Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:4 when asked what is the greatest commandment. He tells us that all the law and the prophets hang on this one thing: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength."
God is very clear from Genesis to Revelation that He is not willing to play a supporting role in our life. Treating God as second-fiddle to our job, our hobbies, our home, or even our family is simply not an option. There is only one place that God deserves, and that He requires, and that is First Place in our affections, our thoughts, our family, and our work.
I confess, I struggle to keep that in mind. I get wrapped up in work and forget who my Boss is. I get anxious over my children and forget who holds them in His hand. I get frustrated with my husband, on occasion, and forget that God designed him to complement the way He designed me. In all this, I forget that every day, in every situation, I am proclaiming who God is to those around me. I'm either proclaiming (by my actions even more than my words) that He is victorious and able to carry me through any challenge, or I'm demonstrating that I don't think He is able.
We often recognize this when we are faced with a huge challenge or tragedy. We pray earnestly when the hurricane comes or the war threatens or the job ends. But what about when we're faced with employees that are content with doing just enough to keep from being fired? What about when our kids don't pick up their toys when we've asked a million times? Or when your spouse forgets to run the errand you asked them to run? What about when the car beside you in traffic darts in front of you to cut you off?
Praying today that the Holy Spirit, the same power that raised Jesus from the grave, would empower me to demonstrate God's grace to the world in the grace I show others today.
God is very clear from Genesis to Revelation that He is not willing to play a supporting role in our life. Treating God as second-fiddle to our job, our hobbies, our home, or even our family is simply not an option. There is only one place that God deserves, and that He requires, and that is First Place in our affections, our thoughts, our family, and our work.
I confess, I struggle to keep that in mind. I get wrapped up in work and forget who my Boss is. I get anxious over my children and forget who holds them in His hand. I get frustrated with my husband, on occasion, and forget that God designed him to complement the way He designed me. In all this, I forget that every day, in every situation, I am proclaiming who God is to those around me. I'm either proclaiming (by my actions even more than my words) that He is victorious and able to carry me through any challenge, or I'm demonstrating that I don't think He is able.
We often recognize this when we are faced with a huge challenge or tragedy. We pray earnestly when the hurricane comes or the war threatens or the job ends. But what about when we're faced with employees that are content with doing just enough to keep from being fired? What about when our kids don't pick up their toys when we've asked a million times? Or when your spouse forgets to run the errand you asked them to run? What about when the car beside you in traffic darts in front of you to cut you off?
Praying today that the Holy Spirit, the same power that raised Jesus from the grave, would empower me to demonstrate God's grace to the world in the grace I show others today.
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