What is standing in the way of your relationship with Christ?
On that day when you surrendered your will to Him, something changed inside.
You started over. You became new.
If you have ever painted a room you know how fresh and clean
walls look. When we allow Jesus to cleanse us, we feel fresh and clean. We look
new. When we see ourselves in the mirror
we can bask in that newness. But just like the new paint that gets soiled,
chipped, scraped and without constant effort to maintain the freshness will
eventually become tarnished, our old ugliness bleeds through.
So how do we, as the faithful in Christ, maintain our
newness?
Honor your covenant. Choose to stay close and tight with
Him. Establish a daily quiet time. There is a sacrifice built into that
statement. It might mean getting out of bed a few minutes earlier than your
normal so that you can be alone with the Father. It might mean eating lunch
alone so that you and He can converse. Maybe it means creating a War Room where
you can visually see your concerns. The key word is sacrifice. Remember that
Jesus went off by Himself over and over to talk directly with His Father. You
do the same. (Mark 1:35)
In your quiet time, open the Scriptures. The Book is simply
amazing. There are stories to tell, insights to learn, challenges to be
accepted, incredible solutions to problems, people just like me…and you, as
well as a few rules to follow. I cannot open my Bible without encountering a
new understanding or a reminder of a message that I have forgotten. I
especially enjoy reading through the Bible with a daily devotional that offers
Scripture from different books each day such as passages from Isaiah, Proverbs,
Psalms and Galatians. I read through the Bible each year with a spirit of
adventure – what new insight will I gain?
Pray. Talk to God. What
a great listener He is! Just like a mother who loves to hear her child’s voice
on the phone, He loves to hear from us. Don’t be embarrassed to speak aloud to
Him. He knows our thoughts before we speak them, but He loves to hear our
voice. Conversing with God is like talking to your best friend – you finish
each other’s sentences, you supply each other’s words, some things don’t even
need to be said – they are just understood. You will be filled with a sense of
joy and hope – of understanding – peace.
So often friends will say, ‘My mind wanders when I try to
pray.’ Clear it before you begin by writing things down. Develop a prayer list
or journal your concerns. Date your entries. By writing them down your mind
will stay focused. You will find encouragement in looking back through the
entries and seeing God’s hands at work.
Share. Share Him. If there is anything that I regret about my
life, it’s my unwillingness to confidently share Him. I simply chose to believe
that I couldn’t – so I didn’t. When He fills your heart with His presence, it
eventually overflows. It cannot be contained. Rather than try to hold it in,
let it flow. He promises that He will guide you as you share. Believe Him. The
seed cannot begin to grow until it is planted. Never feel less than because all
you see yourself doing is planting. Someone else might be the harvester and
that’s alright. Just share.
Tell your story. Where were you before Christ? What happened
to open your heart and your eyes? Share your excitement for today. So simple
and yet so profound your own story makes it real and reachable.
Finally, live for Him. Scripture challenges us to live for
Christ. (Phil. 1:21) It has taken me a long time to understand that my life is
not mine. Losing me to live for Him wasn’t an overnight change. I vividly
remember a conversation that Barry and I had about how blessed we were that our
trials seemed to have been easy compared to some. I cannot say that today. But
I can say that living life through the fire has changed my focus. Self has
taken a backseat to the call. Giving Him glory everyday despite difficult
circumstances is my focus.
Enjoy His love and care. Focus on the hope He offers. Look
for the joy in your circumstances. Praise Him for the good and the bad. Realize that you might not understand or even like His purpose for you but He is a
good, good Father loving you every nanosecond of the day. Trust Him. He is
faithful.
