Transformed – teen devotion – May 28, 2023

One truth shared: Grace is the key to creating meaningful community.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12:7

Better Together

Throughout the six days of creation, there was only one thing that God called “not good.” That one thing was Adam’s loneliness. So before day six was done, God created woman and brought her to him.

To this day, loneliness is still not a good thing. Researchers point to countless studies that show the negative effects loneliness has on a person. Some studies suggest that loneliness is even worse for you than smoking.

Humans were created for community. The need for one another was baked into our very being. But as it always does, sin steals from us what we need the most.

Throughout the Scriptures (and perhaps in your own life), you can see examples of how sin separates people from one another. Sin makes it so that people cannot coexist the way we were designed to. Just like two papers glued together will rip when you try to separate them, so it tears us apart when human relationships are broken by sin.

This is bad. But not as bad as the greater relationship that was broken between God and us. The distance from God created by our sin is insurmountable. Nothing in this world can fix it, and nothing in this world can fill the hole.

So God sent someone to this world who could fix it. Jesus filled the gaping hole between us and God with his own righteousness, and he brought us back to God when he paid for our sin.

The beautiful result is that you now have the power to restore human relationships that have been broken by sin. The power comes from the grace that you received from God himself.

When several people come together with relationships restored through Christ, that’s what we call the church. Is it perfect? No. But that’s the beauty of grace. Imperfect as we are, God’s Spirit works fruits in each person that are for the common good. Relationships restored. Grace overflowing. Now Jesus looks at his church that he gathered, and what he sees is very good!

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for restoring me to be in a close relationship with you. Allow me to be the answer to someone else’s loneliness this week. Amen.


Teen Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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