Mar 16, 2011
How to Follow An Unseen Savior-Part 3
The Only Item on My To-Do List
I used to have a Christian growth check list. It read something like this:
- Daily prayer time.
- Daily Bible study time.
- Sin-free day.
If I had a major revelation during my prayer or Bible study time, I added a star or a sticker to my Christian growth list. OK, maybe not, but you get the idea. I had a clear picture in my mind of what a successful Christian looks like.
Follow the list and grow as a Christian.
It was exhausting.
I knew lots of other Christians who really enjoyed their prayer time, even if they had to discipline themselves into making a habit of it.
I knew lots of other Christians who found life-changing truth in the Bible, even if they had to drag themselves out of bed at an indecent hour.
Why was I struggling? Why didn’t I know how to make it work? I had the information, but it wasn’t clicking.
A former pastor of mine used to say, “Keep Christianity simple.” I’m all for that. I mean, it’s not like I had a very extensive list, right?
The problem? I wasn’t keeping it simple enough.
It started with a prayer time, in which I confronted the reality that God loves me. It shocked me. My life was swallowed up into something more accepting and powerful than I could have ever imagined. As I opened myself up to God’s Spirit, his leading, and the love he gave to me, I found my desires changed and shifted.
I wanted more of God.
I wanted to spend time with him.
I wanted to listen.
I wanted to obey him.
The result? I began to grow as a disciple.
Prayer, obedience, and scripture became sub-points under the single item on my new to-do list: fall in love with Jesus.
Love prompts me to seek the leading of the Spirit, toss aside my goals and priorities, and steer clear of sin. Love drives me to greater discipline in prayer and study of scripture.
A wise man once said, “If I do not have love… I am nothing.”
Without love all of the best intentions, all of the hardest work, and all of the to-do lists in the world will just wear us out. May we never grow weary because we rely on God’s unfailing love.
Thank you Ed. I needed this today.
RG
A lover will out-work a hired hand. A lover will out-fight a mercenary. A lover will study his beloved and learn every nuance. A lover will love even when understanding fails.
Lord, deliver me from good things, and transport my heart.
“Love prompts me to seek the leading of the Spirit, toss aside my goals and priorities, and steer clear of sin. Love drives me to greater discipline in prayer and study of scripture.”
People never want to leave their life of sin. In debates, I have asked the question, “Why are you at church then?” I knew their heart lacked the above and they traded that for earthly pleasures and popularity. In other words, the easy way out. By far, it’s so easy to give in to the world rather than to do what our Savior wants simply because we love Him.
Great blog!
Thanks for the comments. Ray and Nicole, I’m glad to hear your experience resonates with this. The good is certainly the enemy of God’s best, and thankfully God’s love makes it easier to follow God than any amount of discipline or willpower.