Skip to main content

Closing the Gap 11.5.18

By November 5, 2018Daily Devotional

Week 44 Day 1

Pray:

Ask God to reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.

Read:

1 Thess. 5:12-13 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

Heb. 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Reflect:

Everyone leads.  Not everyone leads well, but everyone leads.  At the very least, everyone leads himself or herself.  This leadership is called self-control. Again, not everyone leads themselves well.  In addition, most people will at some point in their lives have the opportunity and the responsibility to lead others; if not in their vocation or ministry, then in their homes.  It would seem that since most people have experienced the role of “leader” they would know how challenging leadership is and, therefore, readily and willingly support those God has placed in leadership over them.  But, it is often a fact of human nature that we tend to want others to give us respect and grace and, yet, are slow to give the same to others. This often proves true for those whose stewardship is to follow a God-appointed leader.  Just as all people will lead, all people will also follow. Everyone will operate under God-appointed leadership whether it is familial, government, ministry, or work. Wherever God has placed you under a leader, he has given you the responsibility to be found faithful there.  You are to submit to leadership as if you were submitting to the Lord. This does not mean you blindly follow or do things that are illegal, immoral, or unbiblical. You are to submit first and foremost to the leadership of God, and then to submit to human leaders he places over you unless they demand that you disobey the leadership of God.  It is extremely rare that you will be asked to obey a human leader by disobeying God. If this does happen, then of course you must obey God. But outside of this extreme set of circumstances, you obey God by obeying those in leadership over you. Do this in the same manner and spirit that you would want those who God places under your leadership to follow you.  Truly in leadership and “followership” the golden rule applies. “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” How do you want to be followed when God tasks you with leading? Now go and follow in that manner.

Pray:

(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today.

Leave a Reply