Devotional - March 2, 2011

The full Rice & Beans Month devotional booklet "Shared Elements" is available for download here

Romans 12:10-13
“Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor
others more than you do yourself. Never give up.
Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. Let
your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble
and never stop praying. Take care of God's needy
people and welcome strangers into your home.” (CEV)

Reflection
In our consumerist, hyper-individualistic society it is easy to let our culture interpret Jesus' teachings. We say, “Oh, Jesus didn't actually mean that I should give to anyone who asks of me. He was living in a different culture than me” (Matt. 5:42). While the cultural contexts of Scripture are important to recognize, Jesus explicitly said radical stuff to challenge the culture then as much as now. It can be scary to actually live as Jesus asks his followers. It can mean giving up possessions, time, comfort, security and safety. However, surrendering all these things puts us in a place where we are completely reliant on God. God doesn't want to take away our stuff just to spite us, but he wants us to bless others because we have been blessed. Paul reminds us in this passage that by allowing God to transform our interests to the needs of others we are not only serving him, but we are loving him. As we go throughout this month, may we remember that we are blessed so that we can be a blessing.
- Lauren Murtidjaja, Volunteer

For Kids
Have you ever heard anyone call another person, not in their family,
“brother” or “bro”? Why would they do that? Most likely you know the
answer; it is because they are good friends, close enough to be like family.
Imagine having loads of friends of all ages who feel like they are part of
your family. That sounds pretty great, doesn't it? God says that all the
people who believe in Him as their Savior are ONE BIG FAMILY! That
means we are tied together in Jesus with people all over the whole world,
as close as in our own neighborhoods and as far away as Africa or Russia.
He asks us to love our family, each one, as brothers and sisters; caring for
their needs, honoring them, praying for them just as we do for our own
families. Can you think of ways to do that today? Ask Him, He will help
you find some.