avoiding god

I was recently reading Francis Chan's book "Forgotten God" about the person and work of the Holy Spirit. At one point he asks a question that I think is both intriguing and in some ways frightening. Essentially he asks, "When was the last time you undeniably saw the Spirit at work in or around you?" That's a question every follower of Christ should be asking themselves. Ask yourself that question. If you've recently witnessed the undeniable work of the Spirit in you or around you, then pause for a few minutes to give thanks to God for the opportunity to witness the supernatural at work in our natural world and for His active work in your life.

If that question brings you to the realization that it’s been a while since you’ve witnessed the Holy Spirit irrefutably working in or around you, then it’s time to ask yourself, “Why?” Could it be that you’ve heard Him ask you to do something that carried with it the risk of looking foolish, so you decided to ignore His prompting and convinced yourself that it wasn’t God speaking to you? Could it be that your life is filled with so much activity that the voice of the Spirit can’t be heard above the din? Could it be that you’re harboring something in your heart that you’ve been unwilling to yield to the lordship of Christ, so you’ve been avoiding His presence in order to sidestep dealing with it?

Whatever the reason, we all need to remember that the Father loves us and He is working in our lives with an eternal perspective. We tend to lose sight of eternity and live as if this life is all there is. When we lose the perspective that this life is temporary, then we begin to live in fear and we end up giving our lives to things that are ultimately meaningless. We all need to slow down and take time to listen to God. We can trust Him to work in our lives for our good…even if it frightens us.

insatiable

I have always loved tacos. Now, when I say that I loved tacos, what I really mean is that I had an absolutely insatiable appetite for tacos. Whenever our family had tacos for dinner, I would invariably be the last one at the table and I would eat and eat and eat until there was nothing left to eat. My parents would just look at me and sadly shake their heads. To this day, my dad will chuckle and ask me if I can still eat my weight in tacos. The answer is: Yes, I can…but I don’t like to show off. 

I’m wondering about our appetite for God. Are we insatiable, or are we too easily satisfied in our relationship with Him? My fear is that many of us get just enough of Jesus to inoculate us from Him. Someone once said that you have as much of God right now as you really want. He’s not holding out on you. If your relationship with Him isn’t what it should be, could it be because you’ve turned your attention elsewhere and you really don’t want more of Him? May God awaken an insatiable desire for Him in our hearts.

love

It’s Valentine’s Day! Men, if you’ve forgotten that today is Valentine’s Day…it’s too late…no one can help you now. Seriously, though, today is a day we set aside each year to celebrate love. It’s healthy for us to pause and reflect on the depth of love that we have for those around us because it’s terribly easy for us to begin to take them for granted. It’s easy to forget the qualities that attracted you to your spouse and begin to focus on all the “defects” you’ve discovered since they stopped courting you. It’s easy to forget the wonder of God’s creative power when our children have stepped on our last nerve. Maybe we need to slow down and remember how much we love those whom God has placed in our lives.

Maybe we need to slow down and remember the Father’s love for us, too. If we begin to take for granted the love of those we see, how much easier is it for us to take for granted the love of an invisible God? Today, as you celebrate the love you have in your life, don’t forget to take time to remember the One who showed us what love is. Give Him your best love today. You won’t regret it.