Devotion - Monday, May 5, 2008

East Heights Daily Devotional
Monday, May 5, 2008

Matthew 22:37-40
37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Inside Out

Each summer our youth and sponsors head out to Tennessee for a week of missions work with the poor through Mountain T.O.P. (Tennessee Outreach Project). Each year Mountain T.O.P. has a theme based on a bible verse and a logo reflecting that theme is printed on their T-shirts.  One year the logo was very simple: the word “Be” printed inside an oval and the word “Out” printed outside the oval.  I am no good with puzzles, so my children (who inherited their dad’s knack for puzzles) were quick to reveal its meaning to me. It refers to the call we have as Christians to “Be Inside Out” – in other words to live out of what is inside us – hopefully that is God’s love. This logo (and it’s theme) has gone down in Mountain T.O.P. infamy as the most misunderstood logo ever.   

When I came across two different writings referring to this same concept, it caused me to pause and reflect.  One of these writings is a book called Leadership from Inside Out, by Wesley Granberg-Michaelson. This book on changing leadership styles calls for people in leadership roles to pay close attention to their spirituality and ask themselves the question “What is presently defining my life?” 

The second is a book called Forty Days to a Closer Walk With God, by J. David Muyskens. This is a book about Centering Prayer. Two purposes of this book are to first encourage deep communion with God through centering prayer, and secondly to live a life motivated by the divine Presence at the center of our being.

In a life that is sometimes chaotic and unfocused it is necessary that we become oriented to our true center, surrendering to Christ who dwells within us. As we do so, we are able to live from the inside out, directed by Christ to serve. The Christian life is meant to be lived from the center, not at the center. We can’t just commune with Christ and ignore the world, but we can take Christ into the world.

If Christ doesn’t define our lives, then something else will. “The world will ask you who you are, and if you don’t know, the world will tell you.” (Carl Young) Ask yourself today: Does Christ define my life?

Prayer:  Open my heart to the gift of your presence today Lord. Guide me in this spiritual journey that I might be defined by Christ’s love.

If you would like to be in ministry with our youth as a Youth Prayer Partner while they are on Choir Tour, Middle School Mission Trip, Mountain T.O.P., or other summer youth ministries, please email paige@ehumc.org or beth@ehumc.org and let us know. Our youth will benefit greatly from your prayers.

Devotions this week are written by:

Beth Strickler
Director of Prayer  Ministries, East Heights United Methodist Church
Beth@ehumc.org / 682-6518
www.ehumc.org