“Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.”
–1 Peter 3:15 (NLT)
Have you ever taken up a musical instrument? Well, I just did, and I’m sure my wife has to bite her tongue sometimes and hold back her protests. The reason for this is that I sometimes squeak, instead of playing proper notes.
You see, I am taking up the recorder, an instrument in the flute family. Whenever you play a note, you have to cover all the holes for the sound to come out clearly, and this takes practice.
My wife plays the piano at nursing homes and in church, and everybody loves her playing. Me? Well, let’s just say that I haven’t dared to venture out in public with my recorder yet. I can sing and dance in front of people, but I’m afraid my playing would drive them away!
There is a parallel to this in our service to God. Often, we don’t practice playing our spiritual scales. This takes time, so we make excuses. Then we wonder why we can’t share our faith in Christ more effectively with others. The simple answer is because we spiritually squeak, and the only remedy for this is making our fellowship with God a priority, so let’s discuss that.
You tend to put something or someone first in your life who is very important, but many times we value the wrong things. If you doubt this, all you have to do is look at our current society to see tons of misplaced values. For example, we often put things above people, and then we wonder why our plans seem to be falling apart. But before we point our fingers, many Christians do much the same thing in their relationship with God.
When we don’t see Him at the center of our lives, the value we place upon spending time with Him decreases. Scripture tells us that Jesus is Lord of all, but how are you treating Him?
If you currently don’t spend much time with God, determine that this will not be the case any longer. Carve out a place and time where you can be still before Him, and meditate or ponder upon His Word, rather than allowing Him to remain on the periphery of your life.
Now we will look at the word “ponder”, in relationship to God’s Word. If you eat a good meal at a restaurant, you might chew it carefully, savoring the flavor. It is the same with the Bible, as Jesus offers to feed us the bread of life.
We must read his Word over carefully, savoring what God has to say to glean the kernels from it. As you do this, you will find treasures that will revelutionize your life, and synchronize your thoughts more and more with His.
So why just squeak by, when you can learn to cover the holes in your relationship with Him? God is challenging you to take Him seriously today. With God’s help, you can play a beautiful melody by spending time with Him and, of course, by covering all the holes.
Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.hcmachaplains.org and click on the Donate Now link. You can also send donations by mail to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 101 S Kraemer BLVD, Suite 123A, Placentia, CA 92870. Finally, you’re always welcome to join our Monday night Bible study or Tuesday night prayer meeting. Both are conducted by conference call, and they take place at 5:30 PM Arizona time. Our conference number is 712-432-6499. When prompted, press 1 for live chat rooms, and we’ll be waiting in room 31. You can press pound to bypass our friend Sharon’s intro message once you’ve entered room 31. We hope to talk with you soon!
If you have questions, comments or prayer requests for Timothy or Stephanie Burdick, please call 507-369-6861.
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