Finding Vs. Being #RTTBROS #Nightlight #humility #leadership #Building

 Finding vs. Building: The Truth About Becoming #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." — 2 Corinthians 5:17

You know, I keep hearing this phrase everywhere I turn: "You need to find yourself." It's become the mantra of our age, plastered across Instagram posts, repeated in self-help books, preached from stages. The message is clear, just look inward long enough, dig deep enough, and somewhere buried inside you'll discover your "true self" waiting to be unearthed.

But here's the problem with that whole idea. It turns life into an endless archaeological dig, always excavating, always searching, never building anything. People spend years, even decades, looking inward, asking "Who am I?" while life passes them by. And the irony? The more you stare at yourself in the mirror of introspection, the blurrier the image becomes.

The Bible has a completely different approach. It doesn't tell us to find ourselves, it tells us we're lost and need to be found by God. It doesn't say there's some perfect version of you buried inside waiting to emerge. Instead, it says something far more radical: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Did you catch that? A new creature. Not a discovered creature, a new one. God isn't interested in helping you excavate some hidden self. He's in the construction business, not the archaeology business.

Think about it this way. When Nehemiah saw the broken walls of Jerusalem, he didn't sit around trying to "find" the walls. They were rubble. Instead, he said, "Come, and let us build" (Nehemiah 2:17). That's the pattern God uses. He takes what's broken, what's incomplete, what's lost, and He builds something new.

Here's the truth our culture doesn't want you to know: looking inward is exhausting because you were never meant to be your own reference point. But when you stop the endless navel-gazing and start moving forward with God, everything changes. You and God together begin constructing who you're meant to be. He's the master builder, you're the willing worker. He provides the blueprint in His Word, the power through His Spirit, and the purpose that makes it all worthwhile.

Paul understood this. He wrote, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). Notice he didn't say "I dig inward." He said "I press forward." That's movement, that's construction, that's building something.

Stop wasting your life trying to find yourself. You're not lost in some internal maze. You're right here, right now, and God is saying, "Let's build something together. Let's construct the person I created you to become."

The difference between finding and building? Finding looks backward and inward. Building looks forward and upward. Finding asks, "Who was I meant to be?" Building says, "Who will I become with God?"

So today, stop digging. Start building. Partner with God in the construction of the person He's calling you to be. Because history is just His story, and you get to be part of what He's building in this world.

Let's pray: Father, forgive us for wasting time trying to find ourselves when You've been waiting to build us into something new. Help us stop looking inward and start moving forward with You. Give us the courage to partner with You in becoming who You created us to be. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#Faith #Identity #ChristianLiving #DailyDevotion #NewCreation #BiblicalTruth #SpiritualGrowth #RTTBROS #Nightlight

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Pivoting in Faith #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Pivoting in Faith #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." — Romans 8:28

You know, I've been thinking lately about something we don't talk about enough in the Christian life, and that's the art of pivoting. Not giving up, mind you, but pivoting. There's a world of difference between the two.

I was watching a basketball game the other day, and I noticed something. When a player gets trapped or blocked, they don't just stand there or throw the ball away. They pivot. They keep one foot planted and swing around looking for a new opening, a better angle, a different opportunity. That one foot stays anchored while the rest of them adjusts to find the way forward.

That's exactly what faith looks like when life throws us a curveball.

Think about Joseph for a minute. This young man had dreams, literally God-given dreams about his future. But what happened? His brothers threw him in a pit. Did he give up? No, he pivoted. He ended up as a slave in Potiphar's house and made the best of it. Then he got falsely accused and thrown in prison. Did he quit? No, he pivoted again. Every seeming dead end became a stepping stone to something greater. That pit led to a palace, but not in a straight line.

Or consider Paul. He had his heart set on going to Rome. But God gave him a vision of a man from Macedonia saying, "Come over and help us" (Acts 16:9). Paul didn't dig in his heels. He pivoted, went to Macedonia instead, and that pivot changed the course of history.

Here's what I've learned, and I'm too soon old and too late smart on this: the key to pivoting isn't losing your foundation, it's keeping one foot planted in faith while you adjust everything else. When you pivot, you stay anchored in God's character, His promises, His Word. You're not abandoning the journey, you're just taking a different route.

Giving up says, "God isn't working." But pivoting says, "God is working differently than I expected, and I trust Him enough to adjust."

Maybe you're in a season right now where everything you planned has fallen apart. Don't give up. Pivot. Keep one foot firmly planted in your faith in God's goodness, and look around for where He might be opening a different door.

Because here's the truth, history is just His story, and sometimes the detours are where the best chapters get written.

Let's pray: Father, when life doesn't go according to our plans, help us not to give up but to pivot in faith. Teach us to stay anchored in You while we adjust to Your better way. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#Faith #Trust #ChristianLiving #DailyDevotion #Perseverance #GodsPlans #SpiritualGrowth #RTTBROS #Nightlight

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Ordinary To Extraordinary #RTTBROS #nightlight #humility #discipline #mission

Building Tomorrow Through Today's Tasks #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men." — Colossians 3:23

You know, as a dad to nine kids and a foster parent to many more over the years, I've watched this pattern play out more times than I can count. Kids rolling their eyes at chores, convinced it's just meaningless busy work. But here's what I've learned, and I'm too soon old and too late smart on this one: the way we do the things we have to do prepares us for the things we want to do later.

