WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12
Author: Dr. Jay Madden, Executive Pastor
FROM THE BIBLE
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58
DEVOTIONAL
We have celebrated Easter, heard the gospel preached, sang the Hallelujah Chorus, and took our pictures in front of the flower cross. So now what? What does it mean to live in light of the resurrection? What does it mean to live our lives with the hope of Christ?
In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul reminds the church in Corinth of what Christ has done. He writes “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (v.4). He tells them that he “has put everything under his feet.” (v.27) and that resurrection to eternal life is our future as well (v.52). However, he ends the chapter not by talking about what has already been done or about what will happen in eternity. Paul ends with a call to action for the church in Corinth focused on the here and now.
The Apostle writes that the Corinthians are to stand firm in the face of those that would persecute them, but this call to “let nothing move you” is not a call to go into a shell, passively waiting or becoming inwardly focused. It is a call to action. This is the life that Paul always modeled through his ministry. He faced difficulties that we can hardly imagine, and yet time and again, he bounced back by giving himself fully to the Lord’s work. He was able to do this because he knew the power of the resurrection and that all things are possible through Christ.
That should be our story as well. Our response to the resurrection is not to spend our days waiting for heaven but to spend our days bringing heaven into the here and now. Paul’s encouragement is to stand firm and give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord. It’s the only appropriate response to Christ, who gave himself fully for us!
One way that we give ourselves fully is through our generosity. In these days after celebrating Easter, Renewing the Promise is our opportunity to give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord. This is our moment to make an impact for the sake of the next generation. It’s our opportunity to demonstrate that the work of those that have come before us was not in vain and that we are ready to do our part to carry their legacy forward as Easter people.
PRAYER
Lord, through Your resurrection, you have shown us that You can make all things new. As we move on from this Easter season, give us the grace to live in that hope. Help us to stand firm not by accepting the status quo but by pouring ourselves into Your work, bringing our lives, including our resources, to our moment in time.