Daily Devotionals
March 30, 2022
Serving
DAILY READING
Put yourself in the shoes of the father from the third parable: your beloved child has left home with their inheritance and moved to another state. No one has seen or heard from them for some time. Until one day, they show up in the driveway with nothing but the shirt on their back and the shoes on their feet, no sign of the inheritance they so desperately desired. The child begs for forgiveness. How would you respond?
Now consider this person is not your child, a family member, or even a close friend. They are the neighbor across the street, a coworker down the hall, or the person holding a sign on the street corner. Maybe they said something that hurt you, they ascribe to a different political ideology, or they made decisions which you vehemently oppose, yet they turn to you during a time of need. Are you inclined to offer love, forgiveness, and aid to that person like the father? Or would you struggle with feelings of anger and resentment which prevent you from acting in love like the older brother?
At its core, the Parable of the Lost Son invites us to practice unconditional love. This kind of love asks us to set aside our judgements and self-righteousness to simply care for the needs of our neighbor.
ACTION FOR THE DAY
Reflect upon a time when you responded like the older brother to a call for aid. Why did you react in that way? How might you wish to respond with love in the future? Spend some time in prayer and ask God to reveal how you are being called to best serve your neighbor this month as we focus on addressing access to quality and affordable healthcare locally and globally.
BE A FIELD GUIDE WRITER
We are recruiting individuals to help write our daily field guide devotionals. If you are interested in writing one weekly devotional, please contact Jason Alteri at jalteri@bumc.net.