“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”
Colossians 3:2-3
With the East season approaching, God has been opening my eyes to what it means to be resurrected in Christ. Do you ever feel like you’ve hit a wall in your relationship with God? Sometimes you may feel like he has gone silent, or perhaps feel like he is punishing you for something? Everyone has their own struggles they deal with, and lately I’ve been dealing with my own. I became frustrated that I just couldn’t get over the mental hump I was dealing with. I was going through the motions of serving and studying, but something was still missing.
I finally prayed out loud to him (in the shower- ever do that?) and asked him to reveal to me what I’m doing wrong. I was hitting a wall, and that wall was me.
This past Sunday, Pastor Mike preached on doing the things without having a real relationship with God. Of course, I’m paraphrasing, but that is basically the point he was making. He talked about how there have been servants of the church, deacons, pastors even, come forward and accept Christ after years of serving. You would think someone serving in the church would have a close relationship with God, right? Wrong! Something I am far too familiar with is saying YES to things inside and outside of the church for the sake of pleasing people. Of course, there is nothing wrong with serving, but God isn’t interested in how many jobs you are capable of juggling, he wants your HEART.
I have been guilty of serving as a worship leader and not being in tune with where the Holy Spirit is leading me. Up until recently, I have been wrong in my approach to worship. God got a hold of me this week and brought me to my knees- literally! I asked the Holy Spirit back into my heart to fill me and lead me in the direction I need to go. That’s when the story of Jesus’ resurrection popped into my mind.
Something significant about the resurrection of Jesus is the fact that he didn’t stay in the tomb. He left and began ministering to his disciples. He spent his last days on earth doing the work of the Father. It led me to ask myself if I am still camping out in my tomb. Have I allowed God to resurrect my life and call me out of the darkness? Or have I just been playing pretend this whole time? Have I been sitting in my tomb of darkness, waiting on something spectacular to happen that brings me to life? When we accept Jesus as our savior, our lives should reflect a resurrection. We should be full of life and working to further the kingdom of God. I was still asleep. I was wimpy in my prayer life and wondering why God wasn’t working.
Are you asleep, friend?
I hope today’s blog doesn’t seem like I am pointing fingers. I can promise this was my own conviction. Let this Easter represent more than egg hunts, candy, and a floppy-eared bunny. Let it represent new life in Jesus!
Father,
Thank you for your gentle reminder to wake up and come out of that tomb! We sometimes fall asleep at the wheel and allow life to distract us from your presence.
Please remind us when we fall off track and help get us back on again!
Thank you for sending your son, Jesus, to die on a cross for our sins. Let us live a resurrected life and reflect the way Jesus lived.
In Jesus name I pray, amen.
Past Blog Posts
If You Can’t Say Anything Nice…
What comes out of our mouth is fruit, good or bad. Are you words sweet and refreshing? Or are they rotten and bitter?
Time for a Self-Check
Whatever comes out of you reflects what is in you…
What God Says About Us
To better understand how to love others and ourselves, we need to understand how God views us.
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