from Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

Epic 

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

ep·ic

• heroic; majestic; impressively great: the epic events of the war.
• of unusually great size or extent: a crime wave of epic proportions.
• Slang. spectacular; very impressive (from dictionary.com)

Our culture is into epic. That word is used all over the place these days. It describes everything from Ferraris to French Fries to Friday night. It’s the promise of marketers, and the goal of planners. Don’t settle for ordinary. Live epic!

In this season of glitter and glamor, in this chasing after all that is big and best, John 3:30 living can seem ordinary, even boring and blasé.

In his book, Boring: Finding an Extraordinary God in an Ordinary Life, Michael Kelley urges readers to be faithful to God’s call. Even if “everyone else is worshipping at the idols of more and excitement” you stay faithful to what God is calling you to do in this season of life.

Does your call involve diapers? Change them for the glory of God. Does it include caring for an elderly parent? Be kind, patient, and thoughtful. Care for her as if serving the Lord. Maybe it’s washing dishes, carpooling, filling out mounds of paperwork, or being the first and last person at GEMS Club each week. Do it quietly. Work hard. Be faithful. Let your daily life, even the tiniest task and most laborious chore, point to our extraordinary God.

Whatever you do–whether you eat or drink, whether you’re backstage or center stage, whether the task is wallpapered in boring or abuzz with epic–do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Kelley writes, “’Ordinary’ is a myth. The only reason we think of something as ordinary is because we fail to look for and then grasp the massive depth of the work and presence of God in our lives.”

Peter and John got that. When the people realized they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). When people met Peter and John, they didn’t see ordinary. They saw Jesus. They saw the work and presence of Jesus!

HE>i: Intentionally look for God’s extraordinary work and presence in your most ordinary tasks today.

If Jesus became incarnate to live among the ordinary, then what we call ordinary is really special to God.

Tim Keller

Weekly Devotional - 'Great Grace'

from Lenae, GEMS training manger

Great Grace

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

There are many places where our sinful nature turns ugly. The toy aisle is one of them. Ever seen or been part of an ugly scene where a child is whining and wailing, “I want . . . I want . . . ” Some parents cave in and cash out. Others grasp their child’s hand and pull her out of there.

That’s exactly what happened to Lot when God’s judgment was about to fall on Sodom and Gomorrah. Although Lot urged his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters, to hurry and get out of there, the reality is that he was reluctant to leave himself. He was comfortable there. So instead of hurrying, Lot hesitated. The men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and daughters and pulled them safely out of the city (Genesis 19:16).

They didn’t leave because they wanted to, or even because it was the right thing to do. They expressed no gratitude for the advance warning of coming destruction or the rescue team sent in just for them. Only because God grasped their hands and pulled were they delivered.

This is our story, too. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). We weren’t looking for saving or a Savior. There is no one who seeks God. All have turned away (Romans 3:11-12). Because God first loved us He sent a Rescuer to those who had no felt need or desire to be rescued. Jesus grasped our hand with his nail-scarred one and pulled. He pulled us from the pit, and set us on the Rock. He pulled us from the bondage of sin and death and set us free.

We would never choose God. All is grace. His grace turns us to Him. His Spirit works within our will and desires and stirs a love for God within. He opens eyes and ears and softens our hearts. 

All is grace. 

Jesus is a gift of God’s grace. Scripture says He was FULL of grace. This babe FULL of grace came to dwell among a people who are FULL of self. What great grace!

When we see the FULLness of His grace and experience the promise of its sufficiency, we will boast not in self, but in Christ. He will become greater; we will become less (John 3:30).

HE>i: Is the grace of Jesus evident in the way you’re preparing and celebrating Christmas?

Full. The Greek means not one grain more of truth or one drop more of grace could be fit into Him. Everything He is, everything He does, drips truth, exudes grace.

Mark Buchanan