"Is it a little too much for all our moments to flow in ceaseless praise? Well, where will you stop? What proportion of your moments do you think enough for Jesus? How many for the spirit of praise, and how many for the spirit of heaviness? Be explicit about it, and come to an understanding. If He is not to have all, then how much? Calculate, balance, and apportion. You will not be able to do this in Heaven - you know it will be all praise there; but you are free to halve your service of praise here, or to make the proportion what you will.
YET - He made you for His glory.
YET - He chose you that you should be to the praise of His glory.
YET - He loves you every moment, waters you every moment, watches you unslumberingly, cares for you unceasingly.
YET - He died for you!
Dear friends, one can hardly write it without tears. Shall you or I remember all this love, and hesitate to give all our moments up to Him? Let us intrust Him with them, and ask Him to keep them all, every single one, for His own beloved self, and fill them all with His praise, and let them all be to His praise." -Francis Ridley Havergal (writer of the hymn, "Take my Life and Let it Be")
I read this passage and began to think of the week ahead.
It's easy on Sunday afternoon to relax, enjoy a book, a friend, or a nap, (and all those things are wonderful, of course,) instead of thinking anything about applying what I heard this morning to Monday morning. You know, I find myself often falling into a rut of thinking Sunday is over when I come in from church. But that really isn't true, is it?
The whole day has been given to us by God as an opportunity to rest from the distractions of the world, and possibly take the chance to spend some extra time asking Him for strength for the days ahead, when life twists and turns us in all directions except toward Christ.
I thought what Francis Havergal said was a good reminder to desire each of our moments, every minute every second, to be orchestrated around Christ. It seems like an overwhelming lot, doesn't it? But when we really think of how much we've been given by our Heavenly Father, it somehow doesn't seem unreasonable to live every moment for Him.
Will I do that perfectly this week?
Oh, no.
(Just ask my sisters, they'll assure you I don't even come close to perfection.)
But none of us should want it said that we "have not because we ask not."
Our God is kind and patient, and He will help me and you to live unto Him.
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4 comments:
Your post has much food for thought again, thanks for the reminder to live unto Christ daily.
Amen! Been thinking along similar lines lately.
Very helpful. I love you.
Very helpful. I always love it when people refer to anyone who's a favourite of mine. And I love it when older siblings of mine are looking at the same things I am, because it exemplifies the unity that the Spirit brings.
Tozer's chapter in Pursuit of God On The Sacrament of Living is really helpful/hurtful along these lines. It would be a good, and I believe profitable discipline, to jot down ways in which we can devote our whole hearts to God each morning, as He may lead us;and subsequently, in the evening, to write down remembrances of His kindnesses, as well as special areas in which He has revealed the need for growth.
Continue leaning.
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