[Friday's Devotional] - Inhuman death

We live in a period of growing life expectancy.  Advances in medical care and pharmaceuticals are making great inroads into conquering many of the killer diseases of the past.  Sometimes now the decision has to be made whether it is economically viable to prolong life, and doctors have to make the choice to stop treatment or to determine who will have access to the limited resources and to prioritise one patient over another.  On the other hand there are new threats to the current generation with obesity, substance abuse and other related causes of death are on the increase.

There is debate over the right to die – with cases of assisted death and euthanasia making the headlines as people travel abroad to avoid being prosecuted, and there appear to be frequent attempts to revive the discussion on legalising assisted suicide.

Perhaps we forget who the “author of life” is?  No life is created without the knowledge and influence of our creator God.  Life may be ended by choice (suicide, murder etc.) but it cannot be created by choice (in the laboratory) without the ingredients provided by our creator.

Perhaps also, we make the mistake of thinking of death as the final end – forgetting the reason Jesus came in human form:

But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation – but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.  For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.  Romans 8: 10-13 [NIV]

Perhaps it is time to re-assess how we think about death?  Are we living according to the flesh or the Spirit?

Lord, help us to be truly alive in the Spirit today.  Give us knowledge and discernment when we consider death.  Comfort those who mourn, and help us to be sensitive towards them.  Amen.

Dave MacLellan

[Thursday's Devotional] - Human pride

The death of Nelson Mandela last December was the trigger for a lot of comment on the humility and courage of this man who had a radically different approach to others in power today.  Oh that we could see more Mandelas and fewer Mugabes in our politicians today!

Many leaders, in politics, finance, business (and even in churches) fail to conquer the corruption of power which can turn good people into proud and arrogant leaders who have reached a position where they do things because they can – and they sometimes forget to practice humility in the way they deal with others.

CS Lewis summed up the essence of humility when he said:

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but rather thinking about yourself less.”

The bible has a lot to say about pride and humility, and Jesus was especially critical of the powerful leaders of the day – seeking to model the servant leadership to his disciples:

Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’  Matthew 20: 25-28 [NIV]

Are you in a position of leadership or power?  Do you practice humility?  Can you resist the temptation to be corrupted by power and habitually proud?

Lord, keep us from pride and help us to practice humility.  Forgive us for the times we have failed to model the example of Jesus.  Amen

Dave MacLellan

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Objectification

Have you noticed how many images of women are used as the covers of magazines, the images in TV and film advertising, and the subjects of music videos?  Objectification is the reduction of human beings to the status of "objects" - denying them the human characteristics of character or personality - making them into objects to be used for the purpose of selling.  This objectification is largely confined to women although occasionally can include images of men.  It seems not to matter what is being sold - or who the target market is - an image of an attractive woman seems to be the answer.

Unfortunately, this habit has negative effects on women - there is, I am certain, a strong link between the graphically enhanced supermodel images we see portrayed, and the low self-image of women who are damaged by the pressure to look good or feel second-rate.  We hear about the rise of anorexia in schools, the growth in plastic surgery to enhance body shape, the increase in depression and self-harm associated with poor self-esteem in women (and sometimes in men).  This same objectification damages the expectations men have about women, and focusing on physical beauty leads to shallow relationships, with short shelf-life, and must surely fuel the breakdown in marriage and the lowering of respect. 

What does the bible say about this?

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.  Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 
1 Peter 3: 3-4 [NIV]

"…The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7b [NIV]

Think about the images you see and the reactions you have to people you meet today.  Are you influenced by appearances?  Do you judge the book by the cover?  Try to look at the heart,  and resist the temptation to dehumanise the people you meet today.

Lord, help me to remember to treat people kindly - thank you that you made us all in your image.  Thank you for the diversity that exists and the beauty that can be found in the hearts of the people you created.  Amen.

Dave MacLellan

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Inhuman warfare

The recent crisis in Syria, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the tension that exists in many other countries gives us an idea of the inhumanity of warfare today.  We hear talk of "collateral damage", a convenient euphemism for the damage to property or the deaths of non-combatants in a war zone - apparently a term that was first used in the Vietnam War.  

Looking at the data for those killed in Iraq over the last decade, it appears that around 4,800 military deaths have been recorded for the coalition forces (mostly USA service men and women - less than 200 from the UK).  This number is dwarfed by the estimates of more than 120,000 civilians killed in the same period in Iraq - a ratio of 25:1.  Every death is a terrible tragedy for the family who lose a loved one, and the nationality or background of the deceased makes no difference to the grief and loss experienced.

Modern warfare has become more and more depersonalised. We have snipers, unmanned drones, cruise missiles and laser guided bombs - all of which separate those who initiate them from the personal brutality of the result.  In addition, the rise of terrorism results in the innocent being killed and the real enemy can become a distant and abstract concept.

What does the bible say about the evils of warfare?

“You will hear about wars. You will also hear people talking about future wars. Don’t be alarmed. Those things must happen. But the end still isn’t here.  Nation will fight against nation. Kingdom will fight against kingdom. People will go hungry. There will be earthquakes in many places.  All these are the beginning of birth pains.

“Then people will hand you over to be treated badly and killed. All nations will hate you because of me.  At that time, many will turn away from their faith. They will hate each other. They will hand each other over to their enemies.  Many false prophets will appear. They will fool many people.  Because evil will grow, most people’s love will grow cold.  But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.  This good news of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world. It will be a witness to all nations. Then the end will come.  
Matthew 24: 6-14 [NIV]

In reality, we cannot expect that cruelty, anger and warfare will cease.  We can and should continue to pray for each and every situation where people are affected by war - we are commanded to keep the faith and to not allow our "love to grow cold"

Can you have the attitude of a peacemaker?  Will you let love conquer evil in your relationships?  Are you willing to preach the good news?

Lord, make me a channel of your peace.  Keep my love warm, and give me the words with which to preach the good news of Jesus today.  Amen.

Dave MacLellan

[Monday's Devotional] - Inhuman economics

Recently I came across an interactive page where you can see a real-time global debt clock.  At the time I checked the total was $52,845,614,308,165 but it is rising all the time and I guess it will be more than that if you check it out now.  Over the past decade we have experienced a massive shift in the level of debt around the globe.  Where did all the money go?  Well - it seems that most governments have borrowed from their citizens to fund the shortfalls they have had and to prop up the banks who have contributed to the global financial meltdown we are still struggling to get to grips with.  Why does it matter?

I think that this issue is just one symptom of the inevitability of human greed.  Another is the fact that the distribution of wealth amongst the people of the world is terribly uneven - I recently shared a video about the distribution of wealth in the USA, here is one about the distribution of UK wealth which you might find more relevant.  The problem is that greed is a sin and one that is hard to resist.  We all think that other people are greedy and we all think that some people have too much money and many people too little - the problem is, are we willing to personally pay towards the imbalance?

What does the bible say about this? 

Here is what Paul wrote to Timothy:

But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.  Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  
1 Timothy 6: 6-10 [NIV]

How do you respond to this today?  What part can you play in improving equality in our nation and world? 

Lord, help me to be generous with my time, my possessions, my words and my money.  Keep me strong to resist the temptation to be greedy.  Amen

Dave MacLellan