It’s easy to get caught up in a “hustle & grind” mentality and forget what matters most. Our hope with this devotional is that it would challenge the reader, to lean on the “nudging” and daily direction of the Holy Spirit. We pray it inspires a new heart of surrender!
Red Street Records
Day 1
Scriptures: Matthew 6:19-21, 1 Timothy 6:10, Mark 10:17-22
Temporal vs. Eternal
“All the things that I have held dear… the vanities that whispered in my ear… What would I do if they all disappear?” (Lyric excerpt from “First Things First” by Consumed By Fire)
Have you ever just taken a moment to think about how much of our time we can spend chasing and accumulating material things that will one day just rust, break, or wither away?? It can be a sobering reflection of the heart when you do.
We make investments daily (whether conscious of it or not). We’re either investing in our “earthly accounts,” or we’re investing in our “heavenly accounts.” Both are necessary, but Jesus pointed out that whichever gets the majority of my attention (my treasure) reveals where my HEART actually belongs. Show me where you put the majority of your time and your money – and as a result, it will show you what has your heart.
“Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.”
Matthew 6:19-21 AMP
Now, I want to make it unequivocally clear that I’m not saying it is an issue to have earthly wealth or valuable possessions. It only becomes an issue when these temporary, material possessions begin to have YOU. The Gospel is a HEART-thing… Money isn’t the root of all evil. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, “the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.” I believe that we can be flat-broke and still be in love with money. So, Jesus was letting us know (in Matthew 6) how to take an inventory of the heart; by checking in on where we put our attention, time, and, yes, even our money.
The rich young ruler that met Jesus had one major issue – contrary to what you may have heard, it wasn’t that he had wealth… It was that wealth & possessions HAD HIM (control of his heart)… So much to the effect that when Jesus asked the rich young ruler to sell all his possessions and follow Him, he couldn’t do it. The Bible says that the young man walked away saddened.
REFLECTION
If I put myself in the shoes of the rich young ruler, and Jesus were to ask me to sell everything I own to follow Him (even if that path looked different than what I thought I wanted for myself), could I do it?
PRAYER
Father, your word says in James 1:17 that every good and perfect gift comes from you, so right now, I thank you for every single earthly blessing you’ve given to my family and me. I recognize that they come from you. So, I commit to you that I will guard my heart against falling in love with the things of the world system. I commit never to adore the gifts more than the giver. All of my heart’s affections belong to you, in Jesus’ name, amen!
Day 2
Scriptures: Romans 14:17, Proverbs 10:21-22, Matthew 6:33
Plans, Purposes, and Pursuits
“Riches and fame – and all that they can buy, I’ve come to find they never satisfy” (Lyric excerpt from “First Things First” by Consumed by Fire)
Throughout our lives, many opportunities & paths can be presented to us. When it comes to “seeking the kingdom first” in those decisions, it doesn’t mean that you’re choosing the path of whatever looks the most like “full-time ministry” or a “church job.” No. The kingdom needs people filling roles of all different facets and walks of life. It’s the only way we grow the family of God.
Understanding again that “seeking the Kingdom” is a constant state of the HEART. It’s asking ourselves the hard question of, “what is my motive on this decision?”
If all we chase are the desires of the flesh (the pleasures of our five physical senses) and the things that the world system sees as valuable, then I’d present to you that it is very likely that we can actually get all that we’re chasing. We would still feel a sense of emptiness at some point.
“The lips of the righteous feed and guide many, But fools [who reject God and His wisdom] die for lack of understanding. The blessing of the Lord brings [true] riches, And He adds no sorrow to it [for it comes as a blessing from God]. Proverbs 10:21-22 AMP
It sounds a lot like Matthew 6:33, doesn’t it?
Jesus was telling His disciples the importance of not getting caught up in daily needs but instead living in a constant state of trust, one day at a time. He was teaching us not to get so caught up in the hustle that we start losing focus of the Kingdom.
“But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.” Matthew 6:33 AMP
I love that part at the end, though, “all these things will be given to you also”… See, none of these things are bad to have. They just aren’t to have our pursuit.
