PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS
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Every time I go looking for new shoes, I am reminded that I have huge feet and that I cannot buy shoes in any normal store. I have often wished that this part of my life were different, that I could just be “normal.” But the reality of my life is that I have big feet.
I learned to own this reality back when I was a kid. I have learned to live life as a sasquatch, a bigfoot, a kangaroo, and so many other fun names. There is no getting around my reality, so instead of wishing things were different, I have learned to live each day as a reflection of who I am.
Accept
In the following passage, the Lord Jesus Christ taught his people that we too, have been made into something real, something significant. In this teaching, Jesus challenges us to accept the truth of who we are and learn how to live the reality of this new being each day.
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
(Matthew 5:13-16 NIV-11)
Who are we?
Jesus teaches his disciples that they have become someone new as they have been called into the service of the Lord. Jesus uses the following descriptive language to describe this new identity:
Salt of the Earth
When people use this phrase to say that someone is plain, basic, unimportant, or unimpressive, they show their ignorance of the great value that salt has played in the lives of all of human existence.
- Salt was and is necessary for human life. Salt is used in almost every modern medicine, and even a slight imbalance in our sodium levels can spell disaster for us.
- So great was the value of salt that it was once the currency of the world.
When Jesus calls his people the salt of the world, he is giving them a compliment and helping them see their essential nature for the good of the world and the success of God’s plans.
Live it out
Jesus challenges his people to live as salt. To live their lives as those who have been made into something essential in God’s eyes.
To shrink back from living out this God given identity is to steal from those God has placed into your life so that they might experience the goodness of God seen in your life.
Light of the World
In John 8:12, we hear the Lord Jesus say, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus, who has come into the darkness of sin and rebellion against God, provides the light we need in order to see and understand the gift of God’s grace.
Now, hear Jesus’ statement about who he has made you to be. You, too are the light of the world. This is who you are as a child of God. You were once in darkness, lost in sin, but now, because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, you have been included in his new life. As a result, you share in his new nature.
You too are a conduit for God’s light.
It is important that we see this and accept it as our reality. We do not act like light, or behave like light, we ARE light thanks to Christ.
Live It!
In verse 16 we heard Jesus summarize our calling as he said, “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Jesus is calling you and me to see the truth of who he has made us to be, and then we are to live out this truth. We are to be salt and be light everywhere we go, with whomever the Lord places in our path.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for the truth you shared with us in your word. I believe that because of your work, I am free to live my life today as a child of the Living God, loved and set free from my old nature and old flesh. You have made me new. Help me live this truth today in all I do and in all I say. Thank you for your grace!
In Christ,
Ryan Laden
PASTOR RYAN LADEN
Senior Pastor at PARK HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
Worked at MTN. CHURCH
Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church
Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
Studied at Baylor University
Studied at Texas Tech University
Went to Castle Hills First Baptist
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