Living the Christian life is absolutely exciting. We serve God, do good to people, do our best to excel in whatever field God has designed us for, and enjoy His goodness to us every single day.
However, in the busyness of life, even in ministry, we all need to step back once in a while to rest and just receive God's goodness.
Many Christians, especially ministers, however, fail to see the need to tone down whatever they're doing and simply sit back, relax, and enjoy God's love. In their pursuit of doing great things, the day's schedule seems jam-packed with work and other things. Friends, we all need to learn to step back to hear God.
Signs To Watch Out For
To help you determine if you need to take some time off to rest in God's goodness, here are some signs to watch out for.
1. When You're Out Of Touch With The Word
More than just forgetting God's Word, this also means living in such a way that the Word doesn't approve of. Psalm 119:9-11 tells us,
"How shall a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. With my whole heart I seek You; do not allow me to wander from Your commandments. Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You."
2. When You Try To Receive Validation From Someone Or Something Else Rather Than God
Many Christians who have drifted away from God try to find their satisfaction, security, and validation from other things. Unless we secure ourselves in God, we will not find our validation in riches, praise from other people (especially the opposite sex), achievements or position, and a lot more that's not God.
Let's all take a step back and evaluate ourselves if we are looking for validation in the wrong sources. Let's be like David, who said in Psalm 16:1-2,
"Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge. I have said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; my welfare has no existence outside of You.'"
3. When The Attention And Time You Give To God Is Zero
The moment you realise you don't have time for God, drop whatever you're doing. When we have no time for God because we're so busy chasing after deadlines, even preparing sermon notes (yes, this happens – studying the Bible is different from spending good quality time with God), we must realise that we are going nowhere. We need to stop.
Let us have the same declaration and heart as the psalmist's as he expressed in Psalm 42:1-2,
"As the deer pants after the water brooks, so my soul pants after You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When will I come and appear before God?"
