Caribbean Moravian Devotions

As an AT&T wireless customer, I can’t tell you how many emails I’ve had over the past years inviting me to UPGRADE my cell phone. It’s as if with every new model that hits the market there is a tempting email which highlights the recent features of the most recent model. I guess I’m from the old school meaning that there must be a valid reason for making a change: no longer working; lost or stolen! But companies like AT&T, Sprint, Digicel and Lime know how to play on our need to always be ahead of our neighbors. And so as soon as your mobile plan has expired, rest assured that they will want you to come in and do an UPGRADE to the latest model. After all, who doesn’t want to be among the first to brag about owning the latest smart phone? Though I’m not working in the advertising business, with the start of a new year, I firmly believe that now is the perfect TIME TO UPGRADE! So that’s our FF for today – TIME TO UPGRADE!

UPGRADE usually means that thereÂ’s a movement upward. ItÂ’s advancing from one level to one thatÂ’s higher. Telephone companies are not the only ones who offer UPGRADES. Have you noticed too that even when you book your flight to travel that the airlines are asking if you want to do an UPGRADE for a few extra dollars? There are even some travelers who do their UPGRADE at the very last minute when theyÂ’re checking in. They get elevated from the tightly cramped economy portion of the aircraft to the luxurious spacious area of business or better yet first class. Companies UPGRADE their computer and information technology systems when new software hits the market. Hotels offer UPGRADES as they aim to meet the demands of their guests. When you get a promotion on your job you are UPGRADED to a window office and move on from being stuck in that little cubicle. So we usually welcome an UPGRADE because it means that thereÂ’s an improvement over what we now have.

If we embrace so quickly the UPGRADES that the world offers because of the added comfort they bring to us, do we have the same attitude when it comes to UPGRADING our spiritual lives? What would we be willing to do in 2014 to UPGRADE our Christian walk? What would a spiritual UPGRADE require of us? Which direction would a faith UPGRADE take us? More time in prayer? More time reading and studying GodÂ’s Word? Deepened commitment to worship the Triune God more sincerely? Developing a more earnest compassion for lost souls? Living more openly and honestly before God, others and ourselves? Embodying and representing GodÂ’s amazing grace to a world searching for forgiveness and acceptance? Turning away from living for ourselves and finally living for God? Whatever it may be, now is the TIME TO UPGRADE!

The truth is a spiritual UPGRADE takes some effort on our part. But believe me when I say it’s well worth it. At the end of the day, all of the other UPGRADES which this world offers are fleeting. On the other hand, God through Jesus Christ offers to us the UPGRADE of a life time plus!! Jesus, in John 10:10, says, “A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” (The Message) Now that’s an UPGRADE that’s permanent and worth bragging about. So today hear the Holy Spirit’s gentle nudge saying to all of us: Let 2014 be for you your UPGRADE season. Now is the TIME TO UPGRADE!


Mikie Roberts (Rev)
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http://moravians.net/serendipity/index.php?/categories/1-Friday-Focus