I believe the older I get and hopefully a little wiser, (I think children do this to us) I am realizing more and more everyday how valuable family and friends are. You know the kind of friend that you can share anything with and they never judge, but love you through it all or, the kind of friend that is there when you are hurting or, the kind of friend that tells you the truth even though it might hurt! These friends are few and far between and when we find them we are very quick to not let them go. I truly feel that this last week I have found one of those friends and as I talked with her we talked about everything our general consensus was, although it is great to have a friend that we can physically see and talk to, how much more fulfilling would life be if we all would just talked to our best friend, God! I have people all the time ask me, "How do you do it with 3 boys and Marc traveling all the time?" And to be honest I have days that I truly don't know how I get through them. But I can tell you one thing...it is not because I am a super mom, because I fail daily. I believe it is because God is there to help me every step of the way. I am so proud of Marc and for how he is letting the Lord use him and I believe just as He uses Marc in churches and in many peoples lives, he uses me here at home in the lives of my 3 precious boys. Below is a devotional that I received today and I just thought how fitting that I found a new friend here on earth, but I have a constant friend who is always waiting and wanting me to talk to Him. My prayer is that you take a few minutes out of your day and talk to the best friend ever! I know He would love to hear from you!
Love,
Alaina
Making the Christian Life a Reality by: Micca Monda Campbell
“God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”
I Corinthians 1:9 (NIV)
Devotion:
For a long time I was confused about the Christian life. After I trusted Christ to be my personal Savior, life didn’t change as I had hoped.
At first, I was filled with genuine joy and passion. I couldn’t get enough of God and His Word. I prayed a lot, attended church a lot, shared my faith a lot, and spent a lot of time reading my Bible. But somewhere along the way, I grew weary. My attempt to live the Christian life in my own strength quickly gave out. Why didn’t it last? I wondered.
I’m not alone in my struggles. Many believers I meet are just as confused as I was. Guilt ridden, some give up while others choose to just pretend. Then, there are those that still desire but question, “Is a changed life even possible? If so, why isn’t it a reality in my life?” It’s often why we came to Christ in the first place – for freedom, forgiveness, peace, and purpose. Yet, instead of living an empowered life, many of us are living an exhausting one.
I could sense there was something more, but I couldn’t put my finger on what was missing. Discouraged, I’d speculate…Could it be that God isn’t holding up His end of the agreement? Or, is it me? Maybe you’ve asked yourself the same questions.
It took a long while before I realized that the Christian life isn’t about following a bunch of rules. It’s not even about trying my best to be good. The Christian life is all about relationship. It’s about knowing and loving the God who already knows and loves us. It’s about being a friend of God. This changes everything.
Friendship requires commitment. The same is true in our companionship with the Lord. We often neglect vital portions of our relationship with Him. Sometimes that neglect is due to a lack of understanding in how to commune with Him. Other times it is sin or apathy in our lives causing us to overlook our need to fellowship with God.
In order to stay passionate about our faith, and live an empowered life free from sin, you and I must participate in our friendship with God by:
1.) Abiding in Christ. (John 15:4, NIV)
2.) Praying daily. (Mark 1:35, NIV)
3.) Meditating on God’s Word. (Joshua 1:8, NIV)
4.) Putting off the old and putting on the new. (Ephesians 4:22-24, NIV)
5.) Being continually filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18, NIV)
6.) Exercising God-given gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, NIV)
7.) Actively sharing the gospel with others. (Mark 16:15, NIV)
Which of these areas are you lacking in? Could that be the key to jump-starting your empowered-by-the-Spirit life?
The Christian life is real, satisfying, and available to all who are willing to have an on-going daily relationship with the Lord. Once I came to understand my role and participate in the relationship, I found the empowered life I was looking for. I’m convinced you can too.
Dear Lord, I have neglected my relationship with You. Forgive me. Lord, I want to know You and Your ways. Reveal Yourself and Your power in my life as I commit to uphold my friendship with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do You Know Him? <http://proverbs31.gospelco
Who Holds the Key to Your Heart? <http://shopp31.com/whohold
The Air I Breathe <http://shopp31.com/theairi
Visit Micca Campbell’s blog <http://www.miccacampbell.c
Application Steps:
Look again at steps 1-7 above … what is missing from your daily routine? Implement those things and watch your relationship with God come alive.
Reflections:
How has your life changed since you came to Christ?
Would you describe your Christian life as an empowered one or an exhausted one? Explain.
What areas of your relationship with God have you neglected lately? What do you plan to do about it?
Power Verses:
2 Corinthians 13:14, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (NIV)
John 10:10 b, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have life more abundantly.” (KJV)
