---How To Stay Afire & Happy In A Godless & Distracting Culture---
Matthew 5:6 (KJV) - Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
A UNIQUE SKILLSET IS REQUIRED... FOR SUCCESSFULLY LIVING IN TODAYS MODERN CLUTTERED ENVIRONMENT!
Multitasking - Distractions - Postmodern Culture of Active Rebellion and Passive Indifference to God. TVs everywhere. Phones everywhere! Beeps, rings, alarms, horns, images, pictures, videos, emails, attachments, files, noises, flood of information coming too fast and in too many directions and from too many conflicting sources.
1. Celebrate the SIMPLE PLEASURES of life ALOUD & OFTEN (stop to smell the roses). Really... Things are better than you think and there are a lot of FREE THINGS that are little gifts from The Lord along your path!
2. Give thanks ALOUD constantly to God... and others! List ALOUD all the little and big things you are grateful for. And when you discover a new thing to be thankful for, recount it to your Heavenly Father!
3. Laugh and joke a lot. Stop taking yourself so seriously! God has a sense of humor; after all He pursued YOU!
4. Habitually CAST YOUR CARES over on the Lord. This is an ARTFORM! Learn it! Take advantage of it! You do this in prayer with your faith. The Great Exchange that gives you The Great Escape from pressure and inner turmoil. You were not created to carry heavy burdens. Cares and burdens can literally KILL YOU and take you early from this earth!
1 Pe 5:7 AMP - Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfullye”
Psalm 55:22 AMP - Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).”
5. PICK A FIGHT with some injustice happening in our world and sink yourself into doing as much as possible to alleviate it with the love of God and truth.
6. Fast certain THINGS or ACTIVITIES or HABITS as God may prompt you from time to time, not just FOOD, for seasons of deeper consecration.
7. Choose regularly in prayer to LOVE what God LOVES and to HATE what God HATES. First in yourself then in your culture. Memorize the love-hate scriptures.
8. Bury your Past & Marry your Future (I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own name sake, and WILL REMEMBER THEM NO MORE!)
Accept His forgiveness
Forgive yourself
9. But very realistic about your weaknesses and bad proclivities (tendencies, penchants, disposition, propensities). Be ruthless with them by applying the Word of God and power of God. Know what "pushes your button!" Know what your own set of "besetting sins" are (things that easily tempt you). Welcome others pointing them out from time to time. (Ouch!)
10. Avoid people, places or activities that steal your peace, joy and focus, or your passion for The Lord. Not everyone bad for you will voluntarily leave your life. Some people are a drain! Some people just want to dump it all on you! Some people don't respect your time or energy or your own assignment from God! Disconnect from Disrespect!
11. Steal away often with The Lord. Draw away occasionally to a quiet place. Run away and retreat occassionally to a vacation or Christian conference.
12. And last but NOT least: Place the GOD-HUNGER PSALMS in your mouth often and ALOUD to rekindle your spiritual fire. (Note that there are 21 Psalms in between each of them.)
Psalm 42
Psalm 63
Psalm 84
Psalms 84:1-12 (KJV) - To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah. Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. |
