May 6: The Privilege of Following God
(Begin with 1-2 minutes of silence)
If you were to write down every thought you have throughout a day, you would likely discover that you have a lot of things on your mind. The challenge is to discern which of those thoughts are healthy and lead to a fruitful life, and which of those thoughts are unhealthy and lead to stress, anxiety, or incorrect thoughts about God, yourself, or others.
One false narrative you may struggle with is this: It is a struggle (or a burden) to be led by the Spirit of God. At the root of this way of thinking is the belief that every hardship you experience in life is the result of being a Christian. So what do you do? You may choose to go your own way, or cling to the ‘rights’ or ‘privileges’ of being human. Or you may choose to follow God when you think it suits you, but forge your own path at other times.
But in Romans 8:15, Paul reminds us that we have been fully adopted as God’s own children. This means we have given up the rights and privileges of being human, and instead receive the full rights and privileges of being in God’s family. Paul tells us it is not a burden, but a privilege to be led by the Spirit.
READING & JOURNALING:
In ancient Rome, an adopted child had all rights and privileges of their former family cancelled, and instead received the full rights and privileges of their new family. What full rights and privileges do you think come from being adopted into God’s family?
In what ways is it a privilege to be led by the Spirit?
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that it ought not be a struggle, but is instead a tremendous privilege to have the opportunity to be led by Your Spirit. May Your Spirit lead me today into better understanding what it means that I am your child. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
(End with 1-2 minutes of silence)
F260 READING: (A Scripture Reading Plan for Busy Believers)
The F260 is a Scripture Reading Plan designed to read through the foundational passages of the Bible through a year (September 2019 – August 2020). It is a separate reading from the daily devotional but is included for those who would like to engage with the Scriptures on a deeper level throughout the year.
Read: Luke 12
Note: Are you looking for a Study Bible to help you engage with the Scriptures at a deeper level? If so, click here for some recommendations.
south ridge blog 