"When He (God) becomes your chief joy, all other aspects of life find their proper place." (from the First15 devotional)
I have been thinking about this and what it means for me and for you. What are the "aspects of life that we may desperately want to be in proper place?
I want to lose weight.
I want to go to the gym consistently.
I want to be more organized.
I want to read the Bible more regularly.
I want to cultivate a more fulfilling marriage.
I want to get a handle on my finances.
I want to manage the household better.
I want to finish the project(s) I started.
I want to move up in my line of work.
I want to overcome an addiction or bad habit for good.
I want a better relationship with someone I care about.
I want to worry less and have more peace.
I want to practice better self-care.
I want to find my purpose in life.
I want to __________________________________
Consider that the satisfaction of these things may result as more of a bi-product of prioritizing your life around knowing the Creator and basking in His love and fellowship, rather than being centralized goals in and of themselves. Maybe the gumption and wherewithal to do the things you know to do, and to balance them in a healthy way, results from the mysterious transfer of clarity and strength that comes from walking with God intimately.
When you think about it, what are you trying to muscle your way through in your own power and understanding ? What are you constantly on your own back about?
You may fear that if you let up for one moment, if you shift your focus off of "the thing," that it will only get worse.
What if you tried a different way for, say, six months. An experiment. What if for the whole month of February, you concentrated the most on getting to know your King and Friend better, and opening yourself up to Him like you never have before.
This is my challenge to myself this month. Lay down the whip of condemnation and seek Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength!