Next Steps Devo – February 16
As we delve into today’s passage, it is beneficial to recall that one of Paul’s primary goals in the first section (Chapters 1-7) of this letter is to defend his ministry to a church that had questioned whether Paul was genuinely qualified for his role. The reason this reminder is crucial for our reading today is that Paul’s defense takes yet another turn, which might not seem like the wisest point to build an argument.
Paul has previously asserted that he is qualified by his suffering, an attribute that, by worldly standards, may appear unconventional. Now, he shifts to claim that his suffering has allowed him to die. In fact, he states that he dies continually. In our world, there are few instances where death serves as a qualifier outside of funerals and embalmment, making Paul’s argument intriguing. Why?
Gospel living is rooted in death, but a death that leads to true life. The climax of the story is the death of our Savior, Jesus. His death calls us first to a different kind of death, not the tearful, funeral type. Our death is to the identity we have sought to create for ourselves, to the control we don’t actually possess, the pursuit of power that will never satisfy, the quest for comfort that never truly comforts, and the search for approval that never quenches.
The incredible news that Paul presents to us this morning is that our qualification for ministry and a purposeful life is not about us at all, but about who Jesus has reconciled us to be. It’s time to step off the treadmill; the carrot wouldn’t have satisfied even if you had reached it.
Have you ever found the pursuits of life to be exhausting and hopeless? Have you ever felt that your “religion” was just another one of these futile chases? What does today’s passage speak into those misconceptions?
Today’s Prayer: God, I am tired and continually return to the things that fatigue me for rest. Help me see where my heart chases after things that are not You. I long to find rest in You and build my identity based on all that You have done for me. Help me to die to myself and discover the life that You have intended for me. Thank you for Your redemptive love. Amen.