills and passions work together for the good of the organization–are a must.

This is no new concept. God has already said in His word: “Now all of you together are Christ’s body” (1 Corinthians 12:27).

We belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others. Romans 12:5