Article
Another Day
Tim King
Each and every one of us wake up to a new day. We go through the same routine of preparing before we leave the house. Once we set out for our destinations, we most likely hear the same thing that we hear every other day. “Hi! How are you?” And all too often, from the same response station of our brain, we say, “hmm, good.”
I say all of that to ask this: how are you doing? Are you happy? Are you sad? Are you on track in your spiritual life? Is it hard to pray?
Today begins a new day. Whether we first recognize it through taking in that first deep breath while stretching out the arms and legs or by looking out our window, it’s a special day. It’s another opportunity for growth, thankfulness, and learning. It’s another day of life.
Sometimes we can get ourselves into a spiritual slump, the days when we can’t concentrate very well and our worship seems lifeless. Just so you know, we all get weary at times; it happens to the best of us. But if there are days when darkness tends to overshadow you, plan to make changes. May I point out a few thoughts to get us back in the right direction?
Get on your knees and pray out loud to God. When we kneel, we perform an act of submission toward our Creator and create an awareness that He is God in our minds, thus leading to a heart that will be made humble in His presence. Kneeling is a sign of mercy and respect. In several cases in the gospels, people submitted themselves to Jesus, approaching Him on their knees. When a man came and knelt before Jesus for the sake of his demoniac son, the man did it as an act of imploring aid (Matt. 17:14). We can do the same. Regardless of what life has offered you recently, Christ can be of aid to your needs.
Praying out loud to the Father only enhances the relationship we share with Him. With no thought towards what benefit it will lead to in our public worship, this will deliver us from being confined or even distracted. Just because the Lord is all-knowing doesn’t mean we shouldn’t tell Him what’s on our heart. He wants everything we’ve got, including our true feelings that can only be expressed vocally.
Get into the word and stay in it. David is a good example of this. When he utterly ventilates his heart toward God in Psalm 119, he says things that make men like us crave for the word. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your word… My soul weeps because of grief; strengthen me according to Your word” (Psa. 119:9, Psa. 119:25). We all know the feeling of devout consistency in the word of God, how the character of Christ is produced within us naturally. The meekness and the love we share with others then come instinctively. How awesome those days are. How strongly our heart can grieve when we are not in proper alignment with the scriptures. Don’t let this simple divorce happen by taking a few days off.
Place all thoughts on things above. Oh, how often we catch ourselves looking back at the former things in life. The things that we, as Christians, are to abstain from. It can become a slippery walk when we begin to envy others or lust after things we do not have and will probably never get. “Therefore you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are one earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col.3:1-3). Jesus told us not to worry about things in our life. They can become distracting and all too often discouraging. What gain will we receive by looking back at potential disaster instead of looking up towards what really matters? Turn things around and think Jesus 24-7.
The next time someone asks you about your day, tell them. Let them see the joy and freedom that is within you because you’re livin’ and you’re forgiven.