Life is Shifty
SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 1:12-24 
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BIO: I am Dr. David Swanson and it has been my privilege to serve as the Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church since 2004. I am originally from Dallas, Texas and love to be with my wife, Leigh, and my three children: John David, Alex and Kaylee.
KEY VERSE: 2 Corinthians 1:21 "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us…"
CENTRAL TRUTH: There are many things in the world that are shifting and changing, but our faith in Christ is what allows us to "stand firm."
DEVOTIONAL: Life is Shifty
Have you noticed lately that things have a tendency to change? You can make plans to do one thing, and then something happens, and those plans get scrapped. We even see it in people. People can do things that surprise us and disappoint us, even Christian people! While it can be disheartening, we who call on Christ as Savior are still the most imperfect of beings. As a pastor, I can tell you that I fail daily as a husband, a father, and a leader. I let people down.
Such was the case with Paul. He had promised a visit to the Corinthian Church, but his plans changed. He decided he could not go, and because of that, the Corinthian Christians were disappointed, even angry. However, in Paul’s letter, he uses their response to his failure as a chance to teach them. He tells them, "I am not the one you depend on – Christ is."
I have learned that my task is not to have people look at me, but to have people look to the Lord. My life is to be a sign post that people can look at and find their way to God. Paul is careful to note that people can be "yes and no" – they can do things and say things that appear to be contradictory – but God is NEVER that way. God is always solid. God is always YES. He says YES to us in Christ. Christ’s atoning death and resurrection are God’s eternal yes to His people. He said yes to our lives – to our future – and to our hope.
So, even as things shift and change around us, even as God’s own people may let us down or disappoint us, we look not to them, but to the firm foundation of the Lord Himself as we are filled by His Spirit. By His Spirit, regardless of our present circumstances or disappointments, we can STAND FIRM. Though this life can be shifty, God is not. He has given us Jesus Christ as our firm foundation. Stand on it – on Him – today!
QUESTION 1: What are the things in my life that have been shifting or changing lately and what impact have those changes had on me or my faith?
QUESTION 2: At this point, do I tend to depend more on Christian people or on Christ? While we naturally depend on others, do I depend on them too much? Why?
QUESTION 3: While I can never be fully dependent on Christ this side of heaven, what are some things I can do now that will help me stand firm in my faith?
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