In our modern society we have one common phrase we use on a daily basis that makes our walk with God of no value. It has no cultural boundaries, no language boundaries, and no levels of society differences. If you are middle-class or wealthy, if you are Russian or American, if you are black or white there is one modern term that has made us into Christians who want instant spirituality and its the phrase, "I'm busy."
I have the opportunity to travel to various nations and many different cities in the United States and what I find alarming is the number of Christians who seem to know the above mentioned phrase memorized. I ask questions about their prayer lives, fasting, discipleship, mentoriship, outreach missions, going on missions trips and serving the needy and poor and the response is often the same...."I'm busy with......"
Friends, Jesus Christ was not too "busy"to come down to earth from heaven and live a humble life, be rejected by people and ultimately get crucified on the cross for the sins of the world. He was not busy to reach out and save us. He was not busy to save YOU! He loves you and invested everything He had to make sure you have a way into heaven that you can walk in the power of the Holy Spirit here on earth doing His work. Yet we have Christians who seek instant spirituality.
Why Instant?
We as believers want instant spirituality because we just don't want to go through the process of purification and holiness. My dear sisters and brothers, what if Jesus said the same thing? What if Jesus said to God, "God, I am too busy detailing the work with the angels here in heaven. I just don't have time to go to earth." It seems foolish to even think that is possible. Why are we so lazy or should I say why are we so afraid of the process of holiness?
We want the reward without the sacrifice. We want the blessings of God without knowing God. We want to have the gift of working miracles and raising the dead without praying for the lost. We as the Church have lost our passion, desire, and love for God. It's hard to hear that. It's hard to type that but it's the truth. We are a society hungry for instant healings, instant miracles, instant financial breakthroughs, instant rewards, instant restorations of our marriages, instant growth of the churches, and it goes on and on. Where is God in the instant? Where is your God pursuit in the midst of your busyness? God wants YOUR heart not your talents, skills, or wallet but your HEART. He wants you!
When Jesus was here on earth He would model for us the thirst of being with the Father. Despite, His ministry, despite His mentorship of the disciples, despite all the people promoting His name and spreading His fame, despite Jesus traveling all over the cities of His day, Jesus made it a priority to be with the Father. He was thirsty and hungry for Him. He could not live one day without talking to Him and being in intimate communication with Him. Jesus set the example for us today. If we are too busy for God and for a personal time alone with God then we have a problem. We have become spiritually sick.
We become seekers of instant spirituality. We start cutting corners to get the most out of God. We bring the business of this world into the business of the Father. This worlds says, buy cheap and sell high. Make profit as much as you can. Do what you need to do but make sure you are making more profit every year and make sure it is higher than the year before. This is what is happening in the Church today! We are becoming cheap with God in our time and our heart and expecting Him to give us all the glorious benefits of His kingdom. Please keep in mind that salvation is free and instant when you accept Jesus Christ into your life and you repent of your sins. Its the gift and grace of God that he freely gives each of us. However, there is such a deeper and more richer experience of God then just salvation. We must earnestly thirst for the Holy Spirit to lead us back to the prayer closet to be with the Father.
If Jesus made time to be with the Father, its our model then too. He wants us to be in on going relationship with Him. We want to go once a week to church and expect to win 6 days of battles. We need God everyday. As a Church we must find time to pour our souls and our hearts unto the Father through our savior Jesus Christ. Being in the presence of God will put your busyness to rest, will give you wisdom, and will give you a fuller joy of living in God.
We are so bored with God today. We are expecting Him to give us large bank accounts, restore our relationships, give us growing ministries, pack our churches with members, make our names known all over the world. Friends, we have lost the heart for God. We must repent. We must ask for a renewal of the wind of the Holy Spirit to flood our souls. It will not help if you criticize your local church, what will help is when you spend time in the prayer closet with God. You become a flame on fire lighting others on fire. By the time you know it, God has sent prayer revival to your group of friends, to your church, and to your relationships. Every revival in Church history has been preceded with a hunger and thirst for prayer and being with God.
Let God continue the process of holiness inside of your heart. There will be areas where you will need to repent from, areas where you will need to cut away from but God will begin to mold you into His image for His glory. Church, we must stop our hunger for instant spirituality and start hungering the one who gives us eternal salvation and a place called heaven.
Join me in praying for a revival of prayer and thirst to sweep our souls. It must sweep our souls first before we can even begin to ask others to do the same. Start praying today!
Be Blessed.
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