What
we spend the bulk of our time on is what has our attention, and part of our
heart. We often fill our "free" time with video games, watching
YouTube documentaries and television, surfing the internet for things to buy,
chatting with friends, pursuing our hobbies, etc.
We
do not see any value in focusing our attention on God's Word, His Kingdom, and
the will of our King of kings, Jesus Christ. We give God one hour a week in a
corporate worship service, and maybe Sunday School, or a mid-week Bible Study
as well.
We
rarely read the Bible at home, listen to sermons online, spend time praising
God from the depth of our heart, read books with Biblical themes, etc. Yet, these
sources are ways that the Holy Spirit can enlighten us, and that we can mature
spiritually.
We
see no reason to take the time to pursue spiritual opportunities, because we
have what we consider, other more interesting activities to fill our time. We
do not want to be guilty of becoming "spooky spiritual" or being
"so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good."
However,
the key to a fulfilled life is to incorporate spiritual pursuits into the
earthly demands that fill our time. We do not need to choose one or the other,
because we are capable of doing both at the same time. For instance, we listen
to Christian music as we cook a meal or do our chores or carpool the children,
or we can read our Bible app while we wait in line or for an appointment.
We
are able to share with others what God is doing in our life, watch Christian
movies with our children one night a week or more, and carve out time each day
to spend in prayer with our spouse. Just prior to falling asleep, we nestle
into the couch with a cup of hot tea while we spend time with our favorite
devotional author.
We
are prepared to approach the Lord prior to making any decisions or commencing
any project during the day, all the while praying without ceasing as we walk in
the Spirit while following the required schedule on our calendar. Consulting
God through each of these events saves us time and frustration, as it opens doors
for divine appointments.
This
spiritual focus allows us to experience the power of Christ in and through our
life. He lives the Christian life for us during the activities in which He
inspires us to participate (Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 2:12-13). We walk in
the Spirit and we stop fulfilling the desires of our flesh (Galatians 5:15-25).
Prayer:
Father
God, we want You to manifest Your power during every situation of every one of
our days. We rely on You, we trust in You, and we are developing faith in Your
faithfulness. Remind us that we are crucified with Christ, and that we no
longer live our life, but Christ lives in and through us. We live by the faith
of Christ in us, because He loves us and gave Himself for us (Galatians 2:20).
Help
us to see the reality of the fact that we are temples in which Your Holy Spirit
dwells (2 Corinthians 6:16; Romans 8:9-11). The extent to which we surrender to
Your will in our life is the degree to which You are able to use us for Your
Kingdom and glory. Thank You for filling us with Christ's divine nature, Your
Holy Spirit's power and guidance, and Your love and joy and peace through every
trial that we ever experience.
Thought
for the Day:
As
we adopt God's plan for us as our way of life, we will decrease as Christ
increases within us; we focus on what He focused on, we live simple and
uncluttered lives as He did, and we diminish the carnal life and desires in our
heart by cooperating with Him as He makes us into a new creation.
-
1 John 2:6; Ephesians 4:22-24
