TSP DAILY DEVOTIONAL
WHO WILL YOU VOTE FOR?
8th January 2020
Dr. Phil Ransom-Bello
KEY SCRIPTURE/MEMORY VERSE:Romans 12:2(TPT)
Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.
In our text today, Paul paints the idea that there are two options- the Christ narrative or the Culture narrative that pulls at the attention of the believer across every area of our lives from the way we handle finance to marriage to leadership and followership.
The world’s culture is constantly pushing a narrative that is opposed to the Christ narrative.
The message of scripture is strongly opposed to the cultural narrative. 2 Corinthians 10:5 speaks of casting down thought patterns that exalt themselves against the knowledge of Christ.
This is why when there is a contest between the two options, you would hear a statement along the lines of;
“Let’s leave the Bible or Gospel aside. Let’s face reality.”
But the real question is- Whose reality?
Because as a believer, your Christ reality trumps every other reality.
Truth is, every conversation you have or movie you see is a campaign. It’s a call to vote. To decide which reality to uphold between the narrative of the world’s system or the narrative of Christ. And so, there really is no fence for the believer.
The believer has got a responsibility to renew his/her mind. Continuously.
(Ephesians 4:23AMPC)
Someone once said that many Christians act as though they are in a TRADITIONAL marriage and not a CHRISTIAN marriage because the principles that they live by are essentially tied to what their mother or father’s aunt or uncle said and not what the template of Christ says.
So where marriage is supposed to serve as a shadow of the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church and show the believer how to live in marriage, we see believers handle situations in their marriages based on what their friend advised them to do.
So, instead of laying down your life for your wife as Christ did for the church or submitting to love and leadership as the church should respond to Christ, Instead of competing to outdo one another in love and sacrifice, it fast becomes a competition of who is right and can prove that they are right or whose voice is loud enough to fight for their interest.
Look, you must guard against imbibing what the cultural narrative is promoting no matter how normal it seems.
See what (Romans 12:10TPT) says;
Be devoted to tenderly loving your fellow believers as members of one family. Try to outdo yourselves in respect and honor of one another.
In leadership, although it may be normal to use people to achieve your agenda in the world, but when you get to a position of leadership as a believer, do you do the same or you lead like Christ, the good shepherd?
Jesus was so secure in His identity that He could go down and wash the feet of His disciples. His idea of leadership was servant leadership.
Think about it, Jesus came for the whole world, He died for the whole world. His sacrifice wasn’t discriminatory on who was deserving of His sacrifice.
Nothing like, “Oh that’s not my type or my clique so I can’t roll with them.”
The Christ narrative equips you to be able to interact with everyone because the Gospel is for everybody.
(Colossians 3:9-14MSG) says we have a new custom-made attire that is better than the ill-fitting clothes of the former culture and world system. As a new man in Christ, our new attire is the all-purpose garment of Love.
Dear believer, the mind of Christ is your voter’s card. It is your deliberate choice to reflect the character of Christ rather than the character of culture in your daily experiences.
Let your vote represent your identity in Christ.
REFLECTION
Who does my life vote for everyday? The old nature or the new nature?
DECLARATION
-Thank you Lord for your word today.
-I declare that your word is enough for me.
-Who I am and all I need to function as a believer is the word.
-I am transformed in all ramifications by your word.
-The word of God is light and life to me. I see solutions, I receive insight and direction by your word.
-Jesus is magnified in all I do. I exhibit and display the very nature and personality of Christ.
-I reaffirm that the old man is dead and the new man reigns.
-I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, therefore I do not struggle to display the light of His kingdom.
-Men are drawn to the kingdom of God through me. -I live for the praise and glory of His name.
-Hallelujah!
HEARING BY THE WORD
(Recommended Listening)
Listen to The Mind of Christ >> Dr. Phil by The StandPoint Church on #SoundCloud