There's a beautiful story about a young missionary named Jim Elliot. Before he went to Ecuador to reach the Auca Indians, before he became known worldwide for his martyrdom, he was just a college student. His roommates remembered him as the guy who made his bed with military precision every single morning, who kept his side of the room spotless, who showed up early to everything. One friend asked him why he was so particular about such small things. Jim's answer was simple: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

You see, Jim understood something profound. Those mundane morning routines weren't just about a tidy room. They were training ground for discipline, faithfulness in small things, doing what needed to be done whether he felt like it or not. When he stood before those Auca warriors years later, the character that held him steady in that moment had been forged in a hundred ordinary mornings of making his bed when he'd rather have slept in.

The Apostle Paul put it this way: "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men" (Colossians 3:23). Notice he didn't say "whatever great things you do" or "whatever ministry tasks you accomplish." He said whatsoever, whatever you do. That includes the dishes, the laundry, the homework, the job you don't particularly like, the task that feels beneath you.

Here's the thing we miss: God uses the ordinary to prepare us for the extraordinary. David wasn't fighting bears in the wilderness for fun, he was protecting his father's sheep. But every time he defended those sheep, he was developing the courage and faith he'd need to face Goliath. Joseph wasn't trying to become prime minister of Egypt when he faithfully managed Potiphar's household, but God was preparing him for exactly that.

The skills you develop in doing well what you have to do today become the foundation for what you'll want to do tomorrow. So whatever's in front of you today, whatever task feels mundane or meaningless, do it heartily, as unto the Lord. Because history is just His story, and He's writing your character in the margins of ordinary days.

Let's pray: Father, help us see today's tasks not as interruptions but as training ground. Give us the grace to be faithful in small things, knowing You're preparing us for greater things. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#Faith #Character #DailyDevotion #ChristianLiving #Faithfulness #BiblicalWisdom #SpiritualGrowth #RTTBROS #Nightlight

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Adulting In Grace #rttbros #nightlight

 Adulting in Grace #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ." — 1 Corinthians 3:1

You know, I saw something the other day that made me laugh and then made me think. They're selling these "I Adulted" calendars now, complete with stickers you can stick on different days to celebrate your grown-up achievements. Things like "I paid a bill on time" or "I cooked a meal" or my personal favorite, "I matched my socks." 

Now, for most of us who've been around the block a time or two, that seems pretty funny. We've been doing those things for so long we don't even think about them anymore. But here's what got me thinking: how many of us are doing the spiritual equivalent of celebrating that we matched our socks?

Paul had to write to the Corinthian church and basically say, "Look, you've been Christians long enough that you should be teaching others by now, but I still have to feed you with a bottle like babies." That had to sting. But if we're honest, how often do we find ourselves in the same spot?

The writer of Hebrews puts it this way: "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat" (Hebrews 5:12). 

Here's what I've learned, and I'm too soon old and too late smart on this: spiritual growth doesn't happen by accident. You don't accidentally become mature in Christ. It takes intentionality. It takes time in the Word. It takes prayer. It takes wrestling with hard truths and letting God change you from the inside out.

Our world is desperate for grown-up Christians right now. Not perfect Christians, but mature ones. People who can stand firm when the winds blow. People who can speak truth with grace. But we can't do any of that if we're still celebrating that we showed up to church this week like we deserve a sticker for it.

So let me ask you: where are you today? Are you still on milk, or have you graduated to the meat of God's Word? Because friend, God has so much more for you than where you're sitting right now. When we devote ourselves to His Word and to prayer, not out of duty but out of hunger, that's when real growth happens.

Let's pray: Father, forgive us for being content with spiritual infancy when You've called us to maturity. Give us a hunger for Your Word and a desire to grow in our faith. Help us move beyond the basics and into the deep things You want to teach us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#Faith #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianMaturity #DailyDevotion #BiblicalWisdom #ChristianLiving #RTTBROS #Nightlight

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Leading by the String #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Leading by the String #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant." — Matthew 20:27

You know, I love simple lessons that pack a powerful punch. General Dwight D. Eisenhower used to teach leadership in a way that stuck with people for the rest of their lives. He'd hand someone a piece of string and tell them to push it into a straight line. They'd try and try, but that string would just bunch up and go nowhere. Then he'd pick up one end and gently pull it, and that string would follow wherever he led it, smooth as could be.

Then came the application: "Leaders lead from the front by example, not by pushing from behind."

I've been thinking about that lately, and here's what strikes me. Too often, we try to push people into doing what we want. Parents push their kids. Bosses push their employees. Even in the church, sometimes we push people toward spiritual growth. But all that pushing does is create resistance, frustration, and a tangled mess.

Jesus knew this. When His disciples were arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom, He didn't push them into humility. He showed them. "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). He led by example.

