To the Ends of the Earth: Character – Week 2, Day 4 - God's Word is Forever
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I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:1–6
How many of us see ourselves as “prisoners” of Christ — captured and bound in his service? This does not mean that our faith is a prison sentence that strips us of our freedom and fun. On the contrary, real men understand that only in submission to Christ do we find our true freedom and strength. We are broken men in need of a Savior.
A submissive spirit is an open spirit, ready for the life-changing work that God will do in our lives. Our brokenness allows God to cultivate the soil of our souls, planting his law of love within us and producing a harvest of good works in his name. As we surrender to our calling as Catholics, we receive the strength to become worthy men who live out the grace we have been given in Christ. We accept our place within the Church, our call to look to our fields of labor within this broken world, and our duty to help shape other broken hearts as the Spirit has shaped ours.
A life lived in surrender to the Gospel yields a harvest of unity, peace, faith, and hope, because God can take our shattered dreams and transform them by his perfect plan of love. Then we can reach out to the lost and shape their broken world through our own brokenness that has been overcome by the cross of Christ. God’s grace, lived out in love, leads to thanksgiving and deeper intimacy with our brothers and sisters and a world in need of a Savior. Our unity as a Church overflows into the world and harvests souls for the kingdom of God.
Questions for Reflection
How is yielding to God’s work in your broken heart producing strength and purpose in your life?
What areas in your life still need to yield to the cultivating power of Christ, and how can you work to surrender to the Spirit’s loving care?
How are you working for unity within the Church and carrying that out into the world?
Praying with Scripture
He has showed you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? (Mic 6:8)
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Mark C. McCann is an author and Ministry Consultant with more than 30 years of writing and ministry experience. He has published articles for a number of Catholic magazines and websites including St. Anthony Messenger, Emmanuel Magazine, Liguorian Magazine, Catholic Stand, the Connecticut Catholic Men's Conference, and Homiletic and Pastoral Review. He recently published the 4-volume Catholic men's devotional, To the Ends of the Earth, as well as the 2021 Advent Daybreaks devotional and 2022 Lenten Daybreaks devotional with Liguori Publishing. He has also released his End Times novel series, Jacob's Dream: The Vision and Jacob's Dream: The Final Battle. He was a radio host and producer for 8 years at a Connecticut Christian radio station and has worked as a Catholic religion teacher/campus minister and a parish youth minister. He has also served the Norwich, CT Diocese as a Youth Ministry Director and Family Life Director. He currently lives in Connecticut with his Proverbs 31 wife, where together they have brought up three incredible children. He strives each day to live out his call to be a man of words. You can learn more about Mark and his writing at www.wordsnvisions.com.
