Can you believe it that we have made it to day 7 already? I still remember how 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:
‘And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. ‘
Hebrews 10:24-25
‘Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.’
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
As I consider the importance of God’s Word in my life and His Spirit speaking, leading, guiding, and instructing me, I think about how God never intended us to go through this thing called life alone! Just like when Jesus speaks to love and how love is a foundation to relationships and relationships are the key to building ministries and life, it has to do with God and with others! Remember how Jesus told us:
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” ‘
Mark 12:30-31
Let’s be the dads who grab hold of what God has to say through His Word and receive it, accept it, and apply it as we choose to live out our lives! Let’s be the dads who are looking for ways to encourage one another! Let’s be the dads who consider how we can spur one another on towards love and good deeds! Let’s be the dads who consider how to motivate others by not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing! Let’s be the dads who consider how to encourage one another daily and even more so as we see the Day approaching!
Let’s be the dads who realize we aren’t supposed to be going through this thing called life alone! Let’s be the dads who grab a hold of the reality that “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor“! Let’s be the dads who are present and ready to help others when they fall down! Let’s be the dads who don’t try to go it alone and in our own strength and discover that there is nobody to help us! Let’s be the dads who cling to our wives like God planned and designed us for we know that we can support, encourage, love, and protect one another! Let’s be the dads who don’t go it alone but make sure we have one another so that we won’t be overpowered but rather will be able to defend ourselves! Let’s be the dads who keep Jesus in the center of our relationships for “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.“
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:
“Walk with Others “
- How many times in life have we been told we shouldn’t go and do something alone?
- Ever heard it said about swimming? boating? climbing? hiking? camping?
- Do you realize why it’s important to take such warnings seriously?
- Do you realize that it is because there are so many things that could go wrong and if you happen to be alone the odds of being able to make it through that problem goes down?
- Do you realize that without someone else the safety rating goes way down?
- Let’s be the dads who grab a hold of what God’s Word tells us and warns us about going through life alone!
- Let’s be the dads who we take hold of God’s wisdom and as today’s devotional put it “we always need others around us on the journey.“
- Let’s be the dads who take hold of God’s Word and like King Solomon who had received so much wisdom from God that we get words of wisdom like today’s verse that says “Two are better than one.”
- Let’s be the dads who remember history and learn from others the importance of not going it alone as “an old African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, walk with others.”“
- Let’s be the dads who lean in when things get challenging and difficult to do it together rather than following the natural tendency “to pull away from community and isolate ourselves.“
- Let’s be the dads who know better and don’t isolate ourselves!
- Let’s consider the reality of life and laws of science that give us examples of what happens when we isolate or separate ourselves!
- ” A coal separated from the fire loses heat in a hurry.“
- Consider the animals in the herd and how they stick together to keep themselves from being picked off by predators!
- Let’s be the dads who “want to keep the fire and energy of our walk with God, we need to stay close to others.“
- Let’s be the dads who know and remember how “When we stay close to God’s community, we feel a tangible expression of God’s love.“
- Let’s be the dads who remember that God never created us to be alone or to go it alone!
- Let’s grab hold of the example expressed about this through today’s devotional:
- Let’s be the dads who choose to climb together so that we don’t get to the top and discover loneliness!
- Let’s be the dads who choose to climb with our wives and our kids, going at the speed of health so that we can all make it to the top together united and strong!
- Today’s devotional speaks to it this way:
- Let’s be the dads who go at the speed of love so that we can enjoy the journey!
- Let’s be the dads who slow down rather than speeding up and getting angry!
- Let’s be the dads who slow down and love on our wives and kids!
- Let’s be the dads who slow down and show how much we love our wives and kids!
- Let’s be the dads who balance life by making sure there is an equal amount of family time, Christian serving time, and fellowship time with other Christian men!
- Today’s devotional speaks to this idea as follows:
- I know our devotional closes on this topic for today but if you were wanting to dig into this deeper or learn more, check out the book that the devotional we were going through is based on called Love Slows Down!
