I feel like I go through stages. I have months where I am seeking God, spending lots of time with Him. My heart is focused and I am enjoying sweet fellowship with the Lord. But then there are other times....ugh, I get spiritually lazy, over busy and the desire to spend time in God's Presence is clouded out by all negligent habits.
I've been in one of those times. Part of it is I've been away more in the last few months. That definitely puts a hampering on the time I spend with Jesus. I need to figure out a way for that to be a non issue. Whether it's getting up earlier, before everyone else starts moving, or using my time before bed to be in the Word, I'm not sure. But I know that God will give me the solution and the energy.
My friend and I started a study called "Growing in Grace. Knowing and Loving God Through Spiritual Disciplines" We found this little book in a local shop and it is put out by The Daily Grace Co. It's a gem!!
This is what started me to evaluate my time. In the first chapter there is a calendar broken down into days and half hour time slots. It asks you to map out what your week generally looks like. Boy, was mine an eye-opener. An uncomfortable, convicting eye-opener!
Well, I needed this God visit desperately. Just the way I need my time with Him. Lazy and neglectful is not the way to strong spiritual growth or a joyful, peaceful life.
This isn't the first time God has had to correct me in this area. But I am praying it is the last. I don't want to take my days and hours for granted, thinking, "I've got this." or I'm busy and I'll get to it later." I don't want to make excuses and fill my hours with time away from God. Yes, I can pray as I go through me day, and I do. But there's more to "God time" then that. There's worship. Celebrate our Father! There's study. Get to know Him and His heart. Read the Book! Learn and grow. There's memorizing Scripture. Hide His Word in your heart that you might night sin against Him and have an answer to give to those who ask the reason for the hope in us. Not to mention knowing His promises when you need a life preserver and the strength to take another step! There's fasting. Focus your heart away from the physical realm and onto the spiritual. Prayer and fasting go together like birds of a feather! I always feel much closer to God when I fast. And it could be more than just food. What about phone time, tv time....Go to church. Listen to good, solid teaching. Spend time with Christ's people. We learn from each other, encourage one another, hold one another accountable and build each other up. Be creative in your time with God. Just do it.
I always feel so adrift when I neglect my time with Jesus. And that is how I've been feeling lately. But there is something I noticed and it scared me. I started feeling more comfortable with it. Like I didn't need it. This had never happened to me before. That is terrifying to me. I'm so grateful God grabbed me before that became the normal way of life for me.
Lord, thank You for pursuing us, for never letting us go. It amazes me that You desire our fellowship and I am forever grateful for this. I confess my neglect and spiritual laziness. Keep us close to Your side. Let us let go of excuses. Let go of the worldliness. Let go of the things that rise above You in our hearts and become idols. Make this behavior so abhorrent to us that we run into Your arms every minute of every day. Lord, we always need You. No matter what the world says. No matter even what our mind says. Keep that and Yourself front and center in our hearts each day. We love You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Lose the excuses.
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