It’s so easy to blame other people or our circumstances for the reason we don’t make time for God. A busy schedule, demanding children, your boss the taskmaster, are all fair excuses to sleep through what would have been a wonderful quiet time. But what happens when the missed mornings with God become a habit? A day may come when you stand before God in heaven and ask Him why you never became all that you knew He intended you to become. His answer may simply be, “I waited for you each morning with guidance, wisdom, and strength; however, there were many times when you didn’t show up.”
“…you didn’t show up.” You can hear the tender sadness in His voice. Your heart breaks when you realize His sadness is not because you’ve hurt Him but because you missed all the blessings He desired for you to experience.
Now picture your life right now, here on earth. If your professor or employer spoke similar words to you, you’d understand why you didn’t get an admirable grade or were passed up for a promotion. There would be no confusion; you’d know full well that you chose to focus your energy elsewhere, and as a result you simply missed out. In the same way, neither can we expect to advance in our walk with God without doing our part.
In 2 Timothy 2:3-6, Paul shares three illustrations to teach us how to do our part:
- A soldier – who focuses on his mission, refusing to be distracted by his surroundings
- An athlete – who disciplines himself to diligently train day after day
- A farmer – who, after putting in long, hard hours, waits patiently, looking forward to being the first to enjoy the harvest
These three pictures are not exclusive, as if we can succeed by following the example of one and disregarding the other two. Nor are they presented in random order.
- First, we must make up our mind to commit ourselves to the mission.
- Next, we discipline our bodies through daily training
- Finally, we can trust in our spirit that we will be first to reap the rewards
These illustrations depict the progressive, willful submission of first our mind (the soldier committed to his mission), then our body (once the goal is set, to begin organized, disciplined training), and finally, our spirit (trusting in God to produce the results).
If we live our lives according to this pattern of aligning our mind, body, and spirit with God’s purposes, then, like Paul, we may stand at the end of our life, look back, and confidently say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” 2 Timothy 4:7 NLT
What joy it will be to hear God say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Matthew 25:21 NLT
Shadia Hrichi
If you’ve enjoyed this week’s devotional, I’d love your comments. To receive “Moments With God” via email, RSS or FaceBook, see box at top right.
