A

As we enter a new year I’m reminded of a short poem by Gloria Pitzer that expresses a problem we all have. She wrote:

“Procrastination is my sin.  It brings me naught but sorrow.  I know that I should stop it.  In fact, I will . . . tomorrow.

Nothing is easier than putting off until tomorrow what we should do today. An old legend tells of Satan meeting with his smartest cohorts to devise a lie to keep people from taking God seriously.

One demon lifted a gnarled finger, “I have it!  We could tell them there is no heaven.”

The devil shook his head side-to-side and said, “That won’t work.  Too many people already believe in heaven.”

No sooner had those words left his mouth than another demon blurted out, “Then let’s tell them there is no hell.”

Again the devil turned down the suggestion, insisting too many people had tasted the pain of hell to believe such a lie.

Finally a third demon smiled and said, “I’ve got just the lie.  We’ll tell them there is no hurry.”

The devil leaped to his feet, “Perfect!  Everyone will believe that.”

That legend has a spooky ring of truth.  I’ve sure fallen for that line.  What concerns me most is it’s my relationship with God where I’m most vulnerable. The most important relationship for Jesus should be for me too. But sometimes it isn’t.

Most of the people I know have the same struggle.  Our days get filled and our minds cluttered.  Yet, as busy as Jesus was, he never failed to spend time alone with his Father.  Nothing crowded out that meeting.  Not family, friends, teammates, sick people, important decisions, or impending disaster.

The greatest man of all time made a daily meeting with God his top priority. The bottom line is this:  If you want your public life to be life his, then your private life must be like His.  The more time you spend with God the better you’ll know him; the better you know him the more you’ll trust him; the more you trust him the more you’ll tap into his power; the more you tap into his power the more you’ll experience victory and the more you experience victory the more you’ll influence those around you.

As we start a this New Year—let’s follow the Leader—let’s make time with God a daily priority in 2019.  And let’s start today. I know this is basic. But at the beginning of every year I try to get back to the basics. And this is an important one for me.

I’m going to continue reading The Jesus Story (the blended four Gospels) monthly. If I read ten pages a day I’ll walk with Jesus monthly from his birth to his resurrection.  If you’re looking for a daily reading consider this. I can tell you, having done this for many months, Jesus will transform how you think and live. You’ll NOT look back in a year and wish you had put this off another year. Give it a try. Let me know if you decide to do this. We can share what we’re learning. Link to The Jesus Story

There are no comments

Verified by ExactMetrics