"Lost in Self"
Feb. 5, 2020
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
We live in an age of non-stop information flow. It hits us from all sides. We get data from our social media accounts, the major news outlets, the tidbits of gossip we receive from family and friends, and the hearsay of coworkers and others. It's really too much when you get right down to it.
We get loads of information on spiritual matters, too. Religious-based programming on radio, TV, and online dish up a daily menu hailing everything from old-time, Bible-thumpin' fundamentalism to New Age prosperity teaching. And then there's our infatuation with the spiritual lives of celebrities—what they believe, where they go to church, who their gurus are, and what hidden truths lie behind their success.
It's all a bit overwhelming when you think about it. And when you consider the millions who have little to no grounding in the Christian faith and next to zero training in the Bible as God's Word, it's no wonder the world's adrift—lost in that place it retreats to and thinks it knows best: itself.
Listen again to Paul's response to everything that can sidetrack and derail us from our faith. He says, "I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Nothing. This is the only thing he would preach about. He preached about a Man, Jesus Christ, who is also God. Jesus came down from heaven to become one of us, to live and to die as a man. And He was crucified.
But why was He crucified?
Because that was the way Jesus could rescue all of us—all the people He loved—from the power of evil. And then He rose from the dead by the power of God. Today, He is triumphant forever over the sin that scourges the world and stains our souls. Now we can trust in Him when evil things come. He is Lord of all lords and has power over everything. He is our Savior.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for the timeless truth of Your Son's saving work on our behalf. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- Do you have any kind of "system" for taking in news, or is your approach more haphazard?
- Do you think Paul's rabbinical training figured much into his new life in Christ?
- What would be your advice to a new Christian who is wanting to be the best Christian he or she can be?
This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Minh Chau Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Do you have any kind of "system" for taking in news, or is your approach more haphazard?
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