DEVOTION Back to the Basics Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. —Revelation 2:5, NLT I once knew a guy who was always in the best shape. I would run into him a couple of times a year, and he always made a point of reminding me that he was in much better shape than I was. He would tell me, Feel my arm! Thats hard. Thats right! he would say. But he was a stressed-out and very intense kind of guy. One day, I received the sad news that he had died of a heart attack. This guy had it all together on the outside. He was in great shape. But inside, his heart was in trouble. You may have the greatest physique — bulging biceps and rippling abs. You may have incredible stamina and energy. But what good is all of that if you have heart disease? You might be able to flex your spiritual muscles in front of other people. You might say, Look at my schedule! Look at all that I am doing for God. Look at what I have done. Listen to my accomplishments. Thats good as far as it goes. But it falls short of revealing the whole picture. When Jesus told the believers at Ephesus they had left their first love, He was getting to the heart of the matter, the root of success or failure in the Christian life. He was saying, You are leaving this first love. You are neglecting these basic things. That is when the Christian life becomes drudgery. That is when you start saying, There are so many rules. There are so many restrictions. I want to live as I please. I want to be free. When you begin to think like this, you are leaving your first love. Speaking of getting to the heart of things. Read what the bible tells us: ....People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 NIV) .....the righteous God who probes minds and hearts. (Psalm 7:9 NIV) Having a true heart is what matters. From a true heart always comes good works and deeds. But caution, good works and deeds can come by them self also. One way to know, for others to know if you have a true heart. A faithful heart. A believing heart. Is to look at your lifes priorities. I have a friend who is training for a marathon. She told me, its hard work. You have to be committed. She said you have to be selfish. Your training comes before anything else, no matter what. Doesnt matter the weather, how your feeling or what you have planned for the day. My training comes first. God likens our faith to training, he actually says like running a race. We have to be dedicated, have endurance, a steady pace and keep our eye on the finish line or the goal. So if you substitute my friends description of her marathon training to your faith. How close is it? Is God your priority? Does Je come first before everything? Before how you feel? Before what you have planned? Before the weather? I mean what little obstacle does it take to cause you to not read your bible? Too tired, too early, not interesting, have some tv shows to catch up on? What about church? Stayed up too late? Drank too much? My only day off? Have too much stuff to do around the house? Its too nice outside? So if God tells us: Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. (Matthew 22:37, 38 NIV) When you love something or someone with all your heart, it becomes a priority. Not only because it has to but because you want it to. If you truly love God the way He wants it should be obvious to yourself and others based on His place on your priority list. You can make up any excuse you want. You can try and rationalize or justify everything you do. But your priority list speaks for its self. Where is God, the bible, church, studying on your list? Think about it :)
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 16:04:15 +0000