Time For God

Taking time for God each day can make or break who we are as believers. Just because we decide to accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior does not stamp a ticket to easy street. (Anything But) It takes effort. Just like any relationship a relationship with God is not a one-way proposition we have to and God expects us to put in the effort.

It's also real easy to allow the enemy to convince us that we don't need to waste out time reading the bible, praying, worshiping (corporately or privately), or spending time in fellowship with other believers.

John Wesley, an Anglican Priest, was credited for the founding of the United Methodist Church. Other traditions, Assemblies of God, Church of God, and some Pentecostals, also see him as playing a significant role in the founding of their faith traditions as well. Currently I am a United Methodist Seminary Student learning for the first time just how committed a disciple of Jesus Christ Wesley really was. Wesley was up every morning before the sun came out to spend time in his word and to pray. He was committed living a life of discipline in all that he did. He understood that without spending significant time with Jesus everyday he was not being what Jesus was calling him to be. He understood that being a devoted Christian meant making disciples and making disciples made him a target for the enemy. So it was imperative to him that he spend time with God every day so that he could carry out the call that God had placed on his life.

Can we do that? Can we as believing Christians call our selves more than believers? (Satan believes, the demons believe) Can we become something other than the stereotypical Christian who goes to church for fire insurance or cause Mom and them did? Can we begin to understand that THERE IS NOT A SET WAY TO BE A CHRISTIAN!!!? John the Baptist the one ordained by God to prepare the way would probably be ignored in most churches today. How you dress, watching our tongue, and doing charity work does not make us Christian. Teaching Sunday school, being baptized, or being confirmed doesn't make us Christian. Finally learning that we are absolutely nothing with out the redeeming blood of Jesus and living like him, regardless of what we have always thought and felt, makes us Christ Followers.

I have found that this is one of the hardest lessons of faith I have had to learn. God has gifted me with specific gifts and graces to be used for His Kingdom. Knowing that our gifts and graces are from and for God is what we all have to remember. Not controlling our lives. God isn't just in control when we need Him to be. He is in control all of the time!

Let’s make our lives God's life.