Sunday, April 22, 2012

It Is Time For Your Spiritual Check Up by Ann Elaine Broughton




“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22 NIV).

    Does your spiritual life need a fine tuning? I believe it is easy to get so busy with life that praying and reading the Bible gets lost in the shuffle of work and household duties. Don’t let it because you will find yourself getting farther and farther away from true source of peace. After awhile you will find yourself having less patience, being angry at little things, and just feel like something is wrong in your life.
    It is kind of like what happens if you don’t get your car checked up on schedule. You will notice lights flashing on your dashboard. There might be a funny sound when you push on the brakes. Your steering wheel might start jiggling in your hands. These are all serious signs that you need to get your car in for a check up. If you don’t get your car checked up by an expert, it could end up stalled by the road with serious damage.
    There will be signs in your life that will warn you that you need to go to God for a spiritual check up. God has a way of getting your attention. There are times I wish He could flash some lights and say “Warning, Warning you are in dangerous waters.” If this happened it would be a lot easier to get back on course. But instead we must realize that we are adults and must do what the Bible says because it is our manual for how to live the Christian life. It is so very important for us to read it every day. When you stop praying and reading the Bible it makes you very vulnerable to the world’s influence. Praying keeps us in connection with our Father who loves us and wants us to try to do our best to live a life that pleases Him. So I would urge you this week to pray and read your Bible every day and heed especially what Jesus said in the Gospels. His instructions will change your life, but only if you do what He said to do. Don’t let your spiritual life get stalled by life’s busy schedules. Read the manual God gave you. Go to Jesus for a check up today.
Dear Lord,
It is so easy to get so caught up with busy schedules that we forget to spend time with you in prayer and Bible study. Help us to take time every day to pray, listen, and read your word.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Perseverance: A devotion by Ann Broughton

“ And not only this, but we also exult in tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance proven cha...