A Daily Women's Devotional

By Charlotte Akin, Donna Avant, Pam Brewer and 49 more

As pastors’ wives, the authors of this devotional personally have experienced or witnessed the issues with which women struggle: identity, marriage, children, work. Reading this devotional is like having a conversation with a trusted friend who knows what you are going through. Over 52 weeks, these authors share from their hearts using engaging Scriptures, real-life inspiration, and practical wisdom they have learned along the way. Each week focuses on one theme, and daily devotions include Scripture and a prayer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
• Release date: Feb 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781612910239

Book preview

Hope Does Not Disappoint

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

ROMANS 5:1-5 (EMPHASIS ADDED)

I experienced a stroke of insanity a few years ago when I practically begged Rose to invite me to speak at her widow’s conference. What was I thinking? I’m not a widow, and I never hope to be one. As the day drew near for the widow’s conference, the more ill equipped I felt. On the night I stood before the widows I confessed that it was with fear and trembling that I dared to address them. The Lord gave me Romans 5:1-5 for my message.

I chose those verses because they house the great promise of Romans 5:5: And hope does not disappoint. That phrase alone has comforted many people who’ve found themselves at the bedsides of loved ones, sleepless in the wee hours of the morning waiting for wayward children to come home, and sitting in courts listening to the judge’s gavel fall on another relationship divided by irreconcilable differences.

According to Romans 5:5, even in these difficult circumstances, hope does not disappoint. But when terrible things happen we are tempted to think that our hope disappointed us. After all, what we hoped for never came about. But read Romans 5:5 again: And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

When your hope is anchored in your circumstances you will be disappointed. But when your hope is fastened securely to the solid reality of God’s extravagant love you will not be disappointed.

Speaking to the widows challenged me to consider where my hope was anchored. Have I developed such a sweet walk with the Lord that I can say, My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness?¹ If your hope is anchored on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, you will never be disappointed—no matter what life throws your way.

Dear Lord, thank You for pouring out Your love on our hearts so that we can have the hope that does not disappoint. Please help me to remember that my hope is built on You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Hope That Soars

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

ISAIAH 40:29-31

These are perhaps my favorite verses in the Bible. What a great promise! I love these verses because I qualify as a recipient of their promise. I am weary and I am weak. I stumble and I fall. But according to this powerful truth I don’t have to live in perpetual fatigue. I can choose to soar. God promises to renew my strength when I put my hope in Him.

Isaiah used eagles to illustrate the strength that comes to those who place their hope in Him. We have eagles that live in Tennessee. If you are ever driving west on Interstate 40 between Jackson and Memphis you can see their nests on top of utility poles. I love what Ben Patterson said about eagles in his Prayer Devotional Bible:

Isaiah must have watched eagles closely to see the way they soar. As birds go, eagles’ wings are big, but the muscles that make them flap aren’t. Pound for pound, an eagle’s strength is no match for the strength of a hummingbird. The strength of eagles is not in their flapping but in their soaring. An eagle will perch high atop a canyon below. When the rising wind is just right, the eagle will fold its wings to its sides, literally cast itself into the chasm and plummet into the abyss…. [When the speed is just right] the bird will spread its wings, catch the thermals, rise up into the sky and soar. Isaiah didn’t know the mechanism, but he could see the effect.

This is a great picture of hoping in God. Through no strength of our own, we cast ourselves upon God, fall into his mercy and soar on his promises. Our strength comes from trusting and soaring, not flapping and working.²

Therein lies the secret to living a life that soars. Your strength will never come from flapping and working. Only when you cast yourself on the mercy of God and trust Him completely to lift you up will you experience the thrill of soaring on eagles’ wings. God will not let you fall.

Dear Lord, I praise You for Your promise of renewing my strength when I stumble and fall. Help me turn to You during times of trouble and learn to live a life that soars. In Jesus’ name, amen.

What About Jenny?

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

ROMANS 15:13

I’ll never forget when Jenny told me she had cancer. She’d recently discovered she was pregnant with her fourth child and her doctor wanted her to terminate the pregnancy so that they could aggressively treat the cancer. But Jenny and Joshua told their doctor that was not an option. She explained, We’ll do what we can while I carry this child.

