As born again Christians, we should always be evolving, bringing our minds and hearts closer to our true identity in Christ. Ephesians 4:15(NLT) gives us the benchmark. It says, “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” We should be growing in Christ each day by relying heavily on the Holy Spirit to help us increase spiritually, because he will take us higher. Life can become extremely busy. We have more conveniences than ever before in history, and yet, it can seem as though we still don’t have enough time in a day to get everything done. Even so, we have to be careful. The one thing that we cannot afford to do is to allow our busyness to interfere with our spiritual growth, because it will harm our relationship with God.
In John 10:10, Jesus Christ tells us that the devil is a thief whose only mission is to steal, kill, and destroy. He then tells us that he, Jesus Christ, came to make a more than abundant life available. Jesus wants us to expand, and the enemy wants to rob us of everything so that we’re reduced to nothing. If we deny this truth, we simply won’t know when we’re being robbed. We won’t be able to call a spade a ‘spade’. We’ll go on about our daily business, not being able to tell the difference between what is truly from the Lord, and what is from the devil. This is the current state of many people.
As Christians, we must grow, anything that does not grow will die. God created life in such a way that it will promote growing in the Spirit, and everyday something should be changed as we increase. Yes, the devil is busy, but it is our responsibility to limit the openings whereby he can get in and attack us. God has equipped us with spiritual armor, and we ought to be using it. So when a hiccup, mishap, or mistake happens, the first question we should ask ourselves is “Where did I leave an opening?” This is the kind of question that suggests our eyes are open, and we’re spiritually conscious and alert.
God has created us to be incredibly ingenious and intelligent beings, and as such, we should be asking the deep questions and we should also position ourselves for the deep answers. Psalm 42:7 tells us, “deep calls to deep.”
We have situations in life that bombard us and overwhelm our senses. This is very often a sign that we’re in the wrong lane. If we continue to ignore the signs and signals, an accident might happen. We’re spiritual beings having an earthly experience. We’re here to learn lessons that will help us in this life and the next. If we refuse to learn them, life has a way of recycling them back to us over and over, until we get it. We need to pay attention, and recognize that change is upon us, and we need to make a shift.
God told His people in Jeremiah 29:11(NLT), “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”” He has this same plan for our lives as well. We have a destiny in Christ, and it is beyond anything we can imagine. God wants to make sure that we don’t steer away from our destinies, but sometimes we have our own agendas and they get in the way. We think we know best, and this is the kind of arrogant thinking that will get us into trouble. God warns us in Proverbs 14:12(NLT) “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” We are God’s children, and He created us to be led by His love. We must seek His guidance continually.
It is very easy to walk into a trap, to get so busy that we don’t recognize when we’re heading in the wrong direction spiritually. Often, we continue to indulge toxic relationships. We won’t give up certain negative habits, and we neglect to nurture our souls through prayer and communication with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. These things cause our lives to be depleted and down, and that isn’t what God wants for us. If you feel as though your life is dragging, and things don’t make sense, it is because you might be veering off the path of your destiny. The good news is that through Christ, you can always make a shift, and get back on track. You can’t do it alone, ask, and he’ll help you.■
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
“When it’s Time to Make a Shift”, written by JMack. 4theChristianMan.Com© 2018. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.