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Can you believe it's almost summertime?
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Schools are dismissing, the weather is warming, and many vacations are commencing. :)
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I'd say that my favorite thing about summer is the amount of daylight hours we get to enjoy being outdoors. I love sunny days. There's just something about them that energizes and draws me to be active.
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Part of this energy is directed toward all the dark and dusty places that have accumulated through the winter months. I find myself cleaning out drawers and closets where things were shoved in haste. Some of these spots have gone unnoticed, because they haven't been opened in awhile.
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Once I open the blinds and flip the switches, the dirt and disorganization becomes apparent. The darkness was a cover for what we didn't want to deal with.
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As the sun illuminated my living room one morning, I noticed there were a few small stains here and there on our light colored sofa. So, I lugged out the spot cleaner and went to work -- shocked at the amount of dirt that was filling the tank. I couldn't unsee the dirt, so I ended up cleaning all the cushions. I wouldn't have been able to rest on it knowing in my mind how dirty it really was.
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Everyday life tracks in the dirt, but we don't always notice it until a good cleaning occurs. Floors may look clean until we see the bottoms of our feet. :)
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In the same way, our outer lives can appear to be in order while our inner lives harbor unresolved pain or hidden sins. Sometimes we drift from God without paying attention, allowing subtle shifts toward feeding our flesh instead of following the Spirit -- we may talk about others in dishonoring ways...we may entertain ourselves with too many things contrary to God's character...we may dismiss a small lie...ultimately, we fall short of the holiness God desires for us to imitate.
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Lamentations 3:40 (ESV) says,
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"Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord!"
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Scripture is full of commands to exam our lives as redeemed people. 1 Corinthians 11:28 warns us against participating in communion without examining and confessing known sin. The Corinthian church was being influenced by their culture and behaving in ways contrary to the teachings of Christ. Paul urged them in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to test whether their faith was real. Did they have a desire to mature in faith and follow Jesus? Did they fear the Lord in their sin? Were they mocking the grace of God by abusing their new freedom?
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Sincere confession leads to full forgiveness (1 John 1:9). This is a grace from God. Faith in Christ saves our souls, but it doesn't give us a free pass to live without consequence for how we represent our Savior.
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Sin is destructive. Unrepentant or bitter hearts can lead to the death of many things for a believer:
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- death of dreams
- death of relationships/sweet fellowship
- death of our physical bodies (Ananias and Sapphira)
- death of peace and joy in daily living
As we are in the world, we will be tempted and walk through some muck. Yet, how do we avoid dirt and dust from building up in our hearts and minds?
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- We draw near to Christ daily.
- We learn to listen to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. He will guide us if we surrender and ask for help.
- We follow Christ's example to battle temptation with the knowledge of God through Scripture.
- We notice when we find ourselves pulling away from the things of God, asking ourselves why. If we have practices in place, we should see when we have forsaken them.
- We allow loving community to speak truth into our lives, listening when they see something "off" with us.
- We rest in the Spirit's power to give us victory over sin as we see, confess, and turn from any and all of it.
- We pray for God's protection over our lives.
Let's be faithful to exam our lives and take inventory of our appetites for spiritual things. In what areas of our lives have we been guilty of pulling the shades to avoid dealing with our sin struggles and temptations?
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The good news? Jesus' blood covers it all.
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A Song I'm Loving!
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"Never Give Up" by King and Country. Great song to walk to!
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Click this link to listen!
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Great podcast episode!
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Rebecca George has a podcast episode with Lisa Allen on decision making and seasonal ministries based off a chapter in Rebecca's new book, Do the Thing: Gospel-Centered Goals, Gumption, and Grace for the Go-Getter Girl. Listen here!
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The best way to help me continue to create encouraging resources is to purchase a copy of my first prayer guide, Consider. The next best thing is to share about it and/or leave a review to spread the word. I'd be so appreciative!
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In Case You Missed It!!
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Here is the link to this Psalm 119 study.
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A final note of encouragement:
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Romans 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
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If you need prayer, please send me a message, and I will be more than happy to intercede on your behalf.
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