Devotions with Pastor Delinda

I was talking to one of our eighth graders the other day who was blowing my mind. She was talking about how she’s learning to code, something I haven’t the first clue about. As she’s telling me some of the things she’s able to do with that, my eyes and mouth were getting wider and wider. For instance, she was learning how to send a text message that when opened could hack into someone’s phone and grab every piece of information on it. Can you imagine carrying that sort of responsibility at the age of 14? To always do the right thing...knowing you could basically destroy someone else’s life with the touch of a screen and the information you knew.

It got me thinking about our responsibility as Christian people, especially today, in this world we are living in.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." (1 Peter 4:10 ) We have a responsibility to serve one another, not just our Christian brothers and sisters, but it is in our service that all will see God's grace in action as we demonstrate our faith.

We have a Christian responsibility to encourage one another. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up." It is easy in this world to become discouraged because of work, relationships, finances, what we see in the news, school, the list goes on. So, it is our Christian duty to help others believe, overcome and stay faithful in a discouraging world.

We have the responsibility to help carry one another’s burdens. Galatians 6:2"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Nobody needs to walk alone in the valley. We need to walk with each other and lighten the load many carry on their shoulders. Jesus removed our greatest burden at the cross. So, we need to help our brothers and sisters who are lost in the valley.

James 5:16 says,"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." We need to pray for one another. We must intercede for our brothers and sisters and pray on their behalf. Powerful and effective prayer will make all the difference.

To whom much is given, much is required. As Christians, we have a responsibility toward others. It is not a choice, it is required.

We also have a responsibility to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” Mathew 28:16-20

As I told my Middle Schoolers the other day, it might not be the popular thing to do, they may not like what we have to say, and what we have to say may even clash with what is “legal”. But what is legal is not always right. We have a responsibility, people need to hear about Christ and know his commands. It’s a great responsibility. Those who see us not doing these things may never know, they be turned off by us and that may keep them away and we may not see them in glory. Now that’s a huge responsibility.
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Pastor Delinda