Daily Devotional - Monday June 5, 2017

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” – Hebrews 12:1

Living Like LeBron

Each year before the playoffs start, LeBron James takes a social media break. On April 14, he tweeted outZero Dark Thirty-23 Activated!! #StriveForGreatness” and now we won’t hear from him again on Twitter until his team’s playoff run is over. It is his way of staying focused and clearing his mind of potential distractions during the most important part of the season, the NBA postseason. 

Likewise, it would benefit us to clear our minds and remove distractions that deter us from our walk on the straight and narrow. So consider what we could give up for a period of time to renew our minds and spirits: cell phones, television, Netflix, video games, social media, e-mail, or whatever else you deem necessary. With each person it is different, but the key is that we find what works best for us in our daily walks and replace it with what draws us closer to our Creator.

None of the aforementioned things are sinful, but if we are not careful, they can end up hindering our daily walk if we become addicted to them and they run our lives. That is when we need to do some self-reflection and not walk away from the spiritual mirror refusing to change our lives (James 1:22-25).

After all, our lives as Christians mean that each day it is “Time to work!” because our struggles and battles bombard us whether we are ready for them or not.

Let us #StriveForGreatness today!

– Daniel Matthews