Stress Test Devotional May 18
May 18, 2024
MATTHEW 6:9-13 | 9 "Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.
The new individualism of Jeremiah, Jesus, and the Reformation is powerful. But we must remember that pure individualism is a lie. Too often in our culture today we think of individuals as self-creating, defining their own identities and inventing their own moral codes apart from tradition or community. This overestimates the power of individual will and underestimates our dependence on and connection to others. When the only thing we share is a commitment to individual self-determination then our society is in trouble. Freedom only works when there are shared values to shape identities and life stories. We are part of a greater God-given narrative that we ignore at our peril. Too much modern religion is simply devoid of a “we”—a la carte individualism tailored to my needs and desires. This leads to a shrinking and impoverished self!
Say the Lord’s prayer slowly, emphasizing the third person plurals and saying them out loud.