I was impressed by Jenny’s courage and applauded her mother’s heart. As her fight with cancer began I asked God to give me a word I could pray over her. I do that when I’m given big prayer assignments. I get so emotionally engaged in the situations that I don’t trust my petitions to line up with God’s purposes. So I ask God to give me His word from the Word. He gave me Romans 15:13. I shared this verse with Jenny and her family and we clung to it like a lifeline.

Seven months later Jenny gave birth to a healthy baby boy and we rejoiced. But while the doctor was performing the C-section she looked in Jenny’s body for evidence of cancer and found that it had spread all over her abdominal cavity.

During the next year we prayed and hoped and trusted God. We shouted for joy when Jenny responded to treatment and added fasting to our prayers when her cancer returned a bit later. I met Joshua in the hospital one day just after the doctor had been in to see them. The visit was not good and Joshua begged me to tell him what I was hearing from God. I told him that God continued to impress me with Romans 15:13.

Jenny’s eyes sparkled every time I visited her and she always assured me that she was trusting God. But still she died on February 15, 2007. I stood with her family as we circled her bed, held hands, and sang hymns. Jenny’s mother read the verse printed in my handwriting on an index card hanging on the wall over Jenny’s head. She said, Leighann, all this time we thought this verse was for Jenny, but God knew. He was giving it to us.

Holy Father, please fill me with Your joy and peace. You are the God of hope, and I will trust in You no matter what the circumstances. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The Powerful Hope in Peace

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7

I had my own brush with cancer this year. Ironically enough it was the same cancer that killed my sweet friend Jenny. On March 1 I was diagnosed with colon cancer. You would have to know me to appreciate how surprised we were to receive the diagnosis. Just suffice it to say that my teenage children made this comment when they were adjusting to the news: Mom, it must be all that healthy food you’re always feeding us!

If you’ve ever heard the words You’ve got cancer, you know what follows. Your life flashes before you (for me that included high school graduations, college dorm decorating, weddings, and grandchildren), and you grieve the normalcy of life you just lost. When Dr. Caudill wrapped his arm around my shoulder and shared those words with me I cried.

You might have hoped that God gave me a word and that I smiled and quoted it aloud to my medical friends. But that’s not what happened. For fifteen minutes I wept like a baby.

But as soon as my husband and I got in the car, a deep peace rose up in me like the tide rising around a Caribbean island. The peace that passes all understanding swallowed up my tears. When peace moved in I didn’t know much. I didn’t know if I would live or die. I didn’t know if the cancer had spread. I didn’t know what tests I would have to take or what appointments I would be making or canceling.

But what I did know put all that I didn’t know into its place. I knew that God was on His throne. I knew that He was still good and I was still loved. I knew that Jesus took care of death for me a long time ago on an old rugged cross. And I knew that He was with me every step of the way.

Tom and I prayed. I dried my tears and we drove home.

Dear Lord, I want to rejoice in You always, not just when things are going well. Give me the strength to trust and hope in You when times are bad. Hold me close to You so that I will feel Your presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.

When the Oceans Rise

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?…

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

PSALM 42:5,11

Yesterday I went on an adventure with my daughter Mikel, her friend Kimberly, and a boatload of friends we are visiting in the Bahamas. Mikel graduated from high school last Saturday and we came to Spanish Wells, Bahamas, for her senior trip. Our adventure started at 6 a.m. when we pulled away from the dock in our overloaded boat to head to what our friends called the keys. Two hours later we were in the deep blue sea trolling for dolphin (not the kind you swim with but the blue-green kind you eat).

Before we finished fishing a squall surrounded us on all sides. We had no choice but to head home right through the crashing waves and piercing rain. By crashing waves I’m talking about waves that came over the bow of the boat, smacked us in our faces, and soaked through our waterproof jackets. As I watched the faces of my Bahamian friends for any indication that I needed to be afraid, I was reminded that no matter what the circumstances, we are to be still and know that God is God (see Psalm 46:10).

Mikel and Kimberly took their seats in the bow of the boat. Our Bahamian friends suggested they might be more comfortable down on the floor, but they insisted on sitting up where they could see. And from their seats they fearlessly faced each soaking wave with squeals of delight. When the rain pelted us they put their diving masks on and started singing a song Ms. Anita taught them in children’s church (complete with hand motions). They were fun to watch and I wished I could have captured them on video, but it was too wet to risk pulling the camera out. It was a perfect picture of where the psalmist wanted to be when he penned Psalm 42.

