I did something unusual the other day. I wrote in the first space of this week in my day planner "time with God."You might assume me to be very devout and spiritual, but actually -- when I got to thinking about it later, I am quite foolish. The fact that I must "pencil" God into my day reveals something in me that contrasts holiness, maybe even borders heathenism. What I thought was godly prioritizing was in fact placing God in a time slot.
I try to be careful and keep God at the top of my priorities. You know, "seek first the kingdom of God." But I never realized that squeezing Him into an upper compartment of my life was actually degrading His value and encompassing worth. Knowing and honoring Jesus doesn't simply involve bumping Him up to the top of my "to-do" list. What does He want? Where does He belong in my life?
He must be at the center.
Throughout my day, as I am busy following my schedule, working on activities, interacting with people, and completing assignments ... all this should revolve around Him, instead of "start out" with Him. If I take Him into every activity, every relationship, and every circumstance He will saturate me and those around me, enabling me to walk by faith and love others unconditionally and support those who are weak. I need Him in every moment, not just the morning slot of my day. His presence should permeate life.
Charlie Hall sings a song called Center that proclaims this chorus:
Christ be the center of our lives
Be the place we fix our eyes
Be the center of our lives
We lift our eyes to heaven
We wrap our lives around your life
We lift our eyes to heaven, to You
It is my fervent desire that my life is wrapped around His life -- instead of the other way around. God must become the centerpiece of my heart and the place I fix my eyes. I want "to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God," (Eph. 3:19) and to carry that fullness into every day.
I had never thought about it that way! I've definitely made to-do lists and included "pray" or "read the Bible" or something like that. And they ultimately would get scratched out just as furiously as everything else on the list (I like to really mark something off when I've done it; it just feels good) or worse, I'd scratch off everything but those things.
ReplyDeleteYou know, God is available to us whenever we call Him; He's always there. We ought to leave ourselves open to God all the time so that He doesn't have to call out to us by getting our attention through alarming (to us) messages, like disasters or near-disasters.
Last night I started praying and my room was really messy and it was driving me insane. So I made some movement to start straightening up while still praying and the words, "Be still before the Lord" suddenly came to me. So I stayed still and prayed for a bit.
This is so true, Kaysie.
ReplyDeleteI need to have my daily time with God where I purposefully put aside everything else to get my focus on Him. Just having this quiet time makes a huge difference in my day- it reminds me of what is actually important. But I do need to be so careful that I'm not just fitting God into a small part of my agenda. Do you have some practical tips for how you go about doing that?
For the next several weeks, I am resolved to go without sugar. And I am hoping that during that time, I will find so much satisfaction in more prayer that I won't have the cravings for "junk" as much =)
ReplyDeleteLori, I am a "task scratcher" as well -- somehow it makes me feel better too. But checking God off of my list doesn't bring the same satisfaction I desire, or I think God requires. We miss the point if we view God as an object or task to be completed for the day. All should revolve around Him. :)
ReplyDeleteAli Joy, I think what I trying to describe is an encompassing meditation on God throughout the day. I have written a post about it ( http://www.alabasterboxblog.com/2008/08/04/a-mind-of-meditation/ ), and hopefully that can help?
Ella, wow -- I admire you! ;)
This is so good for me to read right now! That song has been on my heart for a couple of weeks - God is teaching me to make Him the center of my life. It's so much easier said than done though! Oftentimes I get frustrated at myself for failing, but then I realize again that I can't do ANYTHING on my own strength, including making God the center of my life. I need His help, His strength, His support. Thanks for the reminder/encouragement Kaysie!
ReplyDeleteKasie, isn't that an amazing song?! It is so inspiring. And yes, as you said, it is harder to apply than discuss. ;) But as we strive to make God the center, He becomes our strength, which produces what we want and what He wants. :)
ReplyDeleteKaysie, I got the scratching off thing from a movie called Lucky 7, which is a pretty cute movie. Anyway, you're definitely right that things need to revolve around God. Things in my life have definitely perked up this past week since I've spent more time with God.
ReplyDeleteThank you for having a website that inspires me to action and causes me to think more closely about my actions and my relationship with God.
Lori, you're quite welcome! :) I am always blessed through your comments and encouraged to keep going! Thanks...
ReplyDeleteHi Kaysie!
ReplyDeleteAs always, I really enjoyed reading your post. I thought it was so neat that I just posted 'Center' on my blog last week! :) Only it was a video. The words in the song have touched my heart so much. Jesus does need to be the center of our lives! Without Him we couldn't even do all the other "things" that are on our daily list. Thank you for sharing your heart for all the world to see. You don't have to, but you do anyway and I really respect that. May the Lord bless you!
Ahah . I love it .Thats correct Kaysie.
ReplyDeleteYou remember that post you had a few days ago about watching the cup of tea .
That is exactly what must happen with us and Christ .Never would you see half of the cup of tea colored and the half pure water .what you see is the teabag infusing every cubic millimeters of that cup. Note another analogy, Thank you Jesus for bringing this one as i write.The warmer the water the more and the faster the infusion of the teabag.
If we are hot for Christ we receive more of his Holy spirit (am not talking walking on the ceiling here now).It is the more we cant help but share what he has given us .It is the more we become over comers.It is the more we can live victorious and sinless.
I know one would go basurk about that one. Sinless? yes sinless if in doubt look at :
1 John 2:1 note it says if.
1 John 2:3,4,6 How did Jesus walk ? sinless as an example to us.
1John 3:9,24 seems john was convinced of living without sin (the action and the thought).
Jude 24
2Peter 1:4
Romans 6:22,18,16
John 5: 14 Jesus didn't advise He comanded sin no more.
Am passionate about this Cuz i know what it is to be living victorious over the 1 thing that has been bugging me for years.
Its not until we totally surrender our all even our thoughts To Christ and have him fight for us then we become over comers. The power is available to all Just surrender to Him He will fight your temptations if you stop focusing on them but focus on Him.Thats the Good fight of faith
oops its not my blog
Blessings Kaysie good one thank you very much for the inspiring words.
All kudos to Christ and the loving Grace which empower us to live victorious for him.
Megan, yes -- that song is absolutely amazing. The lyrics are the anthem of my heart right now. That is funny that you had posted the video earlier. Great minds think alike! :) Thank you for all your encouragement.
ReplyDeleteEarl -- wow. Great insights!!! I love the tea illustrations; that is so relevant. I like what you said about allowing God to invade our thought life too. God should be the centerpiece of our mind/thoughts for there to ever be a transformation in the rest of our body. Thank you for sharing! :)
Kaysie, I have been reading your blog for a little while, and I am so inspired by it. Being young (13), your blog is an encouragment to me, you being older. I love the pictures too, do you take them? I just thought I would send you a quick comment.
ReplyDeleteMay you be blessed by the Lord,
Kristin
Kristen Elizabeth, thank you for your comment! I am thankful that God is using my words to encourage. Yes, I love the pictures too -- I actually don't take them, I just get them from a photo database. God bless you! :)
ReplyDeleteloved this post. great message kaysie :)
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness... what an amazing post. My walk with God has been less-than-stellar lately... on "good" days, I've been compartmentalizing God when I should have been consumed by him; on bad days, I've been ignoring him altogether. This is a convicting, but still comforting, reminder of what he expects from me.
ReplyDeleteDiane, thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteOksana, so I guess you and I are in the same boat. ;) I was really convicted about my attitude toward time with God -- thus this post -- and I am learning that obedience is required of me. Thanks for your comment!