This encounter between Saul and Jesus on the road to Damascus got me thinking. Why does this never happen in our present time? Why have I never been stopped by a bright light and heard the voice of Jesus Christ? How can I hear the voice of Christ in my life?
We live in a very modern technological world. Everything in our lives has something to do with technology. While at home we constantly have the television on. While driving to and from work (or wherever) we constantly have the stereo on (some of us louder than others). When not watching television or listening to music we are surfing the internet to catch up with people we never met on Facebook or texting our friends. Our lives are cluttered with technological noise.
All of these things serve as static between us and God. We don't give Christ a chance to speak to us. We constantly have our attention focussed on something else. Maybe if we turned all of these things off for a bit each day we could hear the voice of Christ in our lives.
Now I'm not saying Jesus is going to flash a bright light in our eyes and speak to us while driving on Interstate 70 or something. I do believe that if we take the time to be silent and listen, we can learn a lot about Christ's will for our life.
I am addicted to television. I have like six or seven shows I watch each week, plus I watch too much Fox News. I have an iPhone that I play with constantly. I am on my computer all of the time, often while still watching television or playing with my iPhone.
Challenge to myself and others:
At the beginning of Lent I took the advice of a friend and chose to give up "Not doing my devotions" for lent. This means that I was going to spend twenty or so minutes each day in the Word and prayer. I had to turn off the T.V., close my computer, turn off the stereo, and put away the iPhone for twenty minutes. I read a couple chapters each day from a book of the Bible, beginning and ending each day's reading with prayer.
I have seen a great change in myself over the last month and a half almost. Now I admit that I missed a few days, it happens, but the vast majority of the days during Lent I kept up with my commitment. I now find myself thinking about God much more than I did before Lent when my time with God was lacking. I find myself thinking about the impact of what I am doing and saying daily might have on the Kingdom. It has changed how I view my relationships, my work, and my personal time.
I challenge myself and all of you reading this to do what I did. It doesn't have to be during Lent, please do not wait another year to do this. Starting today, right now, spend just the next 30 days spending fifteen to twenty minutes each day in the Word and prayer. Don't just say you will do it, follow through. Set some ground rules. "I will read fifteen minutes each day, before work starting April 21, 2009 until May 21, 2009." I promise it will change your outlook on life and you will find yourself desiring that time each day after that and continuing this practice.
It seems so painfully simple. All of us strive to do this all of the time. Most of us fail. We will continue to fail as we are not perfect. If we take the time to ask Christ to take away all of our distractions for just a few minutes, we can begin to hear his voice. Think about it.
Good post. The main focus of any spiritual person should be living in a state of "God awareness". It is difficult to transform our perspective and requires a lot of discipline, but the more of that God awareness you have in your life the better you are going to feel.
ReplyDeleteChanging the subject, I have been reading a book called "The Kingdom of God is Within You" by Leo Tolstoy that I wanted to recommend to everyone. It is available in its entirety on the internet. Here is a passage I just read:
"I will speak first of the former. Eighteen hundred years ago there appeared in the midst of the heathen Roman world a strange new doctrine, unlike any of the old religions, and attributed to a man, Christ.
This new doctrine was in both form and content absolutely new to the Jewish world in which it originated, and still more to the Roman world in which it was preached and diffused.
In the midst of the elaborate religious observances of Judaism, in which, in the words of Isaiah, law was laid upon law, and in the midst of the Roman legal system worked out to the highest point of perfection, a new doctrine appeared, which denied not only every deity, and all fear and worship of them, but even all human institutions and all necessity for them. In place of all the rules of the old religions, this doctrine sets up only a type of inward perfection, truth, and love in the person of Christ, and-- as a result of this inward perfection being attained by men--also the outward perfection foretold by the Prophets--the kingdom of God, when all men will cease to learn to make war, when all shall be taught of God and united in love, and the lion will lie down with the lamb.
Instead of the threats of punishment which all the old laws of religions and governments alike laid down for non- fulfillment of their rules, instead of promises of rewards for fulfillment of them, this doctrine called men to it only because it was the truth. John vii. 17: "If any man will do His will, he shad know of the doctrine whether it be of God." John viii. 46: "If I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? But ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth. Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Keep my sayings, and ye shall know of my sayings whether they be true." No proofs of this doctrine were offered except its truth, the correspondence of the doctrine with the truth. The whole teaching consisted in the recognition of truth and following it, in a greater and greater attainment of truth, and a closer and closer following of it in the acts of life. There are no acts in this doctrine which could justify a man and make him saved. There is only the image of truth to guide-him, for inward perfection in the person of Christ, and for outward perfection in the establishment of the kingdom of God. The fulfillment of this teaching consists only in walking in the chosen way, in getting nearer to inward perfection in the imitation of Christ, and outward perfection in the establishment of the kingdom of God. The greater or less blessedness of a man depends, according to this doctrine, not on the degree of perfection to which he has attained, but on the greater or less swiftness with which he is pursuing it.
The progress toward perfection of the publican of the publican Zaccheus, of the woman that was a sinner, of the robber on the cross, is a greater state of blessedness, according to this doctrine, than the stationary righteousness of the Pharisee. The lost sheep is dearer than ninety-nine that were not lost. The prodigal son, the piece of money that was lost and found again, are dearer, more precious to God than those which have not been lost.