I invite you to take a few moments with me to reflect on today’s Upper Room Devotional below.
Thank you for sharing this early moment of your day with me, with God, and with the thoughts and words of this reading that I hope you will carry with you throughout the coming day and night.
Today’s Scripture:
Colossians 3:23-25 Common English Bible (CEB)
23 Whatever you do, do it from the heart for the Lord and not for people. 24 You know that you will receive an inheritance as a reward. You serve the Lord Christ. 25 But evildoers will receive their reward for their evil actions. There is no discrimination.
Tim’s Devotional Reflection for Today
I recently read about Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr. (1921-1982), known as “The Great Impostor,” who masqueraded as many people — from monks to surgeons to prison wardens. He was the subject of a movie, The Great Impostor, in which he was played by Tony Curtis.
During Demara’s “careers,” his impersonations included a ship’s doctor, a civil engineer, a sheriff’s deputy, an assistant prison warden, a doctor of applied psychology, a hospital orderly, a lawyer, a child care expert, a Benedictine monk, a Trappist monk, an editor, a cancer researcher and a teacher. One teaching job led to six months in prison. He never seemed to get (or seek) much monetary gain in what he was doing — just temporary respectability.
Many of Demara’s unsuspecting employers, under other circumstances, would have been satisfied with Demara as an employee. Demara was said to possess a true photographic memory and was widely reputed to have an extraordinary IQ. He was apparently able to memorize necessary techniques from textbooks and worked on two cardinal rules: “The burden of proof” is on the accuser and “when in danger, attack.”
He described his own motivation as “Rascality, pure rascality.” (Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Wikipedia.com)
The question of motivation is intriguing, isn’t it? What motivates people? What makes people “tick”? The answers to such questions are never simple.
“Whatever you do, do it from the heart for the Lord and not for people.” These words from Colossians challenge us to think more deeply about our own motives.
What motivates you? Why do you do what you do?
Think about those people in your life and in the larger community who serve faithfully and tirelessly to make our community and our world a better place. What motivates them? I ran across this prayer for those who serve “with no motivation other than to better the lot of other travelers along the way, to hold a hand out for those who need a hand up, to comfort those who sorrow, to befriend the friendless…” I invite you to pray this prayer today:
O God, today we pray for all those who serve you. We pray for those who tirelessly work in the name of Jesus Christ, and who do so with no thought of earthly reward or collegial recognition; who do so with no motivation other than to better the lot of other travelers along the way, to hold a hand out for those who need a hand up, to comfort those who sorrow, to befriend the friendless — in short to bring a ray sunshine into the lives of those who sit in darkness. These are your servants, gracious God. These are the ministers and mediators of your love and mercy. These are the true apostles of the Good News, who, perhaps without any formal training, understand better than most that theology is best when walked about, not just talked about. We pray for those whose lives are thus lived fulfilling the great commission, those for whom to “live is Christ and to die is gain.” Bless them and empower them for the ministry to which you have called them, so that someday it may be said of them, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter in to the joy of your reward.” Amen. (A Prayer for Laity Sunday, homileticsonline.com)
There is a lot of theology woven into hymns. To enhance today’s reading, I recommend listening to “Breathe on Me, Breath of God”. I hope you will take a few moments to let the words of this message and the emotion that always connects us to music connect with your soul. Listen to this hymn on SoundCloud.
Breathe on me, Breath of God
fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love,
and do what thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
until my heart is pure;
until with thee I will one will,
to do and to endure.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
till I am wholly thine;
until this earthly part of me
glows with thy fire divine.
Breathe on me, Breath of God:
so shall I never die,
but live with thee the perfect life
of thine eternity.
Thank you for sharing this early moment of your day with me, with God, and with the words and music that I hope you will carry with you throughout the coming day and night.
I am so grateful for you, for our church, and for the Love that will see us all through this very difficult time. Please stay safe and well and we’ll be together again in spirit tomorrow morning!
Grace and Peace,
Dr. Tim Bruster
Senior Pastor
Here’s more about this passage of scripture via Upper Room devotionals:
OUR ALL
In whatever work God calls me to do, I will give my all.
