I Don't Like The Beeper

 YouTube Channel Video Devo

https://youtu.be/QJnsLeyBBHQ?si=fKBWCbuUuf2gvl-z

“I Don’t Like The Beeper”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 

We used to be with a car insurance company that had a beacon we kept in the car that kept track of our driving habits.  It didn’t make any sound, but you could look up driving habits whenever you wanted to see them.

 

Last year, we switched companies and we now have a beacon that actually makes noise when you drive.  It beeps if you’re stopping too quickly, turning a corner too fast or not making a complete stop at a stop sign.  In the past months, I have found myself getting aggravated at the beep and talking to it like it’s a person.  I’ll often say, “What?  I stopped just fine” or “C’Mon!  There was nothing wrong with that turn or stop!”  There have been times where I’ve slowed down way before a stop and then come to a gentle and complete stop, only to have it keep on me anyway.  I’m like, “Seriously???  How else could I have done that?” 

 

Needless to say, it is VERY picky about how you drive.  That’s good, because it determines future discounts on our policy.  However, it still annoys me when I feel like I’m driving just fine and I still get beeped at. 

 

I’ve discovered that, no matter how good I think I may be driving, the device is programmed to record my driving habits and painfully alert me when I’m not driving like I should.  It doesn’t matter if I think I am driving well or not.  If I’m not up to par, I get beeped. 

 

So often in our lives, the same applies to how we think we are doing in our walk with God.  So often, in our perspective, we think we’re living just fine and doing the right things.  It’s so often easy for us to justify things and think we are doing fine, when in reality, we clearly are not. 

 

God has a standard for us to follow in His Word.  If we are not living the way we should, God will discipline us and bring us back to reality so that we can shape up and correct how we are living.  We often get frustrated when people we trust and love try to correct us.  We often can become defensive and react like I have to the beep and say, “What?  I am doing this just fine!  I’m not doing anything wrong!”.  However, in reality, we are not. 

 

God’s word is authority for a reason.  It is meant to correct us, even when we don’t like being corrected.  I personally don’t like the beeper sound in our cars and it annoys me.  But I need to remember that it’s there to help me be a better driver so that I’m safer and get good discounts.

 

Even when we don’t like the “beeps” that come up when we are doing wrong things in life, God’s Word is there to give us the correction we need.

Life Apart From God Is Meaningless

 YouTube Channel Video Devo

https://youtu.be/N4pXBY6_WZo?si=BpA_66cRe0QxpnTr

“Life Apart From God Is Meaningless”

John 15:5 NIV

I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

 

John 15 has always been one of my favorite chapters in Scripture.  I really like the illustration of the vineyard to describe how God is Gardener and Jesus is the Vine.  This specific verse has always been important in my life as it clearly states that life without God is empty.  Apart from Him, nothing eternal is possible. 

 

Through the past many years of my life, I have learned more about myself, my relationship with my wife and my relationship with my kids.  In the past few months, I realized that if I didn’t have God in my life, I would not have the life I have now. 

 

My relationship with my wife is the best it has ever been.  However, this has not come without struggles.  We have had many ups and downs throughout our almost 22 years of marriage.  When I look at my wife now, I am beyond grateful for how He brought us together and all that we have experienced.  I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  I am more in love with my wife now that I ever have been before and it’s only because of the amazing work of God in our marriage.  I can honestly say we would not be where we are in our marriage without God.  It just wouldn’t be at all possible. 

 

My relationship with my kids makes me a very proud dad.  I know that I regret many things through the years of them growing up that I wish I could go back and do better or change.  However, what’s done is done and I can only work on the future to still be the best Godly dad I can be.  I have messed up a lot in things I’ve done and said to them.  However, God is gracious and so are my girls.  They love me as their dad and that often brings tears to my eyes that they still love me. 

 

I cannot imagine life without God.  Life is hard enough as it is even with my faith.  I find myself often doubting and getting frustrated when I can’t understand what He’s doing.  However, I know that I always must trust Him, no matter what.  I am beyond grateful for the faith I have had for so many years and I’ve grown in that faith.  It’s not easy by any means, but I am so thankful for what I have learned and how God has shown up in my relationship with my wife and my girls. 

 

I am so grateful for the community I have at our church.  God has blessed me with great people that I’ve known there for over 4 years.  Some of them have become very close friends and it’s only because of God that those friendships remain strong.  I am also grateful for the worship team I play alongside each month. 

 

Life apart from God would not bring me any of these blessings I have mentioned.  I am so grateful and I truly believe that apart from Him, I would have absolutely no hope. 

Pause Before You Serve

 YouTube Channel Video Devo

https://youtu.be/JqJSVrWMOGk?si=36EUBGhxci1gtfrH

“Pause Before You Serve”

Luke 10:41-42 NIV

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

 

As much as we are called to serve throughout Scripture, we are also told that it is very crucial for us to find times where we sit at the feet of Jesus and take His teaching in and just be still. 

 

Martha is doing her very best to get preparations ready for Jesus and his followers.  Mary is usually helping with that, but instead she chooses what is actually better in this situation.  Martha doesn’t get it and gets very upset. 

 

So many of us do what Martha is doing.  We love to serve in God’s Kingdom.  Having a servants heart is exactly what God wants us to do.  All throughout Scripture, we have examples of those who have served others in wonderful ways.  However, Jesus had multiple times in His ministry where He purposely chose to go away and be alone with His Father.  He chose to take time away from people and He spent quality alone time to connect and recharge with His Father. 

 

So many of us have the problem of serving so much that we forget that we also need time to sit at the feet of Jesus and take it all in.  We need those down times where we are doing nothing but reading, praying and just being in awe of Him.  It’s hard for us to shut down our busyness and just be in His presence.  So, there are times when we absolutely need to stop serving and start sitting.  Just like Mary, we need times where we put the busyness aside and just bask in Him.

 

In our culture today, it almost feels wrong to sit and do nothing.  With me having ADHD, it’s extremely difficult for me to just sit and do nothing.  I feel so unproductive!  And, strangely enough, our church just completed a sermon series called “Unproductive”.  It was a great series and really opened my eyes. 

 

I wanted to encourage all of us, who struggle with staying busy all day long, that we need to stop serving and start sitting.  We need to make it a priority to get some alone time with God.  Start small and make it quality time, however long you can make it.  Some is better than nothing and then work your way up to more time.  It’s alone time that we all need.  If Jesus made it a point to get alone with His Father in the midst of His busy ministry schedule, we can make the time as well. 

 

The next time you feel yourself just about to go into auto-pilot on serving, take a pause and ask yourself, “Should I be serving or just sitting at the feet of Jesus?”