Freedom For Today

Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 before reading the devotional below.

If you haven’t noticed it yet, the tone of this entire letter from Paul to the Corinthian church is a plea for restored relationship and trust. Some others have preached against them, though we do not know exactly what has happened or what was said. Paul is imploring them to see his heart and his character. He has suffered significantly and he hopes that counts for something.

When a relationship is harmed, you hope that those who have known you will remain connected with who you really are. Narratives get spun all the time, but if you have proven yourself to others you hope that they can see the truth. In Paul’s case, the truth he wants them to see is way beyond him. He’s concerned with their eternal salvation.

Here’s your freedom for today:

Freedom is found in an open heart.

When your heart is closed to someone, part of you remains hardened. This obviously causes problems in that relationship, but it also impacts your spiritual life. You cannot love God with a hard heart. What parts of your heart are closed off today? Are there conflicts you remain bitter about? Have you shut yourself off to God or to those who have hurt you? What would it look like to open yourself up, show love, or be vulnerable?

Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 before reading the devotional below.

Sometimes I feel like I live a ridiculous life. Other times I feel like it is the most common sense way to live. Paul felt the same way. When the Holy Spirit is leading you and compelling you to action, you may do strange things. I have made a lot of decisions in my life that the world might view as foolish, but they make complete sense in light of God’s kingdom.

The good news is we don’t have to use the world’s standards to evaluate our lives. Supernatural living requires a supernatural perspective. “What’s going to last for eternity?” is a better question than, “What can I do to get myself ahead?” When your mission is to reconcile the world to God, you might have some pretty other-worldly means of doing it.

Here’s your freedom for today:

You can break the mold.

Most of the time, earthly standards just result in a whole bunch of people doing the same thing to feel “different.” That hairstyle or outfit isn’t self-expression so much as conformity to a group. When you are seeking to conform to God’s image, different things matter. When you are trying to help others see themselves as God sees them, suddenly life isn’t all about you. You don’t have to be like everybody else, and you don’t have to have American ideals and goals to succeed. Following Jesus might mean walking away from your stable career or helping someone in need even when it costs you. It might mean risking jail for the Gospel as Paul did. What would your life look like if your primary job title was “Christ’s ambassador”?

Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 before reading the devotional below.

I’m tired. My body is worn out. But it won’t be like this forever. Paul uses some amazing metaphors in today’s passage — your body is a tent that’s going to be taken down some day. Our eternal bodies will be like a new kind of clothing. My favorite: our dying bodies will be “swallowed up by life.”

What would it mean for life to swallow you? I imagine jumping into a deep ocean or floating in the best kind of dream imaginable. The more metaphors required to describe a thing, the more beautifully complex it is. God’s kingdom will be awesome, but it’s not the most important end goal.

Here’s your freedom for today:

You don’t have to wait for eternal life to begin.

Paul tells that whether we are in these old, broken down bodies or whether we are shining in an eternal home, our real goal is to please God. That’s it. Not encounter him. Not experience him. Not make it to his kingdom. Please him. When we make our spirituality about our awesome experiences, we lose our purpose. Don’t get me wrong, an encounter with God is life-changing and amazing. You can and should enjoy his presence. But in the end, it’s not about you or me. It’s about him. Today, make it about him again. Worship him. Thank him. Get swallowed up by him. Live for him. You can start right now. That’s what it’s about from now to eternity.

Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 4:8-18 before reading the devotional below.

When you are working in the supernatural, normal things can’t knock you down. You can be pressed on every side, but you won’t be crushed. You can be confused and have no clue what God is doing, but you can still hang on to a shred of hope. When you see suffering as spiritually useful, you live differently.

Pause for a moment to reflect on your prayer life. I do this periodically. Are my prayers mostly about lights changing faster from red to green, or perhaps focused on my day working out efficiently? Is my spiritual life revolving around myself and my own comfort or convenience? I have to be honest, I fall into that trap quite a bit. It’s hard not to in modern American culture.

Here’s your freedom for today:

Real life is about what you can’t see.

Paul had a mission that was beyond what he could see. He was spreading God’s grace around in a world that barely gave him the time of day (and those were the Christians!). He had an uphill climb on a goal that wasn’t his own. And it was that very thing that made him rise above all the normal struggles. He could always hang on to God’s purposes, plans, and promises. His faith, hope, and love were eternally grounded. How we pray is a big indication of what we are clinging to. What are some ways you could go deeper in the supernatural?

Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 4:1-7 before reading the devotional below.

Any time a new section of the Bible starts with “therefore,” it’s a good idea to back up and figure out what the author is referencing. In this case, Paul has just finished talking about the new way that God made himself available to us through the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

This new opportunity to encounter God gives us new hope. There’s no need to trick anybody into becoming a follower of Jesus — the truth is amazing enough! What Paul was preaching was not about him, and anyone truly preaching the Gospel won’t make it about themselves. The power of God is a treasure, and we are mere vessels.

Here’s your freedom for today:

You are a bright light.

When you have the Holy Spirit, you are like a jar that holds a candle and shoots light out in all directions. You are fragile, not suited to display all of God’s glory by yourself. But you can shine the piece he puts in you — a little tealight that can add to other tealights to make a much larger light. Some might not understand the good news of Jesus, and some might try to snuff out your light. In this passage, Satan is called “the god of this world.” He is working to maintain control and keep the darkness dark. If you think of yourself as a fragile vessel, what does that mean for how you engage with the Holy Spirit?