The time I spent with God early in my faith walk was nothing more than transactional dance of checking a box on my self-made spiritual to-do list.
God’s perfect perspective has shown me that this shallow and misguided approach was my way of feeling better about my faith and connection with Jesus. And it got progressively worse.
My emptiness persisted even when I started reading the Bible and threw in a few devotionals to “get a few more points.” It was a mirage because I was not listening to God.
CHOICES & DECISIONS
You know what it means if we’re not listening to God? It means we will have to make the choices and decisions of our life without him.
Big or small. Silly or serious. Delightful or Desperate. All of them without God.
Should I react with anger? Change jobs? Divorce? Be jealous? Envious? Continue that bad habit?
You get the idea, and could no doubt come up with your own list.
Here’s the life-changing question God posed to me during this period of my life:
Dig down deep, Mark, and ask yourself if you are happy with the way you have been making important decisions and describe what it feels like when sail off the cliff to a fiery crash below.
That thought-provoking question became the fuel I needed to start listening to God and bring him into my decision-making process EARLY while there was still time to discern his will and direction. It wasn’t long before that approach was generating important and insightful snapshots of my spiritual growth in the moment and over time. My spiritual growth accelerated.
After using this decision-making technique over and over again, I learned that getting good at listening to God does not lessen its utility and value. In fact, we still need it—especially need it–when we’ve made the right choice many times in the past to avoid a slip in the present.
WE HAVE TO KEEP LISTENING!
The lesson I learned from that experience has pierced my heart and changed it forever—we must listen and respond to God.
God has helped me develop a rhythm where I ask him to encourage and inspire me to spend time with him every day and pay attention to his direction for both my todays and my tomorrows.
Are you spending time with God on a regular basis? Are you listening for his direction and perspective?
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Revelation 3:20