The ocean will rise and the thunder will roar but when it dares to smack you in the face remember that the God who created those waves created you. He knows where you are, and He loves you.

Lord, as the psalmist prayed, I will yet praise You, my Savior and my God. Though the rains pour down, the waves crash, the lightning strikes, and the thunder roars, my hope will be in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Yet I Will Rejoice in the Lord!

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

HABAKKUK 3:17-19

Infertility is a difficult pain. Unlike the grief that follows death, with infertility there is only a shadow in which to grieve. Infertility suffers the grief of a life that could be rather than a life that was. I was infertile before God blessed me with three amazing children. And although my answered prayers are approaching their college years, I still feel the swelling of a lump in my throat and my eyes fill with tears when I watch other women walk this path.

I found loads of comfort in God’s Word during my infertile days. But these verses in Habakkuk challenged me the most. I changed them to fit my situation. My own version went something like this: Though my body refuses to conceive and there is no baby in nine months, though my ovulation prediction kit fails, and I miss the timing this month too, though the familiar cramps consume me, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

After experiencing infertility, I realized that most of us deal with a kind of infertility in our prayer lives. Many times we petition God earnestly only to find ourselves living month by month in the shadow of His promises. If that is how you feel today, do what I did with Habakkuk. Revise these verses to reflect whatever it is that you are going through.

Only after you rewrite verses 17 and 18 will you be able to experience verse 19: The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

Habakkuk 3:19 will be true for you only if you are able to absorb verses 17-18 in your heart. God’s supernatural strength follows your willingness to trust His goodness no matter the circumstances. Don’t let infertile prayers keep you from dancing on the heights of God’s love.

Dear God, I want You to be my strength and enable me to go on the heights. Help me to be joyful in You no matter how tough the situation. Always show me Your love, Your power, and Your hope. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Spiritual Authority

For rebellion is as the sin of divination [witchcraft], and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.

1 SAMUEL 15:23 (NASB)

The subject of spiritual authority is not one we are naturally drawn to. As an avid reader, I am always open to new authors whom God has used mightily. I also like to read the ones who have withstood the test of time. About twenty years ago I was introduced to the writings of Watchman Nee. I was browsing through his titles on the bookstore shelf and found myself picking up his book Spiritual Authority. Little did I know I was about to be brought face-to-face with my own rebellion.

As a strong-willed individual, I thought I had submitted my life to the Lord. But as I read Nee’s book and worked through the Bible, I saw myself somewhat as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6. It was with tears and real grief that I confessed the rebellion in my heart. As I reflected on my life to this point, I saw my lack of submission had affected my attitude in the workplace, my marriage, and my worldview. This awareness awakened a desire to understand God’s authority and to submit to Him as proof of my trust in Him and His Word.

When we boil it down to its real essence, rebellion is a lack of faith and trust in God. It is saying that God is not good (what Satan implied in the Garden of Eden) and that I must take care of myself. This thinking leads me to elevate my reasoning above the Word of God. Unfortunately, that is how most Christians think and live. I had to see this conflict for what it was. I must choose to die to my flesh so that Christ can live through me. It is only then that I can please God and walk in a manner worthy of Him. This struggle is not against flesh and blood (see Ephesians 6:12).

As Nee so aptly stated, The controversy of the universe is centered on who shall have the authority, and our conflict with Satan is the direct result of our attributing authority to God. To maintain God’s authority we must be subject to it with all our hearts. It is absolutely necessary for us to meet God’s authority and to possess a basic knowledge of what it is.³

Father, as painful as it may be, I ask You to reveal any rebellion in my heart. Help me to see it as You do—it is witchcraft. When I rebel, I am lining up with the very enemy of my soul. Thank You for the truth of Your Word that sets us free. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Adam and Eve

Did God really say … ?

GENESIS 3:1

Did your parents ever say to you, Because I said so? As a child I was determined that when I grew up and had children, I would never use that phrase. But as a parent, I found myself at times resorting to that same line of reasoning. It was usually because I had tried to explain the reason behind my decision or rule, but due to my children’s limited understanding and life experience, they didn’t understand. If that is true in parenting, how much more relevant is it in our relationship with the God of the universe?

