"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."
Sometimes we forget that our relationship with God is more important than our ministry. We get so busy serving God that we fail to remember that we were created to fellowship with Him. Viewing Him like a mascot that we cheer for, rather than a Loving God we spend time with. If we aren’t careful, what was designed as a comforting Father child relationship can become a regimented, legalistic, and structured responsibility.
Instead of pursuing Christian accomplishments maybe we should be pursuing time with God. Instead of fighting for the cause of God, let’s fight the temptation to be too busy to spend time with Him. If we don’t, we will find ourselves trying to do the Lord’s work with our own power… and that is a recipe for disaster. You cannot give what you don’t have. You must fill your heart with the love of the Father before you can give that love to His children.
According to this verse, Jesus made it a practice to tune the instrument before the concert. He prepared for the day by getting up early, leaving his bed, and going off to be alone with God. Jesus, the God/Man found it important to charge His batteries by connecting to the power of God. Is there any way of avoiding the clear message that we should do the same?
Don’t forget that before sin entered the world, we took long walks in the garden with our loving Father. That is what the cross reestablished, and the restoration of that fellowship is what the gospel is about.
We all have a long list of things to do today, and people who need a portion of our time. But like Jesus did, we must make time to get up in the morning, go to a solitary place, and connect with our Father… on purpose, and often.
Commit to intentionally setting aside time to spend alone with God. Church work and ministry accomplishments will never happen without the strength found in stopping the race for a while, being still, and knowing that He is God.
“… no large growth in holiness was ever gained by one who did not take time to be often long alone with God.” - Austin Phelps
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