AUGUST 9 – TEACHING SUBMISSION

 You know that you were called to a life that does not repay evil with evil, nor insult for insult. You have been made heir to blessing. That is your calling; to be a blessing, no matter what others do to you. (1 Peter 3:9)

                   Do you think Peter recalled the events of the garden on the night Judas betrayed Jesus as he gave this advice to his readers? Clearly, this memory was on his mind (1 Peter 2: 20-23) as he recounted those events earlier in his letter. In the garden, Jesus both told Peter the truth of submission and He modeled it. If your people are to obey in the face of evil, you must do the same.

                   “No matter what,” is very broad. Peter says essentially, “Focus on being a blessing to others. Ignore anything else that may distract you.” The first part of this passage speaks the truth, and the second explains why. You can imagine how Peter must often have lived the advice he gave. He stated this truth so clearly, and with such certainty and authority.

                   Live your life today as Jesus, then Peter have counseled. Share this truth with your people, so that they too may bless others.

AUGUST 8 – LIVING SUBMISSION

 Jesus told Peter, “Put up your sword – back where it belongs. This is my Father’s plan for Me. Will I not accept it?” (John 18:11)

                   Will you surrender your right to fight back? Can you act in a way that will cause your people concern without defending your actions? Will you continue to trust and simply do what Jesus tells you to do even when it brings humiliation?

                   Jesus, who Peter had seen control the storm, cast out demons, and make sickness disappear, showed him here the way of obedient submission. The disciples were unaccustomed to losing, and this sure looked like a big loss. It must have been inconceivable to the followers that Jesus could be arrested by mere men. Surely, fear gripped Peter. His love for Jesus motivated him to fight to protect Him. Could such passionate loyalty be wrong? Jesus explained that it could – if it goes against God’s plan.

                   Consistently, let your only defense be that you wish to be obedient to the Father’s plan for you. Lead your people to accept God’s will for you and your group simply because it is His will.

AUGUST 7 – WHO CAN REST?

 From Solomon: If the Lord God does not build a house, the workers are wasting their time. If He does not protect a city, no defense will protect it. Your long days, working through meals; from early morning to late at night – all unnecessary.

The Father gives to those He loves rest and peace. (Psalm 127:1-2)

                   Do you trust God enough to rest? Do you realize that it will be much harder for your people to trust him if you act like it is all up to you? There is work you must do, but if you are doing the work the Lord wants you to do, you will have time for rest and peace.

                   Solomon asked (2 Chronicles 1:8-12) for and received wisdom from God; wisdom to rule – to lead. The advice of this passage reflects the truth of a very important, underlying precept. God’s will is not going to be frustrated, avoided or suppressed. Work not based on His plan is meaningless in the life of one of God’s children. He will bring about the end He desires in and through your life. Your responsibility ends at obedience.

                   Live this truth, modeling it for those you lead, and teaching them to work profitably and rest well. With their resulting grateful and obedient hearts, the work will be completed – God’s way.

AUGUST 6 – HOLD ON

 Look. Because I love you, I’m telling you again – don’t fall prey to the lies of the world. Be careful to hold onto – even to grow in your knowledge of, and your devotion to, Jesus. Protect your inheritance and bring Him glory now and forever. (2 Peter 3:17-18)

                   Which are the lies Peter may have recalled as he gave this advice? Maybe he remembered a dark night when he stood by a fire. The world would tell him that Jesus had been captured, and that Jesus and he must fear for their lives. His response must be to pull away, and to renounce any allegiance if he was to survive.

                   Obviously, Peter’s understanding of the way to preserve his life had changed by the time he wrote this letter. “Jesus is the treasured inheritance. Hang on to Him when dangers threaten you,” became his final word. This instruction was literally the final word of his letter. In this life, Peter no doubt suffered as he paid the price of “listening to the lies.” The days between his betrayal of Jesus and Jesus’ work to restore him must have been brutal.

                   Save your people from this pain and danger. Help them learn from your actions and your words, that the only security is found in holding on to Jesus.

AUGUST 5 – BORN TO WIN

 Yes! You, oh Lord God, are my shelter from harm! You too – because the Lord has made God your home – rightly related to the High God, the horrors of sin; the things that destroy others in this world can’t take you down. (Psalm 91:9-10)

                   Do you hear the bottom line in this assurance from God’s word? Obviously, the writer did. Before he could write it, he had to shout the affirmation of his own life, “God will protect me! He’s on my side! I can’t lose!” Then comes the explanation; because you have determined to accept the gift of God as your source, and you focus your attention on Him, you are His relation. You are His family. The things that destroy others – those “horrors” that come from living life on the world’s terms – those things won’t destroy you when you are following God’s plan for your life.

                   As you see your people struggle against these destructive forces, you can be sure there is sin at the root of their problems. Where people are struggling, and lives are being destroyed, you will find opposition to God and His rule.

                   Encourage your people to look for God’s answers when they are struggling. Following His way is the key to their rescue.         

AUGUST 4 – NO STRESS / NO FEAR

 So, all the petty, foolish challenges and rivalries; arguments and stress over issues that don’t focus on god’s Hope for people. These things have no value; no point. They just lead to fear and division. (Titus 3:9)

                   Rivalry, stress, and arguments that divide focus your people inward, on themselves and self-preservation. Such is the opposite of the grateful hope Paul encouraged Titus to embrace. Confident Hope in Christ leads to gratitude that can focus all its energy on prayer, and on loving and caring for others. In the end, the love which unites is lasting and leads to more Hope and more life. A cycle of fear, as Paul observes, leads nowhere.

                   Can you withstand the temptation to correct people needlessly; to argue them into your way of seeing every detail? Or, will you spend your opportunity telling them about Jesus who is the truth (John 14:6), and who will lead them to His truth?

                   It is likely that your wisdom and knowledge is considerable. Don’t let that ability lead you astray. Your people need your Hope much more than they need your advice.

 

AUGUST 3 – ALL THE WAY

 So, being made new by His act, we receive this great inheritance of life with hope for more and more life. You can trust this hope, and encourage others who follow, that God’s way leads to prosperity. (Titus 3:7-8)

                   Do you live your life in attack mode? Are you optimistically anticipating each day as one who is an heir to the life that only God can give – the more and better, abundant life (John 10:10) that Jesus promised? Do you believe this so much you encourage others to follow and risk everything on that Hope in Christ?

    In his letter to Titus, Paul tells his protege to tell his people to go all the way; to lavishly and completely give up their lives, ignoring self-interest that would cause others to miss the new life that Jesus suffered to provide. Earlier in the letter, Paul said (Titus 2:7) Titus must make this full investment personally. Here, he urges one further step be risked; that Titus should exert all his influence to lead others to fully embrace a life of following Jesus Christ.

   Tell your people who you are and why you do what you do. Then, risk all your credibility and all your relationship with them as you invite them to go all the way.