Are you fit to serve God?
Do you have what it takes to do heavy lifting for the Kingdom? To make an impact in the lives of others? To lead a life worthy of someday hearing “Well done my faithful servant?”
Or should you even care?
Well…yes. At least according to David in his Psalms:
11 One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,
12 and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;
and, “You reward everyone
according to what they have done.”
Psalm 62:11-12
The concluding passage of this precious verse packs away wisdom of a lifetime. It explains that all good things come from a powerful and ever-loving God.
And it also confirms that what we do while here on Earth is worthy of reward.
“You reward everyone
according to what they have done.”
How we love our spouse. How we raise our children. What we do in bringing others closer to God. It MATTERS a lot!
No. We can’t work our way to Heaven. And, yes, salvation is a gift freely given of God.
But the Bible is full of action. People in motion. Adam and Eve tending the garden. Noah building a boat. Abraham heading toward the promise land. Solomon raising the temple. Nehemiah rebuilding the wall. Even Jesus was busy healing the sick and feeding the poor.
What about you? Shouldn’t we want to do great things for God?
If the answer is “Yes” then it begs the next question: So how do we go about being useful to God?
This can be very difficult at first. Because we’ve surrounded ourselves with distractions and have crowded our lives with meaningless priorities.
To make a change for the better begins with a little…discipline.
The distance between Godly desire and conviction is discipline.
Discipline is a temporary tool to get us moving in the right direction. It’s the same as preparing for a marathon. At first you have to drag yourself out of bed each morning. The pain in the your legs and lungs try to talk you out of training each step of the way.
But after a while, and with some discipline, it gets easier. It becomes second nature.
And then, an amazing thing happens. That morning run becomes part of who we are. If we skip a jog we actually feel as if there is something missing in our day. We can’t wait to get back out there again.
The same is true in our goal of being spiritually fit. Of becoming a Godly man or a woman of faith. At first it may seem an impossible task. But with a desire to reach the goal and a little bit of discipline soon you’ll find yourself on a path of great rewards.
GODLY DESIRE: To Understand God Better
Act of Discipline: Start each morning reading your Bible for 15 minutes.
Conviction: Eventually it will become one of the highlights of your day. Water for your soul.
GODLY DESIRE: To Interact More Positively With My Children
Act of Discipline: Turn off the television. Spend at least 30 minutes each night completely focused on them.
Conviction: Your time with your kids will become your favorite pastime.
GODLY DESIRE: To Serve My Spouse Better
Act of Discipline: Commit to making at least one of act of service for them each day.
Conviction: One of your favorite things will be to make them smile.
GODLY DESIRE: To Bring My Family Closer to God
Act of Discipline: Make church on Sundays a priority…even if it means missing a football game.
Conviction: Church will become precious family time, healing hurts, growing closer together and developing lifetime relationships with others.
The distance between Godly desire and conviction is discipline.
We’re all at different places in our walk with God. There are those wrestling with a questioning of their faith. For some, going to church on Sunday morning is a major challenge. For others, the big struggle is taking the focus off of themselves and serving without expecting anything in return.
Regardless of where we’re at, if we’re all honest, there is always room to get more spiritually fit.
The good news is you’re never alone. The world’s greatest trainer is just a prayer away.
Feeling too far gone? Don’t know where to start? Then…just start.
Looking for more from Michael K Reynolds? You might also enjoy How God Goes About Fixing All Your Problems.
Michael K. Reynolds is the author of the acclaimed Heirs of Ireland Series, historical novels set in the late 19th century. He is the producer of Crystal Darkness, an Emmy-Award winning series of anti-meth documentaries and was named as one of the 25 most influential Christians on Twitter. You can learn more at MichaelKReynolds.com.
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