How could I, as a finite created being, comprehend the reasoning of the infinite Godhead—the Creator of the universe? Elevating our own reasoning gets us in trouble every time. How simple should it be to take God at His Word and then live it out? Yet so often we neglect to seek His counsel and instead we make decisions from our limited vantage point. Jesus said in John 15 that we can do nothing apart from Him (see verse 5). If we would only think this through, we would know that we are not capable of outsmarting God! Each time we disregard His Word we are opening ourselves up to the traps of the Evil One.

Satan schemes against us and his goal is to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10, NASB). But Jesus said He had come to give us life more abundant. God has given us His Word to serve as guardrails in our lives. His Word keeps us from going over the edge and self-destructing. If we obey we will be living as closely as possible to the way God originally intended for us to live. Obedience opens the door to further revelation and understanding of God’s ways. His Word brings life.

Watchman Nee advised, Satan reasoned with Eve, and Eve, seeing that the tree was good for food, responded with reasoning. She did not listen to God, for she had her reasons. When reason arises, man’s thought falls into a trap. It therefore follows that if we really desire to obey God we must know how the authority of God destroys the strongholds of reason.⁴

Dear heavenly Father, please reveal through Your Spirit any areas of my life where I am elevating my own reasoning above Your Word. I desire to submit to You and experience the manifest mind of Christ. In the name of my Savior, Jesus, I pray, amen.

Mary of Bethany, Part 1

But only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

LUKE 10:42 (NASB)

Mary of Bethany is one of my favorite women in Scripture. She is a beautiful picture of a life surrendered to Christ. The Bible gives us three snapshots of Mary (see Luke 10:38-42; John 11; 12:1-8). I would suggest that you do what I did years ago. Take out a sheet of paper, and divide the paper into two columns. Write Martha at the top of one column and Mary at the top of the other. Read the three encounters these women had with Jesus and record everything you observe about each woman’s behavior and interaction with Him.

The first picture of the sisters is in Luke 10:38-42. Jesus was a guest in their home and Martha was busy preparing the meal. Mary was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word (verse 39, NASB). Martha, being very distracted with her preparations, questioned the Lord’s care and then told Him what to do (see verse 40). The Lord patiently replied and defended Mary’s choice. He told Martha that she was worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary (verses 41-42, NASB), and Mary has chosen the one thing.

It is at Jesus’ feet that He will teach us. When you hear another person preach or teach it is proven that you will remember very little of what you hear. But what the Lord teaches you will not be taken away from you. When the Lord gives revelation through His Word and His Spirit it is burned into your heart and mind. Blinders are removed and you see things you have never seen or understood before.

But we must choose to let Him teach us! There will be many things that will clamor for our attention. Spend time daily encountering Christ—the living Word—through the written Word. Allow His Spirit to teach you.

What are you worried and bothered by today? Have you turned your anxious thoughts into prayers (see Philippians 4:6-7)? If so, you will experience His peace that passes all comprehension because you have placed your faith in Him. Choose Jesus and take time to sit at His feet, listening to His Word.

Father, please help me to seek You first. Holy Spirit, teach me all that I need to know as I choose to sit at my Savior’s feet and listen to His Word. Help me to delight in You! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Mary of Bethany, Part 2

She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.

MARK 14:8 (NASB)

The second time we see Mary and Martha is in John 11. Their brother Lazarus was sick and the sisters sent for Jesus. The Bible tells us that Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (see verse 5). But Jesus delayed His coming that the Son of God may be glorified by it (verse 4, NASB). At His arrival, Lazarus was dead and had been in the tomb for four days. The sisters were grieving. Martha went out to meet Jesus on the road. She said, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died (verse 21, NASB). Jesus responded with a beautiful theological statement.

Mary stayed in the house and didn’t move until she was given word that the Teacher was calling for her. Then she got up immediately and went out to meet Him on the road. Mary fell at His feet, saying the same thing her sister said, yet she received a very different response—Jesus wept. Why did He weep? There may have been many reasons, such as sin, suffering, and death, but I also believe it had something to do with the woman at His feet who had lost her protector and provider and yet was still trusting her Lord. Mary didn’t understand what had happened, but her posture was a picture of her heart.

