Nearsighted Christianity…
The past several months God has been working in me like I have never experienced. In the midst of the zeal there was a point where I felt that if anything changed I would be moving away from God instead of closer. Low and behold things changed and I was feeling bad about it, trying to get back but consistently falling short. I knew God accepted me at salvation and that He was still working on me, reading and praying more did not make me more worthy of salvation because no matter how awesome of a “Christian” I might be able to become, I am still not worthy of the Cross and the relationship I have with Jesus because of it! Everything that I am is because of Christ and Everything I will ever be will dictate on my ability to follow Christ!
On my last night in Washington D.C. I was praying in front of the Capitol and Supreme Court and I began to hear prayers out of my mouth I had never heard nor thought about before. It wasn’t another language, just the prayer itself was different. It was a hard prayer and nothing special but for me it was a new thought/concept of how to pray for our Government! Then on my flight home from Atlanta I was praying for safety because of the weather when I felt myself pray with peace that if Christ could be glorified through a plane crash than let His will be done. I understand some might disagree with that prayer but I had peace with it and was some how okay with the idea of it. After reflecting on that prayer in the plane and the prayer the night before I began to realize that God was still working on me and allowing me to grow spiritually despite my failed attempts to get back to where I was!!
What does this mean, well it doesn’t mean I can grow spiritually without reading, praying, and seeking His face! What it does mean that when life gets busy, those times where I was strong and heavily reading and praying, get me through the times where I do not. I have been told this before but I never truly understood until now. We always need to remember we can only see whats in front of us in the now. We have to submit ourselves to Christ to control our Future by allowing Him to lead us through the Now…Faith!
Now other things I have noticed: As my work picked up, hunting season kicked in, and the ALWAYS NEEDED time with my wife…there began a decline in the x hrs per week spent in prayer and reading. The longer that decline persists the stronger temptations become and the easier it gets to continue down the road of not reading and praying. In life the things that are good for us do not come easy and sometimes are not fun, exercise, proper diet, education, contentedness, reading, praying, fasting, are the main ones I can think of off the top of my head. In each instance listed above it requires discipline to say no to distractions and to do what is best for us. Keep on keeping on always striving for more of Jesus…if that is our focus we can’t go wrong!
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” Prov 3:5&6
“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:6&7
