Laughing Jesus by Robert Wilson, Sr.
Last Sunday night I had the joy to sharing a devotion with the AWANA kids at our church. It’s an honor to be able to bring the Word of God to the little children that Jesus instructs us to be like!
I never know what God is going to allow me to share with them. There isn’t a topic list to follow or a calendar of lessons, at least not in our church. Instead, it’s similar to what God does every week with Parting Words From The WORD. I simply share something from what the Lord is doing or has done in my own life. This week’s AWANA message was no different.
As I considered what God has been teaching me through our church-wide Bible study, 40 Days in the Word by Rick Warren, I realized the lesson was something even a child could understand:
We’re not only to love the Word and learn the Word, but we’re to live the Word as well. We’re to apply it to our own lives, giving it permission to change us from the inside out. That’s what scripture has done and continues to do in me.
I remembered–and shared with the children–the first time I found Romans 12:18.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 (NIV)
God showed me that verse and its application to my life way back in 1982 or so when I truly gave my life to Him. I had been in church all my life, walking an aisle at 9 years old with a Bible that carried no meaning, and walking out the door the same way I came. But about 25 years later, after God truly entered my heart and mind, the Bible had new meaning, and this verse was an integral part of the change.
Simple, straightforward, as if written for a child, this verse showed me the responsibility we all have to work toward peace with others. As one who had a sharp tongue and a judgmental heart, this truth was a new concept to me.
Live at peace? With everyone? Not one-up-man-ship? Not cutting others down? Not proving I can do it better, faster, prettier than the next guy?
Romans 12:18 became my guiding verse for that first year or two as I began to learn the art and heart of gentleness. Notice I say I began to learn it. I’m sorry to say, it will be an ongoing, lifelong process for me.
But the good news is, through that verse, God’s Word made a direct, visible change in my life…just as it should.
I shared Romans 12:18 and several other verses with the AWANA kids, and they got it. They easily grasped the concept of loving, learning, and living the Word by applying it to their lives.
What about you? Can you point to a verse in God’s Word that had a life-changing effect on your heart, mind, and spirit? If so, I’d love for you to share it here. Who knows–it could be a life-changing verse for someone else.
And today, as I ask God to bless the work of your hands and your hearts, I’m also asking Him to bless you with peace…at least as far as it depends on me.
Vonda
(Image art courtesy of Robert Wilson Fine Art)
