rejoice

Opening Prayer: Every day is a gift from you, O Lord, help me to treat it as such.  Help me to receive it and to live it with joy and gratitude, regardless of its contents.

Read: Philippians 4:4-5

Reflect: Joy is a choice; it is deeper than happiness and can endure sorrow.  Each day, regardless of its contents, we can choose to live as if life were a gift or a burden.  But that gift must be recognized and received in order to be experienced, valued, and appreciated.  We can either savor each day or endure each day, depending on how we look at it.  We can either count our blessings, or we can recite our woes.  The choice is ours.

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!”  Paul was in prison in Rome when he wrote these words.  He didn’t allow his circumstances to determine his mindset and attitude.  Instead, he chose joy.  He had an attitude of gratitude.  We can live with that determination as well.  Choose joy today.

Journal: What have you got to be grateful for?  Write it all down.  Reflect on it.  Savor it.  Thank God for it.  Allow it to help you to choose joy rather than anger, bitterness, or indifference.

Pray: Tell God what you are grateful for.  Hold them near to your heart and allow them to permeate your mind and soul.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to live a life of deep gratitude for who you are, who I am to you, and all you have blessed me with.  Help me choose joy today.

like a little child

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, I get it backwards so often; please forgive me.  Forgive me when I make this life about me, rather than about you.  Forgive me when I seek praise, acclaim, and admiration more than I seek you.  Forgive me when I try to climb up, rather than following you on your downward way.  Help me, O Lord, to become like a little child.

Read: Mark 10:13-31

Reflect: Walking with Jesus is different than we may imagine.  It often leads down, rather than up.  Take the contrast in this passage, for instance.  These two encounters with Jesus come one after the other for a reason.  Mark is very intentional in this way throughout his entire gospel.

The disciples thought the kingdom of God was about power and position, influence and importance.  They wanted to be rulers, while Jesus was trying to teach them to be children.  They wanted to be high and mighty, while Jesus was trying to teach them to be least and lowly.  They wanted to be independent and self-sufficient, while Jesus was trying to teach them the necessity of dependence and desperation.

Enter the children.  They were small, lowly, and innocent.  They were needy, weak, and dependent.  They were unimportant and insignificant, the least of these from a societal perspective.  Yet they were first in the kingdom of God.  They were open and trusting and receptive.  They were the ones Jesus blessed.

The rich young ruler, on the other hand, was the direct opposite.  He was wealthy, successful, powerful, influential, and self-sufficient.  He had no need, just a gnawing feeling inside that there was something he still lacked.  And in response to his question, Jesus looked at him and loved him.  In fact, Jesus loved him enough to tell him the truth: he must give up everything and come follow Jesus.  In essence, Jesus told him he must become like a little child if he wanted to enter the kingdom of God.  But that was too much to ask of this powerful, important man.  So instead of being blessed, he walked away sad.

Journal: Where do you find yourself in this story?  Who can you relate to most?  What does becoming like a child look like for you?  Are you willing to do it?

Pray: Put yourself in this scene as you pray today.  Where do you find yourself?  What does Jesus have to say to you?  How does it make you feel?  What is your response?

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, give us the wisdom and the courage and the grace and the strength to become like little children today, whatever that may mean.