It is in the very next chapter of John that we see Jesus enjoying a meal with the resurrected Lazarus and others when Mary took a pound of very costly perfume and began to anoint Christ’s head and feet (see Mark 14:1-11; John 12:1-8). The disciples rebuked her for wasting the perfume, which could have been sold for a year’s wages and given to the poor. But once again we see Jesus defending Mary. He told the disciples she was anointing His body beforehand for burial. How did she know? Jesus had been telling His disciples that He was going to the cross. They didn’t believe, because they didn’t want to. But Mary, the one who had chosen to sit at His feet, understood. Consequently, she did the most extravagant thing she knew to do—she broke the alabaster vial and lavished the perfume upon Christ.

Oh, Father, may I have the heart of Mary—a heart that chooses to stay at Your feet, listen to Your voice, and trust You above all others! May I love You as extravagantly and fittingly as she did. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Spiritual Authority in Marriage

Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

COLOSSIANS 3:18 (NASB)

Submission is one of those words that at one time made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Every rebellious cell in my body responded to that word. But truly coming to understand authority as God desires causes me to relax and trust Him. It is actually a safe place to be!

God’s desire and intention are for me to submit to my husband as I do to Him. The word submission actually means to line up under. God’s design in the family is for Christ to be the head, then the husband, the wife, and the children. Husband and wife are equal in Christ, but with different God-given roles. My responsibility to the Lord is to fulfill the role He has for me. In my marriage, I will answer to the Lord for how I live out this role. I will not answer to the Lord for having a good marriage because that takes two. But I am responsible for being the wife God has called me to be.

When I submit I am lining up under God’s authority and trusting Him to take care of me. There are many examples in Scripture for us to emulate, but the person held up for us in the New Testament is Sarah. In 1 Peter 3, Sarah is commended for submitting to Abraham. If you know their story, you know her husband placed her in harm’s way to protect himself with Pharaoh and Abimelech. But you also know how the Lord came to her defense and visited Pharaoh and his household with tumors and Abimelech with a dream and told him he was a dead man if he didn’t return Sarah to her husband.

As you read the Word of God you will find that He loves to move on behalf of those who put their trust in Him. We are told in 1 Peter 3:6 that Sarah submitted without any fear. First John 4:18 tells us, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love (NASB). Do you know that God loves you? If you do, then you will not fear!

Father, thank You for Your lines of authority in the home, the church, the workplace, and the government. I pray that You will empower me through Your Spirit to trust You and to line up under authority that I might be like one of the holy women of old that You commend. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.

Authority

When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel."

MATTHEW 8:10 (NASB)

In Matthew 8 Jesus encountered a Roman centurion who had come to Him asking for help. The centurion had a servant at home who suffered terribly and was paralyzed. Being in the military, the centurion understood and had a definite working knowledge of authority. He demonstrated this by saying he was a man under authority, but also one who was in authority over others. In his position, all he had to do was to speak the word and those under him would respond. This man recognized Christ as the ultimate authority. Realizing he was not worthy for Jesus to come under his roof, he knew that if Jesus just said the word, his servant would be healed.

Christ marveled at this man’s faith. Therefore, Jesus equated the centurion’s understanding of authority with faith! If you really believe Christ and take Him at His word you will not have any trouble submitting to authorities. Jesus told the centurion, Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed (Matthew 8:13, NASB).

Belief and submission go hand in hand. We all act out of what we believe. If I truly believe and trust Christ, then I will not have any trouble obeying His Word and trusting Him even when I don’t see obvious evidence of His answer or presence.

Humility is also an outgrowth of submission. The centurion felt unworthy for Christ to come under his roof. The Lord opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (see James 4:6). Those who have an accurate view of God have no problem submitting to Him!

Heavenly Father, I acknowledge You as Master and the ultimate authority in my life. Please, Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life (Psalm 139:23-24, NLT). In Jesus’ name, amen.

Kingdom Unity

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!

PSALM 133:1

Unity means to become one or unite. Other definitions include being undivided or in harmony. What does it mean to become one with our brothers or sisters? It means we have the same focus. We aren’t divided in different directions pulling one another different ways. Instead, we have a kingdom mind-set.

When looking at what unity is, it is beneficial to look at what it is not. Words that are considered the opposite of unity include disunity, dissension, division, discord, conflict, contention, strife, dispute, friction, controversy, and disagreement. Galatians 5:19-21 says, The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Someone who practices the opposite of unity will not inherit the kingdom of God—that is strong language! But that’s not all. Take a look at Proverbs 6:12-15: A scoundrel and villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth, who winks with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers, who plots evil with deceit in his heart—he always stirs up dissension. Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy. The kind of person referred to in these verses is always stirring something up. Haven’t you met a few of these people? They are not pleasant to be around. They are usually at the center of controversy and not happy unless they are making someone else miserable.

