Am I Spiritually Vibrant and On Guard?
Why don’t I run to my time with the Lord? When I’m there I am so full and so happy. At peace, even. But it seems like study time is the last thing I do in a day, if I do it at all. I was reminded today of His presence and love in my life. How did I go so long without really “checking in” with Him? I feel so dull and wall-flowerish when I'm not in communication with Him.
I’ve started another Beth Moore study on Daniel and it hopefully has me back on track to feeling vibrant again. There were a bunch of moments when things hit home today but the biggest was the simplest. I need to be deliberate in being an influence in the world so that I can be prepared against the influences of the world.
“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”
“You’re either with us or against us.”
“It’s black and white.”
Wow, is it really? Does that idea really go that far? It seemed like a natural progression of thought. And when it comes right down to it, I think it does go that far. We are in the world but not of it. We live alongside it but we don’t flow with it. Ouch! It doesn’t mean we go “bible-thumping” everyone on the head but it does mean we remain focused on God’s direction in our lives so much so that we stand out amidst the world’s noise.
Jesus came up alongside many “undesirable and unclean” people but His focus was on God and pointing others to Him. He didn’t follow them into their sin but He did ask them to spend time with Him. He didn’t preach from a barricaded compound but He did arm Himself with God’s words and the Holy Spirit. “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men [and women] of courage; be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13.
I hope someday I am as annoyingly out of place and distracting as those huge TV screens off the freeway in Fife. It’s hard not to look at them. Maybe I’ll run someone off the road with my spiritual vibrancy the same way they do me!
I’ve started another Beth Moore study on Daniel and it hopefully has me back on track to feeling vibrant again. There were a bunch of moments when things hit home today but the biggest was the simplest. I need to be deliberate in being an influence in the world so that I can be prepared against the influences of the world.
“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”
“You’re either with us or against us.”
“It’s black and white.”
Wow, is it really? Does that idea really go that far? It seemed like a natural progression of thought. And when it comes right down to it, I think it does go that far. We are in the world but not of it. We live alongside it but we don’t flow with it. Ouch! It doesn’t mean we go “bible-thumping” everyone on the head but it does mean we remain focused on God’s direction in our lives so much so that we stand out amidst the world’s noise.
Jesus came up alongside many “undesirable and unclean” people but His focus was on God and pointing others to Him. He didn’t follow them into their sin but He did ask them to spend time with Him. He didn’t preach from a barricaded compound but He did arm Himself with God’s words and the Holy Spirit. “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men [and women] of courage; be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13.
I hope someday I am as annoyingly out of place and distracting as those huge TV screens off the freeway in Fife. It’s hard not to look at them. Maybe I’ll run someone off the road with my spiritual vibrancy the same way they do me!
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