In this morning devotional, M.T. Clark greets listeners with a personal photo of a sunrise on Waite Road and uses the image as a metaphor for God’s daily mercies. He urges believers to follow Jesus’ example of placing responsibilities before personal rights, highlighting how Christ, even on the cross, cared for His mother by entrusting her to the disciple John (John 19:26‑27). Clark then shares a teaching from Dr. Neil T. Anderson titled “Responsibilities Over Rights,” citing Galatians 5:13 and illustrating how emphasizing rights—whether in marriage, parenting, church leadership, or societal issues like abortion—distorts relationships and leads to defeat. The speaker exhorts listeners to relinquish entitlement, fulfill their God‑given duties, and trust that God will reward faithful responsibility. A prayer follows, asking for strength to prioritize responsibilities in all relationships. The devotional continues with a biblical focus on honoring church elders (1 Timothy 5:17) and a call to support spiritual leaders rather than criticize them. Clark then reads from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Advent reflection “Respect for the Mystery,” emphasizing the spiritual poverty of a life without mystery and the quiet joy that comes from embracing the incomprehensible. He concludes with Colossians 2:2‑3, urging believers to seek the hidden riches of Christ’s wisdom. Throughout, the tone remains pastoral, encouraging, and compassionate, aiming to equip listeners to endure trials, honor authority, and live responsibly in Christ.
Chapters
To see today's photo, go to mtforchrist.org or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter. Good morning! Today's photo of Waite Road in the rising sun underneath an epic cloud-filled yet blue sky comes to us from yours truly as I captured the scene while out walking on Black Friday morning, November 24th, and I was happy to see that the Lord went against the man's black label to make the day after Thanksgiving Shiny and bright. Well, it's Friday once again, and I share today's pathway to the sun to encourage all of us to take the sun's pathway through life by following Jesus, and to remind those of us who are suffering that the sun also rises and the Lord's mercies are new every morning. I share that sentiment because there's trouble, and that starts with T, and that rhymes with D, and that stands for disaster, disease, depression, divorce devastation, desperation, and death. And they thought they had it bad in River City with pool halls. Uh, brothers and sisters, let me tell you, I am very glad we have left November behind and begin a new month, December, another day, because of all the troubles and trials that some of my friends have had to face thus far in 2023, with many quote-unquote bad things happening in November. But it's a new day for God's mercies to be new, a new month, and soon a new year. And I know that no matter what circumstances that we face in life, we can endure it and have peace and joy in the midst of troubles and trials if we keep walking and talking with God and follow Jesus's example by putting our responsibilities over our rights. Jesus had no sin and and was wrongly accused, tried, and condemned to die on a cross. But even in the midst of that, he didn't— sorry— even in the midst of that, he didn't defend himself. And as he was on the cross, he took care of his responsibilities by providing for the care of his mother Mary, by putting her in the carriage of the Apostle John. John 19:26-27 tells us, when Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother." And from that hour, that disciple took her to his own home. Even in the moment of great suffering and facing death, Jesus loved others and put his responsibilities over his rights. Who does that? My God does that. My Lord does that. My Savior does that, and we are to follow his example. I say all that because I know many who are suffering now, and they are tempted to be angry, bitter, and to demand their rights. But I would counsel them to do what is right regardless of their circumstances. Like Jesus, and to continue to take care of their responsibilities and trust that the Lord will in turn do what's right for their lives. I'm sharing a devotional this morning from Dr. Neil Anderson to bring that point home. I'm blessed to be a Community Freedom Ministry associate of Freedom in Christ Ministries and was blessed by this message in a recent email. And I am sharing it to encourage us all to not worry about our rights and to always do what is right by taking care of our responsibilities first. Dr. Neil T. Anderson writes, "Responsibilities Over Rights," and he, and he shares from Galatians 5:13, which says, "You were called to freedom, brethren. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh." but through love serve one another. And Anderson writes, nothing will distort relationships faster than emphasizing our rights over our responsibilities. For example, a husband may chip at his wife because he feels he has a right to expect her to be submissive. A wife may nag her husband because she expects him to be the spiritual leader. Parents harass their children because they feel feel it's their right to demand obedience. Members are offended in the local church when they think their rights have been violated by pastors, boards, or other members. Anytime people insist on their rights at the expense of failing to assume their responsibilities, they are going down to defeat. For example, a pregnant woman may demand her right for an abortion. She says it is her body and she can do whatever she wants with it. Then she proceeds to demonstrate her irresponsibility— irresponsible use of her body to everyone. We don't have an abortion problem, we have an irresponsible sex problem. In God's systems, our focus is to be fulfilling our responsibilities, not insisting on our rights. Husbands have a submissive wife. Having a submissive wife is not your right. but being a loving, caring husband is your responsibility. Headship is not a right to be demanded, but an awesome responsibility to be fulfilled. Similarly, wives, having a spiritual husband is not your right, but being a submissive, supportive wife is your responsibility. Parents, raising obedient children is not your right, but disciplining your children and, and in the nurture and instruction of the Lord is your responsibility. Being a member of the body of Christ and of a local church is an incredible privilege, not a right. This privilege comes with the awesome responsibility to have— to behave as God's children and become a lover of people. When we stand before Christ, he will not ask us if we received everything we had coming to us. But he will reward us for how well we fulfilled our responsibilities. Lord, help me relinquish my rights and focus on my responsibilities in all my relationships today. And that was, uh, from Dr. Neil T. Anderson of Freedom in Christ Ministries. And yes, Lord, help us to trust you and to take care of— to take care of our rights. Even in the midst of suffering, trouble, and trials. And help us to meet our responsibilities to do what is right according to your word. