Back To Basics
So far this year we have been discussing some of the basics of our faith. Not so much basic doctrines, but basic practices/disciplines. I’m sure I sound like a broken record by now, but I can’t stress how important it is to develop a regular habit of spending time with God, which would include praying and reading the Bible.
If any of you have been around church for any length of time, this is not news to you. I find that while most Christians would agree that spending time with God is a good, even vital thing to do, the difficulty usually lies in actually making the lifestyle choices and decisions that lead to deeper communion with God. When I was growing up, G.I. Joe would tell us that “knowing is half the battle.” I would venture to say that it is even less. Knowing is certainly part of the equation, but formulating the gameplan and actually executing it is probably 50-80% of the battle in my opinion. I once read that famous management guru Peter Drucker believed you haven’t even made a decision until you’ve figured out a way to implement it.
Of course it’s always worth repeating that we don’t pursue these practices/disciplines to earn our salvation (only Jesus’ sacrifice purchased that) or to get religious merit badges or anything like that. We do it simply because He loves us and we love Him. We do it because being with Him is actually enjoyable, and without Him we can do nothing.
So here’s my question and challenge to you: if you agree that spending time with God is important, what plans have you made to spend time with Him this year on a regular basis? What is your level of commitment to it? Where does spending time with God rank on your list of priorities?
