march 13, 2023
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
-Matthew 5:16
The weather is slowly starting to warm up. We get these teaser days where the temperatures might flirt with the 70’s and then drop right back down to the 40’s on the very next day. On those rare, beautiful days, I get a brief chance to get the motorcycle out and put on a few miles, just enough to whet my appetite and leave me longing for the next chance to ride. On those teaser days, I find myself jealous of my retired friends, they are posting pictures of their adventures, while I find myself at work, or tied up with other obligations that prevent me from taking full advantage of those days. This past Sunday, for example, happened to be my birthday. I woke up, checked the forecast, and knew that I would make every effort to get out and enjoy a birthday ride. The temperature was going to be in the mid-60’s and it was going to be sunny! First, however, I had church. Certainly not complaining about going to church, just mentioning that I have standing plans every Sunday morning. After church, my family wanted to take me out for lunch and to do a little shopping. It was then that I knew I probably wouldn’t get to ride that day, but I didn’t mind. I had gotten excited for a moment that might never come. God did, however, smile on me that day and I did manage to get a 45 minute ride in. Now, to any rider, that is not much at all, but it was a much needed therapy session that was weeks overdue! When I parked my motorcycle, following the ride, I already knew it would be a while before I had the chance to ride again. I had already looked ahead at the weather forecast and the temperatures were going to be low and the rain would be moving in over the next few weeks.
The fact of the matter is I, like all motorcyclists, long for the days of consistently nice weather and great rides, whether solo or with friends. The truth is we all have something we really get excited about and we look forward to it with passion. We talk about it incessantly with those around us, and anyone else willing to listen, because this means something to us! Imagine taking that same approach to sharing Christ with those around you, or even seeking Him for yourself through prayer and reading the Bible. I’m not saying we shouldn’t get excited about things in our lives, but we should prioritize and pursue God with a greater fervency and passion than we pursue other things in our lives. Just try to imagine how much better life would become when you place Him at the center of your life. Now, I’m the last person to judge someone who’s priorities don’t align with what I’m talking about. I sometimes get caught up in the world around me and forget that these pursuits that I get so excited about are a blessing from God. I plan for the future, and get excited about those plans, but I sometimes fail to recognize that it is because of God’s grace and mercy that I see those plans come to fruition.
We all go through seasons where we don’t feel as close to God as we once did, or we feel a certain stagnation in our relationship. Want to know a secret? It’s our fault, not God’s. He seeks us, he waits for us, but we are the ones who change and alter the relationship in some way, putting a divide between us and Him. So, the relationship requires us to be intentional in our pursuit of Him. Devote time each day to daily Bible reading, even if it is not intentional study, just reading your Bible daily helps establish a lifelong habit. Devote time each day to prayer, communicate with God daily, you’d be surprised at how much that alone can strengthen your relationship with Him and just how much it can kindle the flame of desire to pursue Him. Another thing you could do to reignite that passion is to simply go to church and fellowship with other believers, just that simple interaction of fellowship can do so much to buoy your spirit and restore your fire. Unfortunately, we sometimes find convenient excuses not to go to church and then we find ourselves on a slippery slope where it becomes too easy to not go to church. A fourth way we can ignite that passion and fully experience an excitement and fire for God is to simply share Him with others!
In Romans, Paul writes:
“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”
-Romans 12:11
What better way to be “fervent in spirit” than to share the Gospel with those you encounter? Talk about what God has done for you, how He has impacted your life, that is the Gospel in a nutshell! It’s really quite simple, it doesn’t require vast biblical knowledge or a seminary degree, it only requires a genuine, repentant heart that has found the grace, hope and love of Jesus Christ. The biblical knowledge will come with time as you read and reread your Bible throughout your life. Your priorities will change as you pray more, and actually seek God’s will in your life. Don’t ever allow yourself to be deceived into thinking that you cannot be a champion for Christ because you have a past, or because you have fallen away from the relationship you once had with Him. Look at what Christ did with the Apostle Paul when he confronted him on the Damascus Road. Paul, who was then known as Saul, was persecuting and killing Christians! In that moment, there on the road to Damascus, Paul was saved by grace through faith and his passion for sharing Christ was unmatched in all of the New Testament. Paul’s passion and fire is evident in every letter of his. Christ did this with one of His most devout opponents, imagine what He can do with you! If you feel that your relationship with God has gone stagnant or that it has been, in your mind, irreparably damaged, take time to talk with Him right now, reprioritize your life and pick up where you left off, but do so with fire and passion. When you feel it waning again, redouble your efforts. If you haven’t yet pursued Christ with your whole heart, then now is as good of a time as any. Confess your sins and your need for a savior, state your belief in His death, burial, and resurrection and then begin forging the greatest relationship you have ever known.
Psalm 34:5 will be the last verse I share today and I think it is self-explanatory:
“Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”
-Psalm 34:5
I’ll leave you with this summary to demonstrate your passion for God. Read His Word every day, find a Bible reading plan and stick to it. Meditate on His Word at times throughout the day. Pray and talk with Him every day. Fellowship with other believers and share the Gospel with those who don’t yet know Him. Your fire will become a beacon.