Here's what I'm too soon old and too late smart about: people don't follow what we say nearly as much as they follow what we do. If I want my kids to love God's Word, they need to see me in it. If I want my team at work to show up on time and give their best effort, I better be doing the same thing. If I want people around me to walk in grace and forgiveness, I need to be living it out myself.

The beautiful thing about pulling that string is it goes wherever you lead it, turn by turn. But there's responsibility in that too. We can pull too hard and drag people off their feet. We can pull inconsistently and lose their trust. Or we can forget we're supposed to be leading and let the team pull us in whatever direction feels comfortable.

The question isn't whether people are watching us. They are. The question is: what are they seeing? Are we pushing from behind, demanding they go where we won't? Or are we out front, showing them the way, inviting them to follow?

Jesus didn't stay in heaven and shout instructions down at us. He came down, walked among us, and said, "Follow me." And because He led by example, even to the cross, people have been following Him for over two thousand years.

Let's pray: Father, help us to lead like Jesus, not by pushing others but by pulling them forward through our example. Give us the integrity to walk the path before we ask others to follow. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#Leadership #ChristianLiving #DailyDevotion #LeadByExample #BiblicalWisdom #SpiritualGrowth #RTTBROS #Nightlight

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Building Together #RTTBROS #MorningGlory #Nightlight

 Building Together #RTTBROS #MorningGlory

"Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work." Nehemiah 2:18

Henry Ford once said, "Coming together is a beginning; staying together is progress; working together is success." He was really just echoing a principle that's been true since the beginning of time. God's work has always required God's people to join hands together.

Let me tell you about Nehemiah. His heart was absolutely broken when he heard how Jerusalem lay in ruins, the walls torn down, the gates burned with fire. The people he loved were defenseless, vulnerable, living in reproach. So he got permission from the king and headed back home, but here's the thing, he didn't go back thinking he was going to rebuild that wall all by himself.

When Nehemiah arrived, he gathered the people together and said, "Ye see the distress that we are in... come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem." Did you catch that? "Let us." Not "let me." Let us.

And here's what gets me every time: the people's response. They didn't make excuses. They said, "Let us rise up and build." And together, working hand in hand, they finished that wall in fifty-two days. That's not a miracle of one man's effort, that's the power of God's people working together.

There's this principle in business called the 80/20 rule. It says that in most projects, 20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work. Friends, that should never be true of God's church. Every single one of us has a part to play in God's work.

You might think, "I don't have much to offer." But remember, it wasn't talented builders who finished Nehemiah's wall, it was regular people who strengthened their hands for the good work.

Here's what I've learned, and I'm too soon old and too late smart on this: God doesn't need our ability as much as He needs our availability. He's looking for willing hands, not perfect hands.

So let me ask you today: what's your part in God's work? Don't sit on the sidelines. Strengthen your hands for the good work.

Let's pray: Father, thank You for the privilege of being part of Your work. Help us not to wait for someone else to do what You've called us to do. Give us willing hearts and strengthened hands to build up Your kingdom. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#Faith #ChristianLiving #DailyDevotion #ChurchLife #ServingGod #BiblicalWisdom #SpiritualGrowth #RTTBROS #MorningGlory

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The Man Who Wouldn't Give Up #RTTBROS #Nightlight

The Man Who Wouldn't Give Up #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." — Galatians 6:9

I want to tell you about a man named William Carey, and I promise you, his story will encourage you if you're feeling like giving up on something God's called you to do.

Back in the late 1700s, Carey felt called to be a missionary to India. Now, you have to understand, this was a radical idea at the time. The church leadership told him, "If God wants to save the heathen, He'll do it without your help." But Carey couldn't shake the calling.

He finally made it to India in 1793, and here's where it gets interesting. He worked for seven years, seven long years, before he saw his first convert. Can you imagine that? Seven years of learning the language, translating Scripture, preaching, teaching, and not one single person came to Christ. Most of us would've packed our bags and headed home, convinced we'd missed God's voice.

But Carey had a motto that kept him going: "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God." He didn't let the wait discourage him from the work. And by the time his ministry ended, he'd translated the Bible into over forty different languages and dialects, founded a college, and seen thousands come to faith in Christ.

Here's what strikes me about Carey's story, and I'm too soon old and too late smart on this one: faithfulness isn't measured by immediate results. It's measured by obedience over time.

We live in a world of instant everything. Instant coffee, instant messages, instant results. But God's kingdom doesn't usually work that way. Sometimes He calls us to plant seeds we won't see grow. Sometimes He asks us to be faithful in the waiting, in the season when nothing seems to be happening.

Paul tells us, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Galatians 6:9). Notice he says "in due season," not "in our preferred timeline."

Maybe you're in a season right now where you've been faithful, you've been obedient, but you're not seeing the fruit you expected. Don't quit. Don't grow weary. Your seven years might be preparing you for a harvest you can't even imagine yet.

Let's pray: Lord, give us the endurance to be faithful even when we can't see the fruit. Help us trust Your timing and keep doing what You've called us to do. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#Faith #Perseverance #ChristianLiving #DailyDevotion #TrustGod #BiblicalWisdom #SpiritualGrowth #RTTBROS #Nightlight

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