It came to my attention not too long ago that I had this bad habit of not eating full meals. Because I was doing this, I would end up eating snacks to fill up. Unless you eat a large amount of snacks, it is not going to fill you up like a healthy, well prepared meal. This can happen to us spiritually, as well. We can neglect filling up on intentional time spent with God. This may cause us to spend far too much time filling up on television, social media, sports, shopping and countless other things of this world. These things are not bad in and of themselves. However, they are not meant to fill the void only our Lord and Savior can fill. The things of this world are temporal and only fulfill us for a short time before we begin to crave more. We have a built in God-created craving for Him and Him alone. He is all that we need. He satisfies every craving and He fills every void. No human being, no accomplishment, no hobby or addiction will ever fill the void only Jesus can fill.
Get in the Word of God. Read it. Meditate on it. Get it deeply planted in your heart. God gave us His Word to help us navigate this ever-changing life and all of its peaks and valleys, the storms and the sunshine. His Word is alive and active. It is needed to correct us and keep us on course with all that God has for us, His plans and purposes that are for our good and His glory. We cannot know God, His nature, His ways and His plans for us, without reading His Word.
We live in an age of technology. It can be a useful tool but let us make sure to use and manage it wisely. We must not allow it to rule us. God says to have no other gods before Him, which includes the television, our phones, social media, our hobbies, our careers, our education and so many other things we can make idols. Do not make a god of your performance or accomplishments. Our greatest accomplishment is to know God and make Him known. Nothing is to come before Him. He satisfies every longing that you are trying to fill with the temporal things of this world. He is to rule and reign in our lives. He is our Lord and Savior, the Creator of the Universe, the Alpha and Omega, the King of Kings and He is I AM. He is all that we need.
I cannot emphasize enough that this also means not following people more than we follow God. Even if they are pastors, Christian leaders, Bible teachers, no matter what title or position they have, they are human beings and fallible just like you and I. We can have mentors and leaders whom God gives us to help us on our walk with Him. However, we are not to follow them more closely than our Heavenly Father. If we are spending more time reading or listening to what they are saying rather than the Word of God, we are in error. God places people in our lives for many different reasons and we need other believers to encourage us, hold us accountable and help us grow. We are not to idolize them. We can honor them, love them, appreciate them and be guided by their teachings that follow Jesus. We must not follow them before the Lord Himself. He is above all.
The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. John 3:31 NIV
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. Colossians 1:17-18 NIV
We all need to be reminded that we are in the world but not of the world. This world is not our home.
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20
For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Hebrews 13:14
It is very easy to get swept into the current of our society’s enticements and all the distractions, the seduction of fulfillment outside of Christ. There are many. That is why we must devote intentional time spent in the presence of God, praying and reading His Word daily. Let us keep our eyes fixed on the One Who holds it all together, Who knows the end from the beginning and loves us immeasurably. He knows what is best for us and He gave us His Word full of promises and direction to guide, rebuke, encourage and strengthen us.
Heavenly Father,
We come humbly to Your throne of grace thanking You for being a very present Father. You are the Great I Am! You are the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Your way is perfect and Your Word is flawless. We thank you for being all that we need at all times, in all circumstances. Help us not to look to the things of this world for fulfillment but to look to You to fill whatever voids we are trying to fill with the things of this world. Please forgive us for the times when we have done so. Help us to remember this world is not our home. We are citizens of heaven. Help us to keep our eyes fixed on You and our hearts devoted to You above all else. Guide us and strengthen us to walk according to Your Word. Show us Your ways, Lord. Fill us with Your Spirit to convict us when we devote more time and energy to temporal things and not eternal things. Almighty God, Lifter of our heads, and Lover of our souls. steady us as we navigate our way through this life You have given us. Help us to seek You every day. Help us to love what You love and hate what You hate. We thank You for giving us leaders and mentors to encourage us and hold us accountable. Help us to remember to spend time with other believers to sharpen us and keep us on the path of righteousness. Help us to be humble and teach us to number our days so we may gain a heart of wisdom. Help us to speak the truth in love with gentleness and compassion. Father, help us to walk in integrity, in obedience to You. Give us a Spirit of boldness in sharing the gospel and leading others to You. Thank You for all that You are and all that You do! Thank You for all the blessings we have yet to see! We love you and we give You all the honor, all the Glory and all the praise, in Jesus’ Mighty Matchless Name, Amen and Amen!
