The year barely started, and February is already gone?
I've been asking God recently about time. Have you seen how time flies?
God teach us in Ephesians 5.15-21 what to do with out time: "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ". This passage contains 4 important orders that God has been teaching me through the past two months.
1. Look carefully how you walk
I always thought I was a good Christian - I'm a missionary, right? Aiming for the most amazing goal of preaching the Gospel! - that I was a good person and I was walking straight.
But I wasn't being careful in my walk, and had problems to face and solve. The Lord taught me that every person needs to be sure of what they are doing, why are they doing that and, as the verse says, if this is wise or not. I Peter 1 says if we need wisdom, we should ask God and don't be shaken by doubt. This was my first lesson of 2012.
2. Make the best use of the time
I work 45 hours per week, and in my free time I'm doing ministry - planning activities, preparing lessons, counseling and discipling teenagers (in person and online), producing teaching material, composing songs and so on. It's very easy to get caught in the activities I do for God's kingdom and forget about the King I talk about. God wants us to look to Him, get to know Him and make sure our priority is spend time with Him. Lesson #2 - focus my time in God.
3. Understand what the will of the Lord is
In Psalms 25:12 we find that the Lord guide us: "Who, then, are those who fear the LORD? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose".
So God will show us His will, but to know it, we must learn about Him and fear Him. Since the Lord promised us wisdom and guidance if we fear Him and trust Him, we must engage in seek for Him. I've been asking the Lord about the plans for my future and proposed to myself a time of seeking and waiting for His answers - pray with a clear heart and He will listen!
4. Be filled with the Spirit
The Bible teach us that the Holy Spirit inhabit us with the purpose of guiding, teaching, showing what is wrong and revealing what is right. The fulfillment of our spirit with God's Spirit should be one of our pursues. Many people believe it belongs only to the spiritualized strong almost perfect Christians and it doesn't apply to them. The passage we read show us that this is an ORDER! If you're attentive to walk in wisdom, making the Lord your priority, seeking His will for your life, you're on the way to be fulfilled - you are getting to know God! The most we know about Him, the most we realize His presence on us. Here are ways that we can see to this happen in our lifes:
- addressing one another with songs
- singing and making melody to the Lord
- giving thanks always and for everything
- submitting to one another
Those acts of faith show us the work of the Holy Spirit in our lifes and guide us to a more fulfilling and deep relationship with the Lord. I've been learning about and seeking for God. I haven't done hugely visible things. But God is working tremenduously in my life and I encourage you to take those steps and get close to Him.
Yes, come and see for yourself that the Lord is GOOD!
"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"
Psalm 34.8
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