Jeremiah 31:25, “I will give rest and strength to those who are weak and tired.”
We have helped our three children through the years with learning to drive and getting a car and the maintenance that goes with one. One thing my husband was adamant about when he taught them was, always check your oil and get it changed regularly. Even today this six-word slogan rings true, ‘Oil is cheap; engines are expensive.’ Adding a quart of oil is nothing compared to replacing an engine. Regular maintenance on a car is important for the long life of the car.
How about your spiritual life? We also need regular maintenance, which will guarantee everlasting life. Yet, we can't simply call going to a local church weekly or once a month all we need. Spiritual maintenance requires studying the Bible daily. The key to avoiding a complete breakdown: prayer, devotions, and talking to God.
In Psalm 5:3 David writes, “Lord, every morning you hear my voice. Every morning, I tell you what I need, and I wait for your answer.” He knew it was essential to take his praises, thanksgivings, and request to God in order for his life to fall into place.
Many people have found morning the best time to spend with God. Before Facebook is scrolled through, before emails are opened, before breakfast and the day gets ahead of them, they begin their day putting the time in, adding God (oil) to their life. Others have found time during other times of the day because mornings are full, or they have a harder time getting up early. No matter the time of day, taking time to praise God, thanking Him, seeking guidance from Him, and giving your requests to Him, is important. It is in spending time with Him that we can find strength, hope, assurance, answers, and so much more, to help us get through our days.
Without regular maintenance in our hearts, we will find ourselves struggling through the storms of life and we may just go skidding into the ditch on our road of life. I'm so glad God has provided a way for us to stay at peak performance. The best news is that when we've lost tread, we're a quart or two low, or we've simply run out of gas, when we turn to Jesus, He will change or fix anything and send us off again better than we were before.
Here are some ideas to help get you started in your spiritual maintenance.
· Choose a different theme for each month (love, happiness, forgiveness, hope, etc.) Spend time in the Bible looking at verses that go with your theme and study them. Or find devotionals to go along with your theme.
· Add listening time to your prayer time. Connecting with God and prayer is important, but we need to also take time to stop talking and listen to God's voice.
· Read your Bible. This goes without saying because it is in God's Word we can grow and understand God more clearly. Commit yourself to Bible reading and allow God to speak to you through the words.
· Listen to spiritual podcasts and music. Expand your horizons with a faith-based podcast or listen to Christian music while driving, or around your home. It beats any news out there and the world's idea of good music.
· Reflect the fruits of the Spirit. Purposely and intentionally reflect the fruits of the Spirit in all you do and who you may come across.
· Turn your favorite hobby into a ministry. If you love quilting, make prayer blankets. If you enjoy cooking, share meals with friends. Reading, find a place to read either to the elderly or children's program. God gave us gifts; we need to share them.
· View life through a spiritual lens. Be aware of everything around you. Ask the Lord to give you the spiritual eyes to see the majesty of His creation.
· Start a prayer journal. Write down your praises, requests, and answered prayers with dates. This helps remind us of God's work in our lives.
· Shine your Christian light. Be more considerate of the people around you. Before you criticize, complain, or act rudely take a deep breath, or maybe even take five deep breaths. Let the light of Jesus shine through you, do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. Remember, it's not magic… it's maintenance. Ask the Lord daily to fill your hearts with His presence and you'll find that check engine light staying off.
Hopefully you are enjoying our Bible study and have found some extra time to join me as we go through how we can let go and let God lead in our lives. The links I share each blog is just a small study taking us through the Bible with some questions along the way how we can give our all to Jesus. If you want to see what we've studied already simply click on the last few blogs. Today we are going to learn how we don't always have to have it our way and how God's way is always so much better.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and if you'd like take a few more minutes to look around or click on my other links, God bless.
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