Langdon's Devotional

I've spent some time lately reading a book called Pleasing People by Lou Priolo. He writes about how our desire to please man manifests itself in our lives, and he offers Biblical solutions for it. I think it's an important read for anyone who struggles with any kind of social anxiety, or for anyone who falsely believes they're immune to it. So everybody. This might only end up being the first post of multiple on people-pleasing, because as I've gone through the book, I've discovered more perspectives of that whole pursuit since I started this post.  Regardless, the concept of valuing man's approval more than that of the Lord's is obviously all over the place in the New Testament. There was plenty of time between the final prophet of old and John the Baptist (and Christ) for corruption to enter the Church and harden the hearts and motivations of the God's people. Being a Pharisee was more of a status symbol than anything, and God had slowly been pushed o...

I've been a cynic when it comes to New Year's for a while. I don't like when people make "resolutions" when they don't have the discipline to actually follow through with improving, and so I've started to see New Year’s almost as a lazy man's holiday over the years. Which is admittedly pretty unfair, and judgmental. Lately, however, I started viewing this time of year in a different light. Instead of using it to look forward to the New Year, on what I can be doing differently, I've started to use it as a time to reflect on what the Old Year has been, and how God's provided during it. Recently, as the Christ Covenant young adults' ministry ended services for the year, the CCYA pastor Thomas Nelson mentioned a feast that's referenced in the Gospels, called the Feast of Booths. It was a feast that God initially commanded the Israelites to celebrate in Leviticus 23, and He provided little detail in terms of how He wanted them to celebrate ...

"But the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'"  Genesis 3:4-5 (ESV)   Knowledge and capability is often evidence that God is working in and growing us – but it shouldn't be worshipped. Being obedient is always step one. The corruption of Creation showed us that ultimately, the desire to know everything is what led to mankind's downfall. The human desire to bring ourselves to God's level is something we frown on, and we resent the original man and woman for allowing to bring sin into the world God created. The fact that we think that we have the authority to condemn them is ironic, because it proves that man will always, at one point or another, place himself above others out of the pride and arrogance that he masks as righteousness. If anything, our desire to limit the capability and will of the Lord, whether by prioritizing our...

  "Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." James 3:13-18 (ESV) What does true wisdom look like? Wisdom is something common in prayers, especially when we want to do well in some kind of role.  We get it confused too often with knowledge, but I don't think that the two are exclusive. I think wisdom is more broad – you can be smart without being wise, but I don't think you can be wise without challenging you...

 "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!" Psalm 34:8 (ESV) I take refuge in Christians more than I take refuge in Christ. It's hard not to, I think all of us want to run to loving arms when we're messed up, because it's easy, and it gives us that gratification we're desperate for at times. We can end up creating more hurt when we do that. It's left me with me with scars, but I think that sets the Lord up to get a lot more accomplished in me than He would if I were living carelessly. I'm living in a very pivotal season of my own life – a time where I make a lot of decisions and form a lot of habits that I'll carry with me during the most difficult times of my adult life. Dishonesty and betrayal lead to questions with no answers, and a breached heart searches frantically to be refilled – but it's not like I'm dying. Sure my heart might be slower to heal than I might expect, but life is filled wit...

Our prayers are a call, and we miss out on God's work when we're not patient enough to look for the response. Praying always feels like it has to have structure to me. And I think there's a right way to pray, but I'm not sure that there's really a wrong way to pray. Collective prayers are different, obviously. If you pray over someone or with someone, it's important that those people can reflect on that with you. But I think most of our prayers are individual, and still, it can feel challenging. I think it's possible that it doesn't feel that way because we're "bad" at praying, but because for us, the prayer stops once we open our eyes. A lot of us are just guilty of not looking for the answer. Or rather, not being patient enough to wait very long while we look for the answer. I don't think we're necessarily underestimating what God is capable of, but I think we have a hard time sitting in our faith of the Lord for a long period of...