But I’d also present to you that religion has made many of us think that all of us believers are still a lot worse than we are. However, that’s not my message. I’m coming to you with good news! Once you’ve been born again, made Jesus the Lord of your life, and the Holy Spirit is residing inside you, you’ve been given a new heart, and the Holy Spirit is now working on your desires and your pursuits.
He never abandons you in the process. He’s our ever-present help in time of need. The key is to lean into that leading and nudging of the Spirit instead of resisting it, but we’ll cover more of this on Day 3.
So the question becomes, what is “seeking the kingdom first”? Well, I would ask you, what is the kingdom’s mission in a nutshell?
Paul revealed in Romans 14:17 that “the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
The kingdom’s mission can be summed up in those three categories. Jesus came to make us the righteousness of God in Christ. Jesus came to give us the WITH GOD and to walk in the peace OF GOD. He left us the Holy Spirit to experience life in a state of joy instead of the constant pressure from failing or making the wrong decision.
REFLECTION
He’s called me righteousness.
Are my decisions reflecting my new nature?
Are any of my pursuits helping expand the message & good news of righteousness? I.E., do I invest my time, focus, energy, or money into anything that is furthering the spreading of the good news of the Gospel?
He’s called me to peace.
Am I pursuing peace in my decisions? I.E., Am I being a peacemaker?
Am I deciding because I feel pressure from a person or because the Holy Spirit is leading me in that direction?
He’s called me to JOY in the Holy Ghost.
Am I still letting religion be the guardian of my life? I.E., Am I more conscious of sin and my performance and trying to earn the goodness of God than I am receiving the joy of my salvation in believing that Jesus paid it all?
Day 3
Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 5, 1 Corinthians 15:56-57, Philippians 3:3
THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT
“I give it all, my life an offering. My heart is yours, so have your way in me.”
So I hope we’ve discovered that we’re not dirty, aren’t unclean, and aren’t carrying around the label of “sinners” anymore. We are the righteousness of God in Christ. Period.
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].”
2 Corinthians 5:17, 21 AMP
Wow. What a wonderful, powerful, and doesn’t- make-any-sense kind of EXCHANGE Jesus made with us. It’s as if He says, “I’m gonna take all of YOUR SIN and give you all of MY RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
So we can’t earn it (Ephesians 2:8-9).
I’m not “trying” to be righteous; I just AM righteous. It’s what He MADE me, to no credit of my own.
So how does one LIVE righteously? Great question. I’ll tell you again that living righteously will ALSO be to no credit of your own. All you can ever bring to the table of grace is your SURRENDER.
In Galatians 5, Paul unpacks how a believer lives righteously. First, he opens up chapter 5 by instructing us not to get tangled up in the do’s and don’ts and not to become a slave of a checklist again. Why is this? Because he would also write in 1 Corinthians 15:56 that the law (the do’s and dont’s mentality) actually gives strength to sin.
So you can’t stay focused on not sinning all the time and expect to have victory over sin. You’re either going to live under the weight of the law’s demand (and never satisfy that demand) or live in the freedom of the Spirit of God, in Christ Jesus. So now, our focus is on our new identity (righteousness).
We’re putting all of our confidence in God’s love for us. We put no confidence in our flesh, performance, or human effort. The fruits of the Spirit are alive in our lives because of the work of the Spirit. He’s the one who is even empowering our self-control.
“For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,”
Philippians 3:3 NLT
So, when it comes to prioritizing and “getting your life in order,”; the Holy Spirit has taken on the total responsibility of being your full-time helper… And He’ll never leave you or forsake you. He is committed to helping you keep the “first things first” in your life. All He wants from us is our surrender. Lean into His leadings and promptings, don’t resist and fight them – and I am confident He will complete what He started in your life.
PRAYER
Father, I thank you for the work that you are doing in and through me, by the direction, leadings, and promptings of the Holy Spirit. I have come to the end of myself, and I take no credit or glory for the good you do through my life. Thank you for re-teaching me. Thank you for being patient with me when I mess up. Thanks for choosing to forget all of my wrongs and helping me get back up to the next right thing. I know it’s not by my strength but by the Spirit of God in me. I surrender to your work and give you complete control of my life. I surrender every desire that wouldn’t look like the new nature in Christ that you’ve given me. In the precious name of Jesus, so be it.