Have you ever felt “just kind of blah” in your faith walk?
Where things aren’t terrible but nothing amazing is happening.
If people were to look at our life, we would be considered “being good Christians” by attending church every Sunday, small groups/ Bible studies throughout the week, devotional time is checked off too.
But it’s all just out of habit, not out of a place of passion anymore.
Imagine yourself in an room that is empty except for a single chair in the middle for the room. Picture sitting on the floor in front of this chair. This chair represents the priority in your life. It signifies the things that are in control of you and your time. Whether that’s the “Christian life” I just talking about with church and bible studies, dreams, career, possessions, striving for a relationship or marriage. If you already are married maybe for children and a family. Maybe for you, its financial stability or success that is sitting in the chair. For some of us, it might be our habits, and not the best mind you, such as alcoholism, sex, pornography, depression, doubt, pride, self-righteousness, anger, or greed. It might even just be that you are constantly on empty, so anything that might satisfy you this week is filling the chair.
If you are having trouble, maybe ask yourself some of these questions:
How do I spend my time?
Where do I invest my energy?
What topics dominate/fill my conversations?
What/Who do I spend my time thinking about or talking about?
What do I hope to accomplish at the end of the day?
Identify whatever it is that is occupying that chair in your life, it could be multiple things.
Figured out what is in that chair?
Remember that place of “blah” and emptiness that I was talking about before? As Christians, we easily get to this place when we start seeking all of these other things and not the very Heart of God.
These things slowly creep in and start to consume our time, thought life, and even our actions.
Luke 6:45 says “
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
One of my favorite quotes to date is from none other than C.S. Lewis from his work, Mere Christianity.
“And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”
Picture yourself back in that room that we talked about. Now, I don’t want you to mentally leave that room until God is the only presence in the chair.
No matter what our situation is or how up and down our emotions are, GOD IS CONSTANT. And as imperfect, sinful people, we desperately need Him to hold the reins in our life or we will so easily crash and burn time and time again.
There is a reason He wants priority in our life, and a reason why He wants us to seek first His kingdom just as it tells us in the gospel. Then all of these other things that we are desiring and putting in that chair, will be added unto us (according to HIs perfect will).
Let no other thing sit in that chair.
Let no other person sit in that chair.
No other activity.
No other hobby.
NO OTHER NAME.
Let your life praise no one else other that the One who deserves it.
I love you all, and I pray that God meets you wherever you are at right now.
Blessings!