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's Bible verse comes to us from The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John G. Crews. This morning's meditation verse comes from the section on church, the communion of the saints. And today's verse is 1 Timothy 5:17, and the word of God tells us Let the elders who rule be well considered— well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. Today's verses are the first of two passages of scriptures that fall under the 15th point of our Counseling Reference Guide's resource section on the church, communion of the saints. And that point is: members of the church must honor and obey the elders whom God has appointed to exercise authority in the church. Today's verse reminds us to honor those who serve us in the church. Pastoring a flock of sheep is no easy task. Men of God who have dedicated their lives to sharing God's word preach, uh, to sharing God's word, preach the truth that the world hates, and often are met with the same animosity that Jesus faced, as men love darkness rather than light. So, as members of the body of Christ, rather than criticizing our leaders for being less than perfect, we should thank them and give honor to them when we can because of the service they do for God's kingdom and for us. It's easy to be critical from the safety of the pews in the church when you have no part in the proceedings. It's easy to second-guess what is being done and said in church when you just have to show up and be served. But instead of second-guessing the preaching or being critical of the way we worship in our local churches, we should honor our leaders by supporting and joining their efforts to serve the kingdom. Serving the Lord is not easy, and we should give honor to where honor is due. As always, I invite all to go to mtforchrist.org, where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. Today we are sharing from God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. And as I stated, it's not Advent yet, but this Advent devotional gives you, uh, 28 days of, uh, of devotions, and I wanted to read through it personally and, uh, and share it on the blog. So, um, we're doing that. And because we're not following the current Advent schedule that begins on December 3rd Um, you'll have to forgive me as, as today we'll be reading from Advent Week 2 Mystery Day 1, and this is a message from Bonhoeffer called "Respect for the Mystery." And Bonhoeffer writes, the lack of mystery in our modern life is our downfall and our poverty. A human life is worth as much as the respect it holds for the mystery. We retain the child in us to the extent that we honor the mystery. Therefore, children have open, wide-awake eyes because they know that they are surrounded by the mystery. They are not yet finished with this world. They still don't know how to struggle along and avoid the mystery as we do. We destroy the mystery because we sense that here we reach the boundary of our being. Because we want to be lord over everything and have it at our disposal. That's just what we cannot do with the mystery. Living without mystery means knowing nothing of the mystery of our own life, nothing of the mystery of another person, nothing of the mystery of the world. It means passing over our own hidden qualities and those of others and the world. It means remaining on the surface. Taking the world seriously only to the extent that it can be calculated and exploited, and not going beyond the world of calculation and exploitation. Living without mystery means not seeing the crucial processes of life at all, and even denying them. Bonhoeffer also writes, Ascension joy: Inwardly, we must become very quiet to hear the soft sound of this phrase at all. Joy lives in its quietness and incomprehensibility. This joy is in fact incomprehensible, for the comprehensible never makes for joy. And that was another quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer on ascension joy. Um, and finally, our devotion shares Colossians 2:2-3, where the Word of God says, I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. That was the end of our sharing from God is in the Manger for day, day 1 of Week 2 of Advent for mystery. And, um, yeah, we're not to understand everything in life. There's many mysteries, uh, that we won't know this side of heaven, but we can trust that the Lord knows and his plans for us is good. And so today is Friday. I'm not sure what your plans are, but I have to work, and I have to work tomorrow as well. So I can't even rejoice that it's Friday, except for it is Friday and that's sort of cool. Even, even, I don't know, even when you have to work on a Saturday. But, um, anyway, um, I spent a lot of time in prayer this morning for friends and family and, and people I know through ministry who are going through a lot. And, um, it's my prayer that there was healing and restoration and and blessings and favor and mercy and, uh, all these things for the people I'm praying for. And so I want to include, include you in that. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. Um, we thank you so much for anyone who's listening or reading today's message. We pray for you to come alongside them and their prayer request and their walk of faith. For some of us, Lord, it's been a tough year. Or a tough month or just a tough couple days. Um, and we need your strength and guidance to, uh, to help us to endure it and to walk through it with peace and joy if possible, Lord. And we know that's possible with you. And Lord, we just pray for you to go before us today, help us, and to see the things you want us to see and to do the things you would have us do. Help us to not put our rights first and to take care of our responsibilities today. And Lord, help us and guide us to do the best job we can in that. Help us to be the people you created us to be, because all we want to do is represent you in your kingdom and welcome others as they— as we start— keep walking and talking with you. Lord, we thank you, we praise you, and we love you. And we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
