So, Sunday at church our pastor's sermon was titled "Developing a 'Bring' Mindset". (You should be able to listen to it here. If it's not up today, it will be soon. ) The basic premise of the sermon was that we, as American Christians in general, life in a false mindset. A mindset that is totally opposite to the mindset we need to have a Christians. We are always looking for the pay-off. We gauge how much we do based on how much we get. We're always concerned about 'what's in it for me'. We don't value God for who He is. Now, before you get your knickers in a twist, understand that I am not saying that ALL American Christians live in this way. However, most do. Be honest. We have all been in that mindset at one point or another in our lives. It is easy to live the watered down version of Christianity that most churches teach. No risk involved. Show up on Sundays with your 'church face'. Check the boxes. Play the game.
Anyway, back to the point. :) You wanna know what I think the issue is? No, well then stop reading for today and come back tomorrow. I might post something more agreeable and easier to swallow then. If you do wanna know what I think the issue is, then read on baby. I think the main issue is that we as a culture have a skewed sense of value and our priorites are out of whack. We value all the wrong things and we put those things before God. Maybe we just don't understand who God really is. Maybe we are just ignorant in our understanding of God. I think the biggest, most common problem is that we just don't treat God like the king He is.
I am guilty of this. Of not treating God like a King. We like having God available to us when we need him. We like having Him work in our lives and in the lives of our friends and family. We enjoy all the perks we get from having a relationship with him. We do what we can when we can to foster that relationship. However, it is not usually our number one priority. We have great intentions. We plan to do pray more, read our bible more, worship Him more, but we just don't get around to it. Is this the way we should be treating our King? The Creator of the Earth? The Lord of Lords, King of Kings, the Alpha and Omega?
My challenge to you this week, and to myself, is to find ways you can honor The King this week. Now, I'm not saying beat yourself up and think about how horrible you are and how you totally suck at this "Christian thing" and come up with a huge list of how you are lacking in your walk with Christ. Just think about one or two things you can do to bring honor to your Saviour and actually do them. That is the hardest part for me. I can come up with lists all day long, but actually implementing them is not my strong point.
Here is what I am going to do this week:
1. Actually wake up early and read my bible and pray. I've been meaning to do this for months, but I just never got around to actually getting up. I'm not exactly a morning person, so this is a tough one for me. However, my dear husband has actually been getting up at 4 to get his personal devotional time in and well, there really is no reason I can't get up and do it.
2. I want to implement a daily family devotional. We're turning our cable off this week. (Just as soon as my husband calls the cable company.) Our hold out was the Super Bowl, and now that it's over we're done. With the extra time we'll have I think this will be a great thing to do. I'm thinking about doing it at dinner time, but we'll have to see how the schedule works out.
So, those are my two things for this week. Leave a comment and post what you are doing to properly honor The King in your house.
Great post Denise!
ReplyDeleteOne thing I've been doing is doing a little devotional with the girls at lunch time. Nani comes home from school, we make lunch, and while they eat, I read a couple chapters to them from the Read and Share Bible I have. I love it because at the end of each chaper is questions that I can ask them. Then I'll print off some corresponding coloring pages for them and we'll hang them on the wall to review the next day.
I love doing this because not only are they getting God's Word - but I am as well.
Now if I could only be more diligent about my prayers!
Great post! Here are the two things I'd like to implement in our home -
ReplyDelete1. Pray over my children, out loud, each day.
2. Family devotional time.
Fabulous post! I would like to implement these two:
ReplyDelete1. Pray more...I say I'll pray for people, but sometimes I forget. I need to make it a point to pray when the Spirit leads me to do so...no matter what.
2. Family devotional. The girls and I do a small devo in the morning before school, but I think it's important to study as a family. (Besides, the hubby could use a little more than he's getting right now)
Good, thought-provoking post, Denise.
ReplyDeleteA couple thoughts:
1. True, our priorities are wrong. We put other things before God. I think that's a result of both the effects of sin and the American ideal of independence, self-reliance, and "pick yourself up by your bootstraps." The first commandment (for a reason) is "You shall have no Gods before me." (Ex. 20:3)
2. You say, "Maybe we are ignorant in our understanding of God." I would say we definitely are ignorant. While we, being finite, can't ever fully understand God who is infinite, that which the Bible communicates about God is clear. He is sovereign. Our faith isn't based on a democracy. God wants to hear from us, but ultimately don't have a vote. Americans, by our very foundation as a country, have a problem with a sovereign ruler over us. Unlike the king the founders declared us independent of because of his malevolence, our God is benevolent and, ultimately, does all things for His glory and our good.
3. "We just don't treat God like the King he is." We don't treat God like the God He is. God is eternal and holy. Consequently, He is worthy of all our worship and praise. We continue to exist by His grace. yet we continue to treat God as if we're entitled to His grace.
4. I'm wholeheartedly in favor of engaging in spiritual disciplines (devotional time, prayer, Bible reading, etc.). We have to be careful, though, that we aren't doing these things as another list of "to-do's" we have to check off. We must be Spirit-led in doing these things or we will develop a works-based theology.
I've been getting up early for a bit over a year now and doing my bible study homework and bible reading. It TRULY changes my day. I mean REALLY. When I don't get that time in my day is off. I think you'll find this too.
ReplyDeleteIt's true we need to make sure they're not a To-Do list, but honestly, as another mother I have to say if it's not on my To-Do list it doesn't get done. So I think it's ok to make it part of your list. ;)
Semalee @ Nailing Jello to a Tree