Today Daily Devotional

“Who is my neighbor?”
— Luke 10:29

How do you react when you meet someone who contrasts brazenly with things you hold dear? Maybe it’s someone in your neighborhood, extended family, workplace, or church. Maybe they differ from you politically, or they dismiss the way you interpret some teachings in the Bible. It seems they just don’t get it. Worse yet, they don’t seem interested in considering another point of view. That can be frustrating.That was how most of the Jews in Jesus’ day saw the Samaritans— as people who refused to “get it.” They were considered “impure,” and their way of serving God was an affront to everything that the “real people of God” stood for.How do you respond to people who seem not to “get it”? Most of us keep our distance. We’re polite at family gatherings or at work or church, but when it comes to actually discussing issues with those individuals, we’ve learned to avoid conflict and not “go there.” That just makes sense, right?Interestingly, Jesus didn’t have that kind of “sense.” So when he met the Samaritan woman at the well, he wanted to free her from a life of hiding and show her that God’s salvation was for her too. And by the end of the day, his visit had a profound effect not only on her life but also on the life of her entire town (John 4:39-42).Whom might God be wanting you to connect with?

God, teach us patience and understanding with all who may differ with us. Help us to respond with grace, seeing opportunities to share your love rather than becoming frustrated or distant. Amen.

Jesus declared, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.”
— John 4:13-14

When I meet people and they find out what I do for a living, they sometimes launch into a religious conversation. Before long, they can get surprisingly deep into the differences between religious backgrounds.At the well in Samaria, Jesus and the woman he met got talking about religion. Jesus invited her to wonder about “the gift of God,” about who he (Jesus) was, and about what he had come to offer. Long story short, his grace collided with her shame, her defenses crumbled, and the Lord changed her life. By the end of that day a wave of grace had rolled through her entire town.Christ’s work in our lives is central for us all. Yet it can be surprisingly difficult to discuss that with others, so we tend to play a sort of spiritual hide-and-seek game. Why? Sometimes we’re uncomfortable talking about personal matters, even with close friends. Other times we may honestly feel that we don’t have much to say. We may have heard about God’s salvation so often that it seems commonplace in our lives and sort of “goes without saying.” This can be true for a lot of people who go to church.It can be important to talk about our religious views. But what really counts is sharing with others what Christ is doing in our lives and how he is changing us, making us new.When was the last time you talked about these things?

Lord, help me to share my faith authentically, focusing on what you have done in my life. Give me courage to speak of your work with honesty and love. Amen.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
— Psalm 139:23

Repentance can seem like something we should outgrow. It’s great for spiritual beginners, but it’s hard to imagine Christian role models having to repent very much. Do they?The more I grow in faith, the sillier it sounds to think I could outgrow repentance. I’m not hiding scandals in my life, but I’ve still got plenty to repent of. In fact, I think I’ve probably got more raw material for repentance than I had when I was younger.Lately God has been nudging me to look into my motives behind doing good things. For example, if I’ve been a faithful husband or a responsible pastor, whom have I really done that for? I’ve probably been the one who has benefited most from not wrecking my marriage or my career in ministry. Rather than being motivated by holiness, my actions might just be smart!So where does that lead me? Ultimately, into gratitude. One of the amazing things about grace is that it doesn’t stop when an introductory period has passed. My freedom to waltz into God’s presence like an heir doesn’t depend on my ability to do good; it depends on the amazing, mind-boggling love that God has shown me through Jesus Christ. And that will never change—no matter how much I try to work on my motives. Realizing this today leads me to repent even more freely tomorrow.What about you? In which areas are you getting better at repentance?

God, guide me in examining my motives. Lead me to repent sincerely, not just out of obligation, and to rely fully on your abundant grace. Amen.

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
— Romans 7:15

Sometimes church can get in the way of repentance.Repentance plays a huge part in our becoming followers of Christ. We pivot from our previous direction, turning toward the Savior.But then something happens. We get better. We heal and grow in faith. The Bible calls this sanctification, and this is a good thing.As we grow in faith, it can seem like we have less to repent of. And that makes sense. Our lives should change as we mature in our faith in Christ. But is that the whole story?Personally, I have grown in my resistance to some of the sins of my younger days. But I have to admit that other, quieter temptations can easily line up to take their place—sins like pride or defensiveness. When I see progress in resisting one kind of sin, I soon notice a new one cropping up. In Romans 7, Paul explains that sin grows inside us. I get that.I’m learning to adjust my idea of what spiritual growth looks like. As a boy, I sometimes wondered if grown-ups needed to repent. Now, as a grown-up, I realize that I’ll never move past my need for repentance. But, thanks to the work of God’s Spirit in me, I’m getting better at living faithfully.I hope you have experienced repentance. And, as your faith grows, I hope you keep experiencing that, with God’s help all along the way.

Lord, keep us humble as we grow in faith. Remind us that we always need your grace, and help us continually to turn back to you, realizing we need you always. Amen.

I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
— Romans 7:23

Repentance isn’t complicated. It can be as simple as saying “I’m sorry.” Yet for all its simplicity, repentance can be surprisingly elusive.When I was a child, my parents taught me the basics of repentance. When I broke a rule or did something hurtful to my brothers, they instructed me to say I was sorry (whether I actually was or not!).If you think of repentance, how do you picture it? Does it show the relief of a reunion with a long-lost friend? Or is it more like the grim resignation of a driver pulled over for speeding in traffic—or, similarly, like an athlete called on a foul by a referee: sorry, not sorry!Actually, repentance is amazing, if we think about it. It gives us the chance to name our sins and have them taken away.Oddly, though, we don’t often think or talk much about repentance. And, perhaps more strangely, we can tend to think about it less and less the more we gain experience as believers. It’s almost as if we think we somehow outgrow our need for repentance. (More about that later.)And so we hide.When was your last experience of repentance? Can you remember it?

God, remind me that true repentance brings freedom. Help me not to shrink from confessing, but to embrace turning toward you with joy and trust in your mercy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.