Devotion:
Read Mark 1:14-15.
“Repent and believe the good news!” According to this Gospel writer, that is part of his summary of the first preaching and teaching that Jesus did. I’ve read that statement many times over the years, but when I read it this time, I was struck by that combination. The first instruction is to repent, which simply means to change your life and turn it or direct it more toward God. Change is hard. Most of us want to stick with what we have always thought and the ways we have always lived. But Jesus began his ministry with this emphasis on changing so that we can learn and his way and become the person God can create us to be.
The second part of his instruction here is to “believe the good news!” Is it not amazing how often people seem to be more attracted to bad news, at least when it is about other people? That’s why the news media and even many social media posts focus on bad news; it’s what people want to hear. I have even noticed that people in the Church sometimes seem to want to hear more about God’s judgment than God’s grace. Jesus begins his ministry with an emphasis on the good news of the gospel: God loves you and forgives you. God even gave the precious gift of Jesus to show the depth of that love and to provide a way for each of us to be in a personal relationship with God.
Putting these two instructions together makes me think they go together. Repent/change your thinking (stop believing God is against you or out to get you) and believe/be assured that God loves you and wants the best for you. Then look for every opportunity to share that same good news with every other person you can!
Personal Worship Option:
Who do you know who needs this good news today? What is stopping you from sharing it with them?
No comments:
Post a Comment