As I went looking for our next devotional about dads, I found this one named “Love Slows Down” by Joël and Jonathan Malm. In a world where we see so much of a desire or need for instant gratification the topic of slowing down is interesting. In a world where everyone is busy and always on the go the topic of slowing down is intriguing. Today’s devotional draws us in with the statement “We were made from love, made for love, and are called to live in God’s love.” Today’s devotional is based on the book “Love Slows Down” by author Joël Malm. Looking to learn more about the book, it speaks to how packed it is with truth, guidance, and spiritual wisdom. This devotional will carry us through a week as it is a 7-day devotional. Its introduction shares how it will help us slow down and trade in anger, anxiety, and hurry for life with God’s love! I’m excited to get to see where we go.
Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional:
‘Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘
Matthew 22:37-39
‘So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ‘
Matthew 6:31-33
Ever realized how alive God’s Word is? Ever found how God’s Word meets you right where you are at? As I was getting my day started I was thinking about the and wondering about this day and how to finish the week strong and on a high note so that next week will be able to start stronger and the quotes and thoughts that came to mind align with today’s devotional’s verses.
Let’s be the dads who slow down out of love! Let’s be the dads who put love as our top priority! Let’s be the dads who love the Lord your God with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our minds! Let’s be the dads who make this our top priority! Let’s be the dads who continue to seek to put God’s will first and as such choose to love others as Jesus commanded when He told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Let’s be the dads who love God, love our wives, love our kids, and love those God has brought into our lives as our neighbors!
Let’s be the dads who are trusting God so much that we aren’t living a life of worry that would rob us of all God has planned, prepared, and wills for our lives! Rather than worrying, let’s be the dads who cast our worry, anxiety, and care upon God because we know that He cares for us! Let’s be the dads who aren’t stuck worrying about things like food, drinks, and clothes! Let’s be the dads who are focusing on God and His plans and purposes for our lives! Let’s not be chasing after the material things of this world but rather are pursuing God, God’s plans, God’s purposes, and God’s will for our lives! Let’s not be caught in the snares of the devil who is tricking this world into believing they need all these things that will not last and instead be focused on the things that will last! God knows what we need even before we ask, so let’s choose to be the dads who are walking out of our lives trusting in Him and living in a relationship with Him so that we can ask, seek, and knock and know that God has our best in mind! So to do this, let’s be the dads who seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness trusting, believing, and knowing that then God will take care of everything else! Let’s be the dads who are focused on making the most out of today rather than worrying about tomorrow because tomorrow will have enough to worry about on its own, let’s focus on today because each day has enough trouble of its own!
Today’s devotional has been provided by Joël and Jonathan Malm (http://joelmalm.com).
Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me:
(check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)
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Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Create Space“
- Let’s be the dads who don’t load up worry on our backs but rather cast our cares on God because He cares for us!
- Let’s consider the quote from today’s devotional from Marcus Felix that says: “A traveler is happier the lighter his load“
- Are you overburdening yourself by trying to carry too much around with you on your walk today?
- Let’s be the dads who remember what Jesus offered us in regards to His burden and His yoke?
- Let’s be the dads who take inventory of what we are carrying around with us!
- Let’s be the dads who take inventory of the burdens and cares we are carrying around with us and decide which we will carry and which we will cast on God because He cares for us!
- Let’s be the dads who take inventory of the yoke we are carrying and consider the reality that we could trade that weight and that work for what Jesus has prepared, planned, and offered us!
- Let’s be the dads who are taking inventory of what we are carrying so that we can ensure that we make this journey called life “a lot more enjoyable“!
- Let’s be the dads who take inventory so that we can reflect on and get rid of the things we don’t need to be carrying around with us!
- Let’s be the dads who take inventory so that we don’t carry things we think we will need and instead only choose to carry the things we do need!
- Let’s be the dads who trust God and rather than overloading our backpack of life with “things we think will give us security, connection, and control”, we choose to bring what God says we need so that we aren’t carrying more than we should and finding “the weight on our shoulders getting heavier and heavier“!
- Let’s be the dads who trust God rather than getting ourselves to the point where “we get tired and angry and frustrated“.
- Let’s be the dads who realize we are human and so are limited in this place and as such “can only carry so much“.
- Let’s be the dads who realize the finiteness of this life on earth and make sure we aren’t focusing on the wrong things and as such don’t worry about the “time, money, and energy” but instead choose “to slow down and take a look at what we’re carrying“.
- Ever seen those priority grids where you have importance vs urgency? Ever consider what is good versus what is important?
- As today’s devotional points out: “We may have to leave some good things behind to make room for the most important things. “
- So you’ve taken inventory…
- What’s your answer to the question: “What do I bring with me in my bag for life?“
- As we reflect on this, let’s be the dads who grab hold of what God’s Word tells us!
- As we consider what we need to bring on this journey called life, let’s trust God and take hold of what He has told us through today’s verses.
- Is the reality that you have too many rocks in your backpack of life causing you to feel weighed down and keeping you from being able to live your life in alignment with God’s plans and purposes!
- Today’s devotional closes with three incredible paragraphs:
- “Jesus boiled what’s most important down to two things: 1) Love God 2) Love people. (Matt. 22:37) In that order. Our top priority should always be giving our best resources to God and then to people. That’s what God values. When we give our best to what He values, it will lead to peace and joy and fulfillment. “
- “In today’s verse, Jesus said He knows we’re worried about what we’ll wear and eat—our security, connection, and control—but He says that if we want all those things to be fulfilled we need to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” We get what we need most by seeking what God wants—seeking His order. Which means there might be some good things we need to leave behind to love Him and those people He has given us in our life—our spouse, our kids, our family, our church community. “
- “If giving the best of your time, money, and energy to God and people feels like a burden, then it might be time to take some things out of your bag. Let go of the good to make room for the best—what God says is most important. You can be certain that when you seek His Kingdom first it will cause the anger, anxiety, and frustration to lessen. And He will provide everything you need. “
- Let’s be the dads who take inventory of what we are carrying around with us and get rid of the stuff that shouldn’t be there so that we can give the best of our time, money, and energy to God and people!
- Let’s be the dads who let go of the good in order to make room for the best – what God tells us is most important!
- Let’s be the dads who put God first, our wives second, our kids third, and allow God to help us manage everything else and allow us to live lives where “the anger, anxiety, and frustration to lessen“!
