I am convinced more believers than not have problems prioritizing daily quiet time for building a personal relationship with Christ. I am one of those people. There is always a good reason to put off this human need: sleep, food, work, school, family, friends, lack of direction, discouragement, avoidance.... During every season of life I have found really good reasons to justify my behavior. In more recent years, I have experienced a deeper craving to build this important relationship, though there are still ups and downs in keeping it a priority. For the last five months, I have found a great routine....
On Mondays through Fridays, I drop my kids off at school, drive to work, and have my quiet time in the parking lot. Sometimes I have to keep my gloves and scarf on, but I have learned to deal with this minor inconvenience. There are a couple of things I do during this time: I journal, read my Bible, ponder Sunday's sermon, memorize Scripture, and/or pray. It is quiet in the car, there are no dirty dishes screaming to be rinsed, no wet clothes longing for the dryer, no kids needing help, no dog to play with, no technical distractions, no messes, no coffee - just me, my Bible and journal, and God. It's a cool thing!
Lately, I have been asking for wisdom - wisdom in knowing how Jesus would live in 2009. We are warped by our culture, really. I have a feeling when we see Jesus face-to-face and are given an eternal, perfect perspective, we will be shocked by Truth. So, in the meantime, how are we to be Christ-like? How are we to think and act like Jesus? I believe my prayers for wisdom led me to the Book of Acts. I have been reading the Book of Acts while sitting in my car located in a parking lot each morning. I am not a theologian, I don't think I am an intellectual person - I am fairly ordinary.... This should explain my attraction to Act 4:13 - the first verse of 2009 that I memorized:
"When they saw the courage of Peter and John, and realized that these were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and realized that these men had been with Jesus."
While I have some schooling, I am far from an intellectual. While some people think I am special (i.e., my husband, my kids, my parents and grandparents :).....), I am ordinary. I can relate to Peter and John. Even though Peter and John were courageous Christians, and even though they were recognized for their time spent with Jesus, they were still questioned, disrespected, and misunderstood. They truly suffered for Jesus - I have not suffered for Jesus - I don't relate to this part of their lives.
I am learning some things about being Christ-like in 2009 from reading the Book of Acts. As I share my 2009 Scriptures from memory, I will share my thoughts about Acts - there is a clear relationship between these two areas of devotion during my morning quiet times. My motive for sharing is to be accountable and to inspire devotion towards Christ.
My 3rd memory verse for 2009 (February 1-15) is I Corinthians 16:13-14 (NLT):
"Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. And everything you do must be done in love."
I'll share more about the personal meaning of this verse in the next note. And, I think the Lord has led me to my next verse... it is in Acts.
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I've been looking forward to hearing your thoughts every few days...thanks Heidi! (great idea about the car...may have to steal that one!)
ReplyDeleteHeidi, great thoughts! God has made you far more intellectual than you give yourself credit for.... I, too, have realized my need to get back into a better habit with my daily time with Our Father. It makes a world of difference in life when I do.
ReplyDeleteHeidi, Thanks for sharing your "new" way of spending time with God. I really enjoyed reading your thoughts. I followed a few clicks and found this, so you may have to help me find it again when you put new stuff on here. You know how technically challenged I am. Keep up the good work. And, might I say, you are so blessed to have a mom who knows you so well and who loves Jesus and serves as such an encourager in your life. Love ya friend.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Sherry, I am very blessed indeed! And, I might add, you are passing the wonderful blessing of a Christian heritage on to Hannah and Nathaniel! It is the greatest gift we can give our childre
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