21-day challenge Day #1: John 1

Read: John 1

My Key Verse: John 1:4-5 “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”

My Reflections: Maybe I’m having a bad day, but I feel like I’m surrounded by chaos. There’s chaos in my own life, from being 20 min late b/c of lost keys this morning to just not having any time to spend with my wife because of the busyness of our schedules. Even more than that, I feel like chaos is defining the lives of many of my close friends. Two very good friends are in the midst of major marital problems and it breaks my heart. I see people completely losing sight of our purpose and the vision of life that God has given.

“The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it.” Even those of us who call ourselves Christians are prone to living in darkness. I’m not talking about moral debauchery…I don’t have to be. At least when people who consider themselves Christians go out and party stupid, they feel guilty about it. They know that their behavior doesn’t reflect the presence of Jesus Christ in their life. But people who go to Community Group on Friday instead of the bar, still allow darkness to permeate their lives. It’s not on purpose. It’s almost sinister, the way it happens.

It happens when we take our eyes off of Jesus. It happens when we forget why we exist. It happens when the blessings from God—houses, jobs, children, autos, toys—begin to be our reason for living instead of wonderful blessings to enjoy along the way. It happens when our decisions become more about “What I Want” and less about “What God Wants For Me.”

We all want to live our lives. We all want more. We all want to be happy and healthy and comfortable and secure… but we’ve forgotten the source. Jesus came for us. He came to save. He came to teach. He came to love and restore. He came to forgive and remove the shame. “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.”

My Prayer: God, I want that life. I don’t want chaos to be the rule of my existence. I want to walk in the “unforced rhythms of grace.” I want every aspect of my life—the way I love my wife, the way I interact with my kids, the way I do my job—every bit of it to be filtered through the light that is in my life because of Jesus Christ. I want the peace of God that defies our understanding to be a constant in me, and then I want to be a gentle reminder to everyone I that I touch that there is a better way to do life…a better way that does not consist of darkness or chaos. Today, God, I pray that you will re-infuse me with your vision for my life and more than ever, allow me to be an instrument of your peace. Yours is the power and the kingdom and the glory, forever. Amen