Tomorrow should be my best day ever. That should always be true. As a follower of Jesus, I am promised a life of peace and joy, (for the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Romans 14:17). With God, there is always more, so each day there should be more peace and more joy. It’s peace and joy that flows from the righteousness of God and not my feeble attempts to do and be good. Something must be wrong because that’s not happening.
In fact, there seems, as each day goes by, less peace, less joy, less contentment and hope for the future. Obviously, the peace and joy is not automatic. What does it take on our part to secure it?
Seek First. I need to seek first the kingdom to enjoy peace and joy. This is a literal thing. It’s not just priority, but timing. We should do kingdom business each day before doing anything else. Doing this makes God a priority. I know we are busy. If it means getting up earlier, we need to do it. The days I do this, the days are better. Yesterday, I realized when I awoke that I scheduled to go to Prayer and Share on death row. I went last week just because friends were going, but I couldn’t miss my assigned day. I rescheduled my day and went. I was blessed for that.
On the days I begin by putting my thoughts out in a blog post that centers on Christ, my days are better, more joy, more peace. I don’t do this every day and I can tell the difference. I can focus on the response or any good it might do for someone else. I can only know what good it does for me.
Abide. The analogy of the vine and the branches is so simple and so powerful that we tend to minimize it. The First Seeking is ineffective if it arises from us. It has to flow from our relationship with Jesus. If I sit down and try to “work out” something to write, the product, if it is produced at all, is ineffective. My best posts are the ones that come to mind as I close my eyes at night or open them in the morning. They arise from my times with Jesus. They are sap rising from the vine.
Rest. Resting in the Lord seems archaic, lazy, even presumptive. “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;” Psalm 37:7. Resting in the Lord doesn’t necessarily mean inactivity. It means His agenda, His time frame, His power. For us, there is obedience, trust and rest. We need to set aside the anxiety and restlessness of daily life for the rest that flows from Kingdom Priority and Vine abiding.
Tomorrow I am determined to Put First, Abide and Rest. I expect my best day ever.
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