Let’s look at one final verse: I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing (1 Timothy 2:8). People who are holy and praying are not disputing. When we focus upward, we don’t get sidetracked outward. One of the best ways to end feelings of anger or resentment toward other people is to start praying for them.

Dissension is mentioned several times in the Bible in lists of actions or attitudes that we are not to have. If we act like Christ, we won’t bring disunity to His church. As a parent, nothing brings me more joy than to see my children get along. How much more our heavenly Father must be pleased to see His children get along and work together.

Oh, Father, let my actions and activities bring You glory. I want to live a life that is good and pleasing to You, dear Lord, and one that is defined by bringing people together.

A Common Purpose

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS 2:1-5

Acts 4:32 states, All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. Have you ever seen this demonstrated?

I have recently seen a glimpse of this. I live in the Nashville area and as I’m writing this we have just experienced an extremely devastating flood. Many homes have been under water or filled with water at different levels. As soon as the rains stopped, people all over the area immediately pitched in to help. They just started showing up at flood-damaged homes with willing hearts and hands.

The devastation was enormous—sometimes overwhelming—but the response of volunteers was equal to the task. People helped by doing laundry, washing mud from dishes, cleaning toys, and gathering up whatever could be salvaged. Others used chainsaws to cut up trees while still others helped rip out drywall that had gotten wet. Neighbors who previously didn’t even know one another’s names were sifting through private belongings together. Suddenly things that we thought were important were no longer a priority.

People had a common purpose: to help one another! Everyone was united in helping put the community together again. I would suggest that we became what we should be all along in the church—unified in purpose. We were not just talking about it but living it out. Serving our brothers and sisters and meeting their needs became the most important thing. People were not trying to meet their own agendas for the day but instead were putting others first. It was a devastating time and yet a beautiful time. It was a time of getting to see many diverse churches and people unite and be the hands and feet of Jesus and as a result, many saw Jesus for the first time.

Lord, let us love one another not just in words but in deeds also. Forgive our selfishness and let us show Your love to those around us. Let us put others before ourselves. Let us have the same attitude as that of Jesus. In His name, amen.

They Will Know Us by Our Love

I appeal to you brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, I follow Paul; another, I follow Apollos; another, I follow Cephas; still another, I follow Christ. Is Christ divided?

1 CORINTHIANS 1:10 - 13

No, Christ is not divided, so we in the Christian community should not be. There were quarrels in the early church, and quarrels still happen today. It is always sad, though, because as the church we are supposed to show love for one another so that the world will come to know Jesus. John 13:35 says, By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. How will the world come to know Jesus? By how the church loves one another. How will the world not know the love of Jesus? By the church quarreling and not showing love.

I recently attended my son’s middle school band performance, at which they played the theme from the movie The Dark Knight. It sounded good when all the instruments worked together—trumpets, drums, clarinets, saxophones, etc. However, what if one trumpeter decided to stand up while everyone else played The Dark Knight theme and instead played The Star Spangled Banner? It would make everything sound horrible. Even if fifty students play the right notes, when one person steps out of tune it makes them all sound bad. It is the same way at church when someone decides to be selfish, murmur, or complain—it makes us all look bad. If people in the world see nothing but bickering in the church, they will not have a desire to join us.

There will be times believers disagree, but we don’t have to be disagreeable and treat one another disrespectfully. In today’s society, communication travels much quicker than it used to. With various forms of social networking at our fingertips, we can share our opinions with hundreds or thousands of people in an instant. We need to think twice before hitting the send button to make sure our words are not causing disunity.

Lord, let my tongue not cause division. Help me to say only those things that edify. When I disagree with someone, let me speak respectfully and go directly to that person to speak the truth in love. Let my life be one that is in harmony with those in my church. I want to make You attractive! In Jesus’ name, amen.

One Mouth

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and one mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

ROMANS 15:5-6

One mouth … wow, that is hard! How can so many people have the same mouth? We know that’s not a literal statement, but as believers we should speak as one because we are all unified with the purpose of glorifying God.

James 3:9-10 states, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father,