Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit;”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, February 26, 2021
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
I've been on way too many diets. Most have not helped me. Here's the main reason - they were not lifestyle changes. They were temporary fixes to a permanent problem. They were based on deprivation and will power. Here's what has worked. When I made changes to my eating habits that were healthy, tasty, fueled my body, and extremely satisfying. It took work at first, but as the changes became new habits, it became easier. And my body craved the new foods. I felt like this was a new life for me, not a desperate attempt to cheat nature.
I think this story of Jesus' is similar. He wasn't asking people to go on a fad diet - to strive through worry and intimidation to stay awake in the middle of the night. This approach is bound to fail because it's not genuine nor is it lasting. What will work is a lifestyle change - changes that are satisfying because they fit right. Behaviors and attitudes that become new habits because they are good and healthy, lasting, and satisfying. This is the kind of readiness and preparation that we can sustain until the day Jesus calls us home.
How do you keep ready? What do you like to do?
