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LifeLink Devotional

Thursday, June 3, 2021

According to my grandchildren, I’m old! I can do nothing but agree with them. Yet I count it a privilege to have lived all these years in an age of innovation. I’ve seen a lot of things change. I grew up on party line phones, transistor radios, black-and-white TV, hand-written letters, and typewriters. Now we carry all those things in our pocket on one device. I wonder what the next great innovation will be?

Many of us are enamored with new technology. We want the latest and the greatest of what’s available. We have lost the ability to be content.

Unfortunately, the disease of discontentment has invaded our spiritual lives as well. We seek out new ways to worship because we are no longer emotionally gratified by our current experience. We look for churches that are innovative and modern. We seek out teachers who stroke our egos and leave us feeling good about focusing on self-improvement. We are no longer content with the Gospel, but seek social relevance that produces political activism. And when the next innovative preacher comes along offering an exciting new take on what the Bible teaches, we dive in headfirst and immerse ourselves in whatever is being taught.

Such was the case with the people in the churches of Galatia to whom the Apostle Paul wrote. They became discontent with the Gospel and were easily swayed to follow false teachers. Grace was no longer treasured, and was replaced with the works of their own hands. Peace with God, peace of mind, and peace with others was gone, and discontent prevailed.

The whole book of Galatians is the Holy Spirit’s admonishment of those who have become discontent with the Gospel. Every inspired word is directed at turning us back to grace and peace. When we treasure grace, we will know true peace. Grace is the grounds for peace with God. Grace is the solution for peace with self. Grace is the means of peace with others.

Paul begins his address to the people of Galatia with these words: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Galatians 1:3)

Why are so many professed followers of Jesus lacking peace? Why are we so discontent? Why are we constantly seeking new innovations in church ministry and new emotional highs in worship? Why are false teachers so popular?

There is one reason why: people have their minds set on the flesh and not on the Spirit of God. In Romans 8:6 Paul says, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Discontent is caused by seeking self rather than the Savior!

We need a revival in the church today. We need repentance from pursuing the desires of the flesh. We need humble hearts that treasure the grace of God and not the treasures of the world. Then and only then will we find peace.

It starts with me…and you. Let’s check our contentment level. Is the grace of God sufficient for our every need, and does it satisfy our every need so we are at peace?

It should. It can. It will.

Pastor John