Are you performing daily routine spiritual maintenance?

“The cares and anxieties of the world, and distractions of the age, the pleasure, delight, false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.”
Mark 4:19 The Amplified Bible

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Are you aware that the seemingly innocent things in your everyday life can suffocate your spiritual life if you are not careful and allow it? I heard a story once that the Lord told a woman during prayer one day that this nation had become a nation of maintenance men (& women too). “You have so many things to maintain,” He told her. “You maintain your house. You maintain your car, your yard, your boat, your machines, your hair… and the list goes on and on.”

This nation, especially Christians, have become maintainers of so many natural things that we don’t have any time left to maintain our own spirit or our spiritual walk with Jesus! Our daily walk with the Lord! As Christians we must protect that precious time with Him and if anything add to it, not take away from it. We should be tithing (at a minimum) of our time to the Lord also. A tenth of 24 hours is 2.4 hours, that’s the least we should be giving Him each day! But He says tithes AND offerings. An offering is above and beyond your tithe!

If you have found yourself in the situation described above, too many things to maintain and no time for God. Then it’s time to simplify your life. I’ve had to learn that myself. Now when I’m considering something that I think I need, I don’t just count the cost in dollars and cents. I think about how much time it will take to maintain it. I check to see if I can spiritually afford it. Where will the time come from that I need to maintain and use it? Am I going to have to take from my time with the Lord to maintain this new thing. Is it really something I need, or do I just want it? You can’t expect the heathen world to think like this, but we as Christians should be doing so every day.

Second Timothy 2:4 says, “Don’t get entangled in the affairs of this life. It so easy to do because the things of this world, the natural things, are so much more real to our senses than the things of the spiritual world. But we must remember we are a spirit and we must train ourselves to be sensitive to the spiritual world as well. One thing I’ve learned since becoming a Christian: Nothing is as important as spending time in prayer, meditation of the word, and just being with the Father, Jesus , and the Holy Spirit. Absolutely nothing in my life is as vital as that. Because this life, as I know it, will pass away one day and all that is in it. All my earthly toys and high maintenance items will pass away, they will not come with me. What will then be most important – should right now be most important! Where will I spend eternity?

MY PRAYER…
Precious Father, thank You for calling me into Your marvelous Kingdom and for translating me out of darkness. Increase in me the knowledge of You, Oh Lord, that I may know the full calling you have placed upon my life. Take me Lord and do with me what You will, I have chosen to give myself unto You, I have made the choice. I have chosen the way You told us to choose. I have chosen life! (Deut 30:19) Father take this earthen vessel and mold and shape me, put me in Your fire and burn up that which is not of You, Oh Lord. Lord help me to learn to maintain my walk with You first of all. You said if we would seek first the kingdom of God, and Your righteousness; that all these other things would be added unto us. Father help me to make You first always. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen