Ordinary Time

Pause

Of all the things you could be doing at this very moment, nothing is more important than experiencing God’s presence. Don’t let anything interrupt this special time with God. Set aside any worries, lists, and distractions.

Listen for God speaking to you and to whatever challenges you’re going through today. Seek wisdom. Expect to be changed and empowered.

Listen

What of the wisdom from above? First, it is pure, and then peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good actions, fair, and genuine. Those who make peace sow the seeds of justice by their peaceful acts.

James 3:17-18

Think

Have you ever failed a test? I have. It’s pretty depressing, especially when you knew the material, but couldn’t manage to show it on the exam.

It’s good news that spiritual wisdom can’t be measured by teachers or tests. We show that we have received “wisdom from above” by the way we live each day.

One of the wisest people I have ever known was my college chaplain. Yes, he had a Ph.D., but that’s not what made him wise. What made him so inspiring to me was the way his life embodied the characteristics of this wisdom from above — purity, gentleness, obedience, mercy, goodness, integrity, and peacefulness.

Which of these characteristics is most evident in your life? Which one is lacking? Pray that God will change you today.

Jeff Gibelius

Pray

Lord, teach me what wisdom looks like and how truly wise people act. Help me to be the kind of person who is known not just for how smart they are but for how faithful and decent they are. Let me reflect Jesus in every area of my life. Amen.

Go

Before you return to your normal routine, think: What piece of God’s wisdom do you want to carry with you today? How did this encounter with God and God’s word touch you?

And as you go, know this: God is still speaking.

Keep listening.