Do you feel “dazed” in your relationship with God? Is your devotion and passion for God lacking? Would you describe your relationship with God dull, without life, unenthusiastic, half-hearted?
You may read the Bible, pray, and go to church as faithfully as ever; but you have no passion. You are going through the motions, doing the things, but not living the hope-filled life you believe God ordains for you.
God knew you would be in this position. He doesn’t want you to be half-hearted, unenthusiastic, or dull. Matter of fact, He’s the one who is bringing your attention to how you are feeling and thinking. You can count it as a blessing to be made aware of this sluggishness in your relationship with Him. Consider it a kindness from God to bring to your understanding the distractions you are experiencing.
Have you thought to yourself recently, why am I so discontent? Why do I lack fulfillment? Do you look around and think to yourself any of the following: I have everything I need. I am rich with health, family, ____________ (you fill in the blank). Do you work daily on how to increase some earthly feature in your life or a human character trait? Are the goals in your planner and the gratitude journal entries centered on things that will all perish with the using?
If you answered “yes”; you are in good hands. God has gotten your attention. Look intently in His eyes, His heart, and His longing for you. Jesus, the one who writes your story, determines your eternity, and puts the period at the end of the sentence; advises you to do three things.
BUY FROM JESUS GOLD REFINED BY FIRE – BECOME RICH
Jesus told the parable of a rich person who had a lot of earthly valuables. He was in need of nothing. Indeed, he was planning an expansion project to store all the things he had gathered and was in the process of hoarding. Yet, God determined he was in poverty before Him. He had no knowledge of God. He had no concern with how God evaluated Him. He stored up his treasure and thought to himself he was rich. In the end, the story concluded that he was miserable, destitute, and should have spent his time becoming rich toward God.
Take Jesus’ advise, burn in your heart with passion for God, get His value in your heart, and treasure Him more than any earthly things with which you seek to fill yourself.
BUY FROM JESUS WHITE GARMENTS – BECOME CLOTHED
Isaiah 1:18; John 1:29; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 9:22; James 1:21
God wants to make a deal with you. He wants to exchange your nakedness for His righteousness. It makes “good sense” to God for you to be white. He provides the means by which you can be clothed in His garment of righteousness. Though your coverings are red like scarlet, He gives opportunity for them to be white as snow.
It is the shed blood of the spotless son of God on the cross that takes away your sin. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. It is sin that makes you filthy before God. Adam and Eve in the garden knew they were naked because of their sin. God declares you can come to Him, make the great exchange, and receive from Him purity.
Throw away the old affections to sin, closeness with the world, and be focused in your attention to be looking like Jesus in all your thoughts, words, and actions. Clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not give any opportunity to satisfy your own desires.
BUY FROM JESUS EYE SALVE – BECOME SEEING
The man who was born blind was healed to display the glory of God. Jesus made mud, a form of eye salve. He placed it on the man’s eyes, told him to go wash, and the man obeyed. The man exchanged his blindness for the “mud” of Jesus, washed, and saw Jesus was indeed the light of the world.
You must be willing to take upon yourself what seems to be “mud” to this world, but after you are cleansed, you see clearly. May the light of the knowledge of God apply His eye salve to open the eyes of your understanding so that you may fully see the great invitation God has given you. Go possess for yourself the great abundance of God once you’ve allowed His application of salve, wash at His direction, and return seeing Him in His great glory.
BECOME RICH – BECOME CLOTHED – BECOME SEEING
These are the three actions Jesus advised you to take when you feel a little lethargic or slack in your passion for God. The word become means to change or to grow. The more you become rich toward God, clothed in His righteousness, and seeing Him as the light of the world; the better you will assess yourself as God determines you to really be. Then, you will run more boldly and passionately to the only one who receives you just as you are. You will intently desire to share His riches, wear His garments, and have nothing that distorts your view of His glory. Your “becoming” has only just begun to burn warmly.
Take Jesus’ advice with these three action opportunities. Enliven your becoming. Meditate on Revelation 3:14-22 for more encouragement.
Written By: Anne Gurley
