Jesus Meets Us In Our Mess
Reading Plan: Meet People Where They Are
Devotional: 2 of 11
“Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.”(Acts 17:21 ESV)
Meet People Where They Are - Tip #1: Never Forget the Void In Your Own Life That Jesus Saved You From
The Athenians found themselves in a constant pursuit of novelty. They had an unquenchable craving for everything new. However, their never-ending pursuit of wisdom and intellect left them with a void in their souls that worldly pleasures could not fill. It is this void that Paul inserts himself into proclaiming with great compassion the gospel message of Jesus Christ.
Like the people of Athens, we all have a void inside our soul that only Jesus can fill. We can try in vain to fill this void with worldly pleasure, possession, and position only to fall short of the abundant life that God has planned for us. Ephesians 2:5 reminds us that God “made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in (our) transgressions — (and) it is by grace you have been saved.” God calls us to exchange the void in our hearts and our unquenchable pursuit of the newest thing for His free gift of salvation.
Once we make that eternity-defining decision to accept God’s free gift of salvation, we must never forget our own mess that we have been saved from. We must resist the temptation to climb the stairs of our own individual tower of good works. The longer we walk with God, the more tempting it is to see ourselves and our good works as better and more holy than others. Instead, our response should always be to extend grace to the people that God has placed in our lives.
If you are a follower of Jesus, God is calling you to meet people RIGHT where they are in their mess. No judgment. No requiring people to change before you accept them. Just unconditional love, the same love that Jesus offered to you and me when He first met us in our mess.
To read more devotions based on the book of Acts click here.
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About the Author
Nathan Miller is a passionate follower of Jesus who strives to connect, surrender, and partner with Him on a daily basis. He is the founder of OnThe3rdDay, a resource created to help others more fully Live a Life On Mission For Jesus. Nathan is devoted to studying God's word, writing about following Jesus in today's culture, and discipling others who want to do the same. He is also a husband, father, friend, mentor, ultra-marathon runner, NBA basketball enthusiast, fan of all things tech, and music lover. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his wife and two kids, where they are involved in their local church, North Way Christian Community.