Growing in godliness and my devotions?

A little after 7am I was heading out on my retreat... might I add a little nervous. After all I was embarking on what could have been a rather stressful time. I was trying to evaluate my current heart condition and plan the next year for my family. With all that in my mind I was reminded by a friend to not stress out if I couldn't squeeze it all in. As she said... God plans things far better than we ever could, so go with his plan. What an awesome tidbit of truth I needed to remember. I can do all the planning I want, but it is God's will that will be accomplished. So upon my arrival I met with my Lord and asked that He would govern my day. As I sat there one single thought kept coming to my mind: Oh Lord how thankful I am that you chose to save this sinner and how much more thankful that each day is filled with new mercies and grace abounding!

So, I began at the beginning. In Shopping for Time, they list a set of priorities, from scripture, that they use to evaluate their own lives. Since I wasn't sure how to start, I found myself using their list:

1. Growing in godliness

2. Love my family

3. Serve in the church

4. Fellowship with Christians

5. Evangelize non-Christians

6. Attend my work

7. Care for my physical health

So I began my day evaluating my ability to growing in godliness. I quickly realized God was going be working on my heart in great and convicting ways. You see I came to see the true sin that comes from not being in the word as I ought to be. I need to know the word in order that I might preach it to my own heart. I also need to know the word in order to know my God. Not reading as I ought has become a sin pattern in my life. I've been told that if you do something for a few weeks it becomes like a habbit. Not so with my daily devotionals... well maybe it would if I could actually do a few weeks without my sin getting in the way. So I had to make the decision that early mornings we no longer optional. No more excuses of my kids are still young, I need the sleep... I'm not really a morning person. No, I need to rise early to meet with my Lord. It is little wonder why I seemed to have become stagnet in my spiritual life. I mean really... if I'm not sitting at Jesus feet every morning and not meditating on his good word how can I ever effectively live a life for Him and to His glory? I resolved to rise early and prepare my heart for the day, each and every day. I found a Bible plan that I thought would work for me. I also decided to make a few notes to try and help me remember what I learned about my God that morning. One of the biggest things God was showing me was that far too often when I read early is to read the Bible as a story. With taking notes I am trying to focus on what God is revealing about himself and then looking to see how I need to be responding in accordance to the revealed truth (all of this is in Shopping for Time... have I mentioned you should read it?). So with my coffee in hand I plan on beginning my mornings at the best place I know... Jesus feet.

It is now more than a week after my retreat... oh can I count the ways I have failed already!!! I have stayed up late, slept in and put my reading off until I have forgotten about it all together. No excuse... sin plain and simple. Strange that after spending so much time in the word and loving it... how quick I am to revert back to my old ways. It is true I am the worst sinner I know! I have a great deal of catching up to do, but have resolved myself to the fact that I just need to continue. Funny... one of the last notes I jotted down while away was... “Don't give up!”. Maybe I do know a little something of my heart afterall?

More to come on the other newly adopted priorities.