I Think I Finally Got "It"!

Yesterday, I attended a worship service at North Rock Hill Church with my son and daughter-in-law. Every time I visit, I am reminded how much I love this wonderful fellowship of believers in Rock Hill, SC!

The message delivered by pastor Chris Ruppe resonated in my heart and convicted me about my priorities. Although I felt confident I was walking on the right path because my efforts were focused on my ministry for the Lord, something didn’t feel right. I found myself sacrificing valuable time with my family, my friends, my business, and worse yet - my time alone with God in a determined attempt to satisfy the expectations of those in the publishing industry.

Despite my best intentions, I had once again fallen into the “striving, competing, build a platform for yourself” trap that insidiously finds its way even into the world of Christian publishing. As time progressed, I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable because my activities were feeling less like a way to share Jesus, and more like a familiar ride on the old gerbil wheel.

I have been praying for direction for weeks and finally God has opened my eyes to the obvious. Beginning today, I am taking it back to the basics. I do my job – reveling in my relationship with Him while writing and speaking His praises to others. And He does His job – opening doors and creating opportunities for people to hear!

To ensure I stay on the right track, I am participating in a daily devotion on this topic. Plus I have accepted a 40-day challenge to give up a time-consuming activity I enjoy and use the time to focus on the Kingdom of God rather than pursuing my own agenda and asking Him to bless it! The activity I’m giving up? TV!

I confess this may be difficult at first because I enjoy relaxing with programs like The Cleaner on A & E (note the redemptive value!) but I am confident the rewards of drawing nearer to my Savior will be well worth it!

My devotional study for today helped me to realize that I’ve been behaving as though everything depends on me, rather than acknowledging that everything depends upon God.

Today’s lesson from John 6:1-14 reminded me of a quote I heard (on TV!) a few days ago: “That voice in your head (spurring you to relentless effort) isn’t your conscience – it’s your ego.”

So, what’s driving you? Do you really believe that God is in control of every aspect of your life? Are you focused solely on pleasing Him or are you running as fast as you can while pursuing your own agenda and getting nowhere?

If you want to join me on this journey, I will post the triumphs and challenges that occur along the way right here. Use the comment option below to let me know how you are doing and we will walk through this learning experience together!