I have been thinking about why I haven't posted anything deep and meaningful in several days. I realized it is because I am not in the Word. Because the children wake up earlier and earlier every day, a morning quiet time routine has been difficult to establish. During naptime, I have been napping a bit myself. In between it is a mad rush of living in the moment and doing things that demand my attention. The tyranny of the urgent many call it.
Instead of a steady diet of God's Word, I feel like I am taking it in on the go. A nibble here. A bite there. If there were a drive-thru restaurant for Scripture, I am afraid I would be a frequent customer lately. Yet, this is not truly satisfying. It is sustaining, but only in a basic needs, avoiding starvation kind of way.
This is not what I desire. I have great intentions. Yet, if you look at how I spend my time, I am a hypocrite. How can I say I live for, follow and serve someone but not spend any time listening to His instructions and encouragement? I am too often serving a false god: the god of my personal comfort and an organized "Real Simple magazine" life.
If I compare myself to other people, I can provide a whole scorecard of all the things I am doing...yet inside my heart, when compared to my Father, there is much work to be done. Lord, I confess it and I repent.
Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it. I hope the test won't show that we have failed. But if it comes to that, we'd rather the test showed our failure than yours. We're rooting for the truth to win out in you. We couldn't possibly do otherwise.
We don't just put up with our limitations; we celebrate them, and then go on to celebrate every strength, every triumph of the truth in you. We pray hard that it will all come together in your lives.
2 Corinthians 13:5-9 (The Message)
9 comments:
Great post, and one I can relate to all too well. Just last night, I began a lengthy prayer/journal entry about how guilty I've been of living with my personal comfort and pleasure as my number one priority. I feel that God is gearing up (or gearing ME up) for a major overhaul in this area of my life! Thank you for writing about this -- He's using you to speak to me!
Great word, I needed it too. I've been so frustrated this week, setting my alarm for b/t 5:30-6:00 am, only to have my 1
yr old wake up 5 minutes after I get up each morning. A few weeks ago I really sensed God prompting me to memorize scripture, something I've not done very well in the past. The first vs I memorized was Isaiah 41:10 and it really has helped me this week. At least I have that in my mind to pray through during the day. It has encouraged me to memorize more.
Oh, girl - you are preaching to the choir!
I have been thinking lately about how much of my efforts and time I spend doing other things when I could AND should be spending more time in HIS word and growing in HIM!
blessings!
Mindy
I just can't even begin to tell you how much this blog of yours challenges me, encourages me, corrects me and more than anything makes me desire more of Jesus.
I am amazed at the title of this post because I just had dinner last week with one of my best friends and we were talking about Deep Calling Deep. I have been thinking about it so much. I sang that Margaret Becker song once and I did not really understand it but now eleven years later, I do.
You really have ministered to me through this blog and God speaks through you to me so clearly.
I have now gotten to the point when I am woken up early in the morning by one of the kids, where I think of you. I love your stories.
I have no advice, but I think you've tapped into one of the great battles fought by every mom-of-preschoolers who also passionately wants to follow Jesus. How do you get up earlier than the child who hears you get up? How do you make quality time for God when every ounce of physical and mental energy is spent on the tyranny of the urgent? It's a tough one.
I've heard many older and wiser women say, "It gets easier. Just keep plugging on, do what you can do and don't beat yourself up too much." But it doesn't make it any easier, does it?
So true and convicting. Thank you for the challenge this morning!
Perfect timing.. I've been teaching my children about the difference between knowledge and wisdom.. Knowledge is all the stuff you know in your head and wisdom is using it all the right way.
God bless,
Sallie
Yeah- I've been feeling this one as Sophie starts to change her schedule around too. My normal times just are not cutting it.
Not getting the right amount of time with God a day is my fault. I've allowed it to happen. And I feel it and am working on changing it.
It's hard with one- with three it's gotta be harder.
Amen!
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