PODCAST
Challenged
December 16th, 2020
1 John 4:11-21
Humans enjoy being challenged. People train for marathons, take advanced classes, play thought-provoking games, among other challenges, simply because they enjoy pushing themselves beyond where they are now.
Jesus issued humanity a challenge in Luke 6. He told us to treat others as we would want to be treated. We’re to love our enemies, want good for those who don’t like us, and pray for those who are out to get us. Furthermore, Jesus’ request wasn’t optional. He intended for every one of us to tackle that challenge.
It isn’t natural to want to bestow goodness on those who push our buttons. Our humanity objects to the mere thought of befriending our enemies, yet when we choose to follow Christ, we must do just that. Fortunately, we aren’t expected to accomplish this alone. Paul offers some useful advice in his letter to the Philippians: we can do anything through the strength given by the One who issued this challenge in the first place. With the strength Christ gives, we can meet this and any challenge that comes our way.
Author: Andrea Simms Talley
December 16th, 2020 at 5:05 am
The scripture for this devotional should be Luke 6:27-36.