If you call yourself a Christian, yet you say you don't have time to study the Bible, don't like to read, etc., you are missing out! I use to have that same mindset. Even more saddening, I had that heart-set (and I still do sometimes). I am a lot more selfish than I ever acknowledged because I always compared myself with society's standards rather than God’s standards (to simply love and seek Him first).
We must make a daily decision to pursue Him, a daily discipline that is easy to fail at. Picture yourself in a boat on stagnant water. If you stop rowing (seeking Jesus), you stop going (growing in your relationship), and you can actually start to float backwards. If you want to live like you never have, you'll have to live like you never have. Genius, I know ;)
The wrong perspective many people have is that they are either intimidated by the Bible, or don't think it’s worth the time (they don’t really believe it holds the treasure it does). It's importance is discounted, and they hurry along continuing to run their rat-race lives... only hoping sometime they will find true peace. Well, you don't have to just hope! When our souls crave for something deeper, they crave for Jesus himself. Its that simple!
This earthly life and everything in it is mortal. No mortal thing can give peace to an immortal soul. Even though you may have asked Jesus in your heart and consider yourself a "Christian" (You non-chalantly believe Jesus is the son of God, you are a good person, and maybe you regularly attend church), it is vital to know that is not the end-all. That is where knowing Jesus and the life of a Christ follower starts! His soul-satisfying peace and abundant life is right at your fingertips! All you have to do is surrender to and whole-heartedly seek Him- He will do the rest!
This earthly life and everything in it is mortal. No mortal thing can give peace to an immortal soul. Even though you may have asked Jesus in your heart and consider yourself a "Christian" (You non-chalantly believe Jesus is the son of God, you are a good person, and maybe you regularly attend church), it is vital to know that is not the end-all. That is where knowing Jesus and the life of a Christ follower starts! His soul-satisfying peace and abundant life is right at your fingertips! All you have to do is surrender to and whole-heartedly seek Him- He will do the rest!
I sometimes still get caught up in the wrong mindset, but I am quicker to get back on track. Utilizing Bible studies that have unlocked scripture has been immensely helpful. We are blessed to have freedom of religion in this country, and there is a plethora of free Bible teaching materials out there! So use it!
On that thought, I am going to recommend a wonderful book I am in the midst of:
The idea behind the book is that many who call themselves Christians have allowed the things of God to become more important than a personal relationship with Jesus himself.
This book brings us to the center of Christianity, which is Christ himself. If we seek Him and love Him, everything else in life will fall into place. In other words, our perspective of life changes as we grow deeper in love with Him. The troubles of this world will pale in comparison to His awesome beauty and power.
There is so much good wisdom in this book. I love the quote from page 58, "If you will sink your roots deep in Christ, who is your life, you will not be able to stop the fruit from coming forth." Another quote from page 39 states, "When things go wrong, it’s not because we don’t understand certain doctrines or fail to follow particular commands. It’s because we lave lost our “first love”… or never had it in the first place."
So, wherever you are in your spiritual journey, take the time to acknowledge it. Ask God the questions you have, and seek the answers from Him through His word and through prayer.
Praying for you today!
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