Today’s verse is one I try to remember daily when I am going through the motions of life, asking myself “is it beneficial”? 1 Corinthians 6:12 says: “‘Everything is permissible for me,' but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me,' but I will not be mastered by anything” (CSB). This verse says not … Continue reading Is it Beneficial
Tag: Paul
Poor Example
Yesterday, we looked at how Paul confronted Peter face-to-face. It was important that Paul confront him, as he was being a poor example to the other believers. As Galatians 2:13 says: “And so, because of Peter’s hypocrisy, many other Jewish believers followed suit, refusing to eat with gentile believers. Even Barnabas was led astray by … Continue reading Poor Example
Confrontation
One of the hardest things for me is confrontation. I would say as a leader it was what I struggled with most. It is difficult to stand up to someone, to go face-to-face with someone and mention something that you take issue with, and for me, I always would get this nervous feeling in my … Continue reading Confrontation
Secret
We read in Galatians about this big secret Paul kept. He heard about Jesus Christ, but he didn’t immediately consult humans. Instead, he spent more time with God. He wanted to hear from God above all else and went to Arabia. In some translations, we read the term “flesh and blood,” which contrasts the difference … Continue reading Secret
How Quickly
Never say never. That’s a phrase I try to remember because I have seen people say they would never do something, and then down the road that something happens. Even I have said I would never do something and found myself doing it. Sometimes these things we say we won’t do are actually good things, … Continue reading How Quickly
The Lord’s Commendation
Paul said, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (2 Corinthians 10:17). It’s too easy to fall into the bad habit of bragging. We want the approval of others, right? We want people to like us. Even when we say we aren’t in this world to make friends or when we say we … Continue reading The Lord’s Commendation
Rejoicing in Every Season
Paul mentions three “yet” statements in today’s verse. In 2 Corinthians 6:10, we read: “We may suffer, yet in every season we are always found rejoicing. We may be poor, yet we bestow great riches on many. We seem to have nothing, yet in reality we possess all things” (TPT). Let us break this down. … Continue reading Rejoicing in Every Season
Validation
Today’s devotion focuses on endorsement… validation… recommendation. The Message translates today’s verse this way: “Does it sound like we’re patting ourselves on the back, insisting on our credentials, asserting our authority? Well, we’re not. Neither do we need letters of endorsement, either to you or from you. You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. … Continue reading Validation
Adapting
Today we look at adapting. Paul says he “adapted to the culture.” The Message translates this verse as: “I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there … Continue reading Adapting
Dominated by the Flesh
It is very difficult to look inward and be honest with yourself. Unfortunately, too often we like to believe what we want, to see the best in ourselves, and we miss what is clearly right smack dab in the middle. We may think our heart is in the right place. We may cling to our … Continue reading Dominated by the Flesh
Tania Gutekunst 