Good morning! I hope this email finds you hopeful on this first day of Spring! The writer for our devotional this morning is Ron Pitcock. As many of you may know, Ron is the J. Vaughn and Evelyne H. Wilson Honors Fellow and the Director of Prestigious Scholarships at the TCU Honors College. Ron is both well-known and well-loved as a professor, and I’m so thankful that he agreed to share this devotional with us today. May his words challenge you and prompt you to be more like Christ during this Lenten season and beyond. Peace be with you…
Todd
March 20, 2014 By: Ron Pitcock
1 John 3:16 (ESV)
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”
As we consider Christ’s sacrifice in the Lenten season, His life constantly points us back to the reason for His death on the cross: His overwhelming love for us. Take a minute to contemplate the magnitude of that love. He willingly came to Earth and lived, not as a king, but as a peasant. He spent his days selflessly pouring Himself out for others. And ultimately, He died an agonizing death for us so that we might be reconciled to God.
In this, Christ is our example. We ought to be willing to lay down our lives for others. As a professor, I believe I would be willing to give my life for my students. When I am on a trip with students, I am constantly aware of my surroundings. I would put myself in harm’s way to keep my students safe.
But laying down our lives doesn’t simply mean being willing to die for others. It also means being selfless. It means preferring others over ourselves. How do I react when the person in front of me in the express line has 12 items instead of 10? How about when a driver on I-35 has failed to read the construction signs and wants me to let him in in front of me? I confess, in these smaller moments, I am often unwilling to lay down my life for my fellow human beings. I find myself frustrated and annoyed when I should be granting others a small measure of the grace that has been shown to me.
During Lent, we often focus on sacrificing something material as a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice for us. But we must not forget that in the small, selfless acts of showing grace to others we honor Christ’s selfless sacrifice, as well.
Lord, thank you for being willing to lay down Your life for mankind. Please give us grace to lay down our lives in big and small ways for those we come into contact with today.
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