Keep Cool & Regulated

 YouTube Channel Video Devo

https://youtu.be/__jzVCJOvvU?si=ekNY-mnV0dyn53pz

“Keep Cool & Regulated”

Proverbs 29:11 NIV

Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.

 

Everyone in our household owns a stainless steel water bottle.  We used to have regular water bottles and I would always struggle with how to keep the water cold while also keeping the bottle from “sweating” as the ice melted.  After many years, I finally decided to buy a stainless steel water bottle.  After I did so, my wife and girls followed suit.  I was able to convince them that it was worth buying a stainless steel version in order to keep water cold a lot longer and not have it sweating all over you. 

 

Years later, we still use those kinds of bottles.  I don’t think I’ll ever go back to regular water bottles.  Just a personal preference!  As I’ve used this kind of water bottle through the years, I’m always amazed and refreshed when I pick it up, especially on hot days, and the water is still ice cold while the outside is very warm to the touch.

 

I was walking and running with my brother in law the other day and I suddenly thought of this as we both mentioned we were thirsty.  I thought about how it’s so refreshing going back home or to the car after a workout and taking a drink of cold water.  How refreshing!

 

I thought about how often in life it’s so important that we are like these water bottles in life when times get challenging.  People get mad at us or we suddenly encounter a dramatic situation where people need to be calmed down.  I think most about this when we watch cop shows.  It’s amazing to see cops keeping their cool while they work to calm upset people down.  The training these cops go through they learn a lot over time how to keep situations calm by keeping their voices as calm and steady as possible.

 

Let’s take this Proverb for instance.  How many of us want to be fools when it comes to challenging situations and conversations?  None of us.  We all would like to keep our cool and stay regulated, just like a stainless steel water bottle.  It might be getting flamed and hot outside, but inside the water is staying cool and refreshing.  Don’t we want to be people of refreshment when others are getting all uptight and wound up? 

 

This is how we really show the love of God.  When we can keep our cool and bring refreshment to others instead of letting our anger rage and boil our blood, we can stay cool and bring calmness to those around us.  It’s not easy by any means!  However, it is possible! 

 

The next time we are in a situation where the fire rages around us with people, let’s try to be like the water bottle and stay regulated inside so that refreshing and loving words come out. 

All In Sweet Harmony

 YouTube Channel Video Devo

https://youtu.be/py1WUm7fwmc?si=eUQOPK7skTYJdxrz

“All In Sweet Harmony”

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

 

Last weekend, we attended a race at a local fairgrounds for the afternoon.  It was fun watching cars race each other around a small track.  At one point, there was a bottleneck and multiple cars were stuck behind one another.  What happened next amazed me.  I watched almost every single one of them back up in unison and then they were all free to continue to drive on. 

 

I remember thinking, “Wow, they all did that at the same time and everyone was freed up to move on!”  As I pondered that moment, it reminded of Paul’s words of how he described the body of Christ and all the parts.  So often in churches these days, we “say” we are on the same team and claim we want to serve God together.  However, all to often, we tend to have ulterior motives when we do some things and do them only for our benefit.  This isn’t always true, but it happens more than we would like to admit.

 

When I watched the cars all back up at the same time, this devotional thought hit me immediately and I thought, “This is exactly how the body of Christ was meant to flow.”  It is truly a beautiful picture when the bride of Christ strives to work together in harmony.  It’s absolutely beautiful not only in how that works within the church, but also when non-believers witness this.  Word travels fast and it blows people’s minds when we are not only talking the talk, but also walking the walk.

 

I’ve been part of multiple churches through my years of paid and volunteer ministry.  It pains me to have witnessed so many places of worship get torn up to pieces because people don’t have the vision and desire to work together in harmony.  But then it also has brought me great joy to witness churches that do genuinely work together in harmony to love each other and those who are lost.

 

Every part of the body of Christ is unique and needed, whether you are in front serving or behind the scenes.  No one is more important than the other.  We all work together and it works wonderfully, just like the cars in that race that all backed up together and then drove off. 

 

It is my hope and prayer that we would all strive to do our part serving in the body of Christ.  It’s never about how we can benefit the most, it’s how we can serve and love others within the body. 

Back In The Day

 YouTube Channel Video Devo

https://youtu.be/oNoshSIQGrg?si=JwKFwHgt_68OKDvE

“Back In The Day”

James 1:17 NIV- Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows

 

Hebrews 13:8 NIV- Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

 

Recently, as I got into one of our vehicles to drive somewhere, I had to readjust

the side mirrors to fit my view.  As I did this, I had flashbacks to when I was growing up as a kid.  I remember sitting in the passenger side with my mom, dad or other adults.  With the cars in my childhood days, we had manual mirrors.  Often times, my parents would ask me to roll down my passenger window and have me move the mirror left, right, up or down several times until their view was just right.  Then they adjusted their own driver’s side mirror as well. 

 

I also got to thinking about how we used to have manual crank windows to roll them up and down.  Then I thought about how we had manual tuning radios and cassette tape decks.  My thoughts continued with the old seat belts we used to have as well as being lucky if we even had A/C in the cars yet. 

 

My how times have changed with our vehicles!  For so many years, regarding cars and other items with modern day changes, I’ve heard people say, “Well, back in the day we had…..” or “Back in the day, we didn’t have……”  We often marvel today as how times have changed and what conveniences we have today compared to 20, 30 or 40 years ago.  Advances in technology and science have definitely brought us a long way! 

 

I have to admit that often times when adults would tell me, “Well, back in the day, we didn’t have……….”, I would roll my eyes or even mutter things under my breath and think, “Yeah, back in the stone ages!”  Sometimes, I got caught rolling my eyes or my very soft comments still being heard somehow!  The punishment was not fun! 

 

There are so many things that have changed through our years and continue to change each day.  With all the constant changes in life, I am so glad that God doesn’t change the way He is with us.  He is constant with His love, forgiveness, grace, mercy and patience.  He never says, “Well, back in the day I was more patient, but these days not so much.” 

 

It doesn’t matter how far back we look in Scripture, God is the same today as He was back in the day.  He never changes and He is constant and I love serving a living God like that!  I never have to worry that He can’t relate with me or comfort me.  He is with me today as he was when I was a kid and still loves me just as much as He did back then. 

 

There is no “Back in the day” with God.  He is, still is and will always be our God Who deeply loves us and will never change.  We can fully trust Him and know that His ways will never grow old or change.