A pastor friend of mine forwarded me a picture depicting a man sitting in an easy chair, TV on, laptop computer tuned into Facebook, his iPod connected to headphones, a radio beside him turned on and a Bible on the floor with 2 other books on top of it. In the background is Jesus calling to him and the man is in contemplated thought wondering why he doesn't hear from God anymore.
Jesus is indeed calling to each of us today but there is interference, bombardment and competition for our attention. Between God and us is all this nonessential noise stealing our time and steering our thoughts and emotions.
I'm afraid we are more in tune to our e-mails, our iPhones, our iPods, the Internet, our TVs and our radio programs then we are in tune to God's still small voice to our consciences!
No we don't have to live in a cocoon! But neither do we have to be controlled by all this electronic media of today! I wonder if we added up all the time we spent on Facebook, Google, Disney, Flickr, eBay, YouTube, Amazon, HBO, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, Showtime, Netflix, MySpace, twitter and a host of others and compare it to the TIME we spend connecting with God, what the difference between them would be???
No, this isn't meant to be a guilt trip! It is however meant to be a REALITY check! To me REALITY is whatever we spend our time in we become changed into! Christianity is going through a serious change today and that change is not for the better. I'm afraid we are losing ground and not advancing.
Joshua said it so well, "Choose you this day whom you will serve." Joshua 24:15. This is my reality! I have a CHOICE to have a closer walk with God, to be in love with my wife, to live a quieter lifestyle and to be involved in touching others' lives. For me it means I must UNPLUG daily in order to PLUG IN. There is truly power in Him whereas there is no power in all the rest.
The Book of all books has said it sooo well. "Be still and know that I am God." Psalms 46:10 Then in John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." These are timeless biblical principles that if entered into give lasting results in our daily lives. Simple, yes but profound in application! Elaborating on these principles we are told that, "We must individually hear him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in the quietness we wait before him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God."DA 363. To UNPLUG is to HUSH the other voices. There is a cost to PLUG into God but what a benefit awaits those who choose.
This is the effectual preparation that allows His will and His ways to take hold of us and to remake us into his image!
Daily choosing to plug-in,
Jim & Sally
