Tuesday, June 16, 2020

LHM Daily Devotions - June 17, 2020 - "Choose Your Master"

https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/default.asp?date=20200617

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Choose Your Master"

June 17, 2020

Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under Law but under grace. ... For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

Since childhood, I have been a fan of Star Trek, especially the original series and the movies. There's one character in particular who intrigues me—the science officer and second-in-command, Mr. Spock. He is intensely logical, completely competent, highly intelligent, and utterly loyal. And he has no wish to command. None. He is happy in his place, serving the starship, the Federation, and his dearest friend, his captain.

That's a rare thing, isn't it? Our culture tells us to try to be number one—to climb that ladder of success as hard as we can—that we've failed if we aren't at the very top, even if our gifts and talents make us better fitted for lower roles. "Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven," as the devil's character says in Paradise Lost. And those who serve the devil follow that idea—hating, back-stabbing one another, climbing over one another in their endless quest to be number one.

But the Holy Spirit turns that around, as all God's beloved children know. Better to serve in heaven—to serve our dearly beloved Master and Savior, Jesus—than to rule anywhere else. After all, He is the One who first served us—who came into our world of slavery, and rescued us from the terrible powers that ruled over us—sin, death, the devil himself. Jesus lay down His own life on the cross to ransom us from slavery. And He rose from the dead to bring us into the freedom of the children of God.

What now? The Holy Spirit says that we have a new, joyful life of service to a totally different master than the evil we once served. He says, "Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness." We serve as loving, joyful children of God—as princes and princesses of His family—as lovestruck people who want to be with Jesus always, doing what makes Him happy.

How could it be otherwise?

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, You have loved me so greatly. Grant that I may be Your own forever. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
1. Have you ever held a job or responsibility where you served someone you loved?

2. How is service to Christ different from slavery to the devil?

3. What are some specific ways you serve Jesus now?
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Have you ever held a job or responsibility where you served someone you loved?

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