Sick of Religion? Week 4: Devotional Day 7

Sick of Religion? Week 4: Devotional Day 7

DAY 7 – Sunday

Daily devotional

Read

Mark 2:20-22; Ephesians 3:14-21

Ask

There are many images of the “new” things Christ does in our lives. Isaiah 43:19 “See I am doing a new thing”. Psalm 96:1 “Sing to the Lord a new song”. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation”. What is the new thing, the new wine, that Christ is bringing in this next season in your life?

Reflect

Every once in a while, I deal with insomnia. Over the years, I’ve learned of ways to get past it, but first I had to learn when I was dealing with it. One of the ways I know I’m not going to be able to fall asleep without some help is when I have a song get stuck in my head. It’s absolutely bizarre, but I can be lying in bed for 15 minutes or more and the only thing going through my mind is a portion from whatever particular song it may be, over and over and over, stuck in a loop. Maddening!

Sometimes our spiritual life can feel like that kind of loop. Instead of a new song, it’s the same tired problem over and over again. Anger, anxiety, lust, fear… these kinds of things can be maddeningly familiar to us. It’s a far cry from a “new song.”

Which is why I’m grateful for the beautiful passage in Ephesians 3 from today’s reading. When we consider what gets us stuck, our inclination is to “work on it.” But the promise of Jesus is not that we would work harder, do better at being spiritual, but rather that God’s Spirit would enable us to truly, deeply know God’s love. New life, after all, does not come by gritting our teeth and making it happen, it must come from outside of us.

As you consider what new thing God may be doing in your life right now, it may be a recognition of something already in process, praise God. But if you’re feeling stuck, wishing for some new wine, it may help to take the time to read Ephesians 3:14-21 out loud as a prayer. Invite God’s Spirit to root you in his love. As you take your eyes off of what besets you and onto God’s glorious, incomprehensible love, I pray that you find a new song.