Do you remember when you first believed in God? Do you remember the excitement, of feeling like your life has just started fresh? See, I was going to get around to God eventually. For those of you who’ve been Christians for a long time, how often do you talk to God? Sure you pray after every meal, maybe before you start your car before going out, but those don’t really count. That’s like calling your friend for a favor. “Dear God, please don’t let me get into an accident.” Or “Lord, please don’t let me die from this piece of sushi from this shady sushi restaurant."
No, I’m talking about the deep prayers, just like your deep talks with your girlfriend. The kind of prayer where you talk to God and you praise Him for who He is and what He’s done for you. The kind of prayer where you pray just because you’re thinking about Him. And not those 5 minute quick talks either. You don’t talk to your SO for 5 minutes when you first went out, so why should you do the same with God? Is it that hard to talk to God for an hour? In fact, during your busy day, meeting with people, getting your work done, have you thought about God every chance you get? I’m sad to say, I don’t. Not really. From 9-6, it’s just work. Even when I’m not working, I’m thinking about other things, not really dwelling on how wonderful God is.
Here’s another quick question. Have you ever prayed really hard to God when you want something or when you’re in trouble? I mean, get down on your knees, promising to be good, pleading with Him? Do you pray that hard when you’re not in trouble? Don’t get me wrong, God loves for you to turn to Him during times of trouble. He wants you to trust Him when things look bleak. But He also wants you to pray to Him when you’re not in trouble. Just as you would your SO when you guys first went out. Remember how you thought about that person all the time, wondering what they’re doing now. You should be doing the same with God. Just pray to Him even when you don’t have any favors to ask, just talk with Him.
Let’s see, what else…. Gifts. If you’ve been in love, then I’m sure you’ve given lots of gifts to each other. Sometimes, you don’t even need an occasion. You saw something that you knew your love would like, and you buy it. You should be thinking the same way with God. You see something that inspires you or stirs up something inside of you, you should give thanks to God for creating it. Give an extra donation to the church, or the homeless shelter. As Jesus said, if you clothe the homeless, you’re clothing Him. Shower Him with praises, and do it from the heart, because you love Him. I hear He really gets a kick out of that.
My point is, you should always treat God as your first love. And by first love, not only do I mean the most important love, but literally like a first love, like you’ve fallen in love with Him for the first time. Do all the things you did with him when you first believed in him. Continue doing it, and your spiritual life will continue to grow and flourish. Remember the warning against the church of Ephesus in Revelations and do not forsake your first love (Rev 2:4).
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2 comments:
Off topic comment, I wanted to apologize for being so short with you on the phone. I was driving at the time and I'm not the best driver under normal circumstances. =/
Good assessment on the reality of the cold human hearts toward God, where they are and where they "should" be. The Bible is quite clear about what God expects, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength," (Deut 6:5) and what he gets instead, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people." (Rom 10:21).
But let's face it, how can a person actually love God as or even more than his/her SO when there's no physical attraction in God at all? "He had no beauty or majest to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him," said Isaiah of Jesus in Isa 53:2. Our attraction toward God must be a spiritual one, not physical or emotional as in the case with our SO. But spiritually, we're all dead in our trespasses, and it must take a spiritual awakening from God. He must reveal Himself to us or else we are not able to see Him in His supreme beauty. It is the work of the Holy Spirit, so we need to pray, as Paul did for the Ephesians, that the eyes our hearts may be enlightened, so that we may be able to see the supreme beauty of God in the Cross of Christ. I am convinced that if I were able to understand just a small fraction of what the Cross really meant, I would be so hopelessly in love with Christ--exactly and only what I need for my own good and for His glory. -andy
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