Without fuel a fire grows cold, and so does our faith.
As we have seen, many things can disrupt our journey through life if we aren’t careful: destructive emotions, wrong motives, bad habits, disappointments or failures, difficult relationships, suffering, and grief. We all experience them, and God wants to help is gain victory over them.
But for most of us, life isn’t a constant stream of major crises or overwhelming problems. Instead, most of our time is spent in the routine of daily living: work, family, finances, entertainment, and so forth. Meals need preparing; trash must be taken out; bills have to be paid; children require new shoes or help with homework or rides to soccer practice. Even as I write this, an outside drain at our house has clogged, allowing rainwater to seep in and soak the carpet in my study. Life is full of daily challenges and minor annoyances.
And unless we take measure to prevent it, they will smother our faith.
The Basic Principle
All too often we confine God to one day of the week, assuming the other six belong to us. Or we conclude God is only interested in our souls and isn’t concerned about so-called worldly things—our time, money, job, or family. In other words, we divide up our lives and put God into one compartment, while leaving Him out of the others.
But this is a serious error—and one Satan hopes we’ll make! If he can persuade us to keep God confined to one day a week, or only one part of our lives, then he has gained a great victory. But someday Satan will be defeated and Christ’s Lordship will be reestablished over all creation—and God wants this to begin right now.
What keeps Christ from every part of your life?Is it because you want to control it yourself? Or because you’ve never realized He wants to extend His authority over everything? Is some sin keeping you from His Lordship over your life? Whatever that reason, give yourself without reserve to Christ and submit every area of your life to His control. The Bible says, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn” (Psalm 37:5-6).
