Caring for our spiritual lives

What a great weekend! The weather was beautiful and I didn't have anything pressing. A rare element in my life and it felt so good! I enjoyed planting flowers, spending quality time with my family and grilling out. It was absolutely incredible!

We recently purchased a swing set for our grandson Luke who turned three this month. It is equipped with two swings, monkey bar, see-saw and slide. It reminds me of a few pitfalls in our Christian life.

DEVOTIONAL LIFE How is your daily devotional life? Are you solid and steady or simply swinging from day to day in a hit or miss fashion? Are you savoring and meditating on God's Word or simply swinging through the passages in a hurried fashion so you can swing to your other daily responsibilities? Luke's attention span is very limited. A few minutes at one activity is the norm! Are we mimicking that behavior when reading our daily devotions? Are our minds wondering? Are we truly hiding God's Word in our hearts and applying it to our lives? Do our actions throughout the day truly demonstrate God's character? Do the words coming from our mouths reflect Godliness? Are we positive people? Does our lives truly mirror joy? Or are we always looking for fault in others? Have we allowed ourselves to become a part of a group of folks who are always attempting to destroy God's Kingdom? On a scale from 1 to 10 how would you rate your devotional life and spiritual walk today?

PERSEVERANCE Luke loves the see-saw. He giggles each time his see-saw bumps the ground. As his end of the see-saw extends back into the air his face expresses brief skepticism until he returns safely to the grassy spot beneath his feet. Are we sometimes skeptical of the ride we are taking with God? How solid is our foundation when we are "in the air" so to speak? The ride with Christ can sometimes be a bumpy experience but those who persevere will be rewarded for their dedication and commitment in the end. Philippians 3:14 (New International Version) I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Luke knows if he hangs on tight during his ride it will be fun when the see-saw finally reacquaints itself with the ground. Many times Christians give up and bail out during the journey. We fail to discover what God is unfolding around us because we give up before the ride is complete. Some of this response is a product of weak Christianity. We need to prepare ourselves for life's journey and the pitfalls that await us. If we are trying to survive on mere microwave prayers and drive-thru devotions we will never be ready when the enemy comes on the scene.

TRUST Luke slowly and cautiously climbs the ladder to his slide. It isn't a huge slide but there are a few steps he must navigate in order to reach the top. He always sits down at the top of the sliding board and waits for a few seconds before he releases his hands to prepare for the journey to the bottom. If he chose to hold onto the sides of the sliding board as he made his way to the bottom it would not be an enjoyable ride. Luke has learned that releasing his hands and thrusting his little body down the slide will give him a great ride! We also must release the things to God that are hindering our journey with Him. Whatever it is I encourage you to release it today to the Lord. Hand it over to Him. Leave it with Him and trust Him to handle it. Dig in and become strong in Christ!