DEVELOPING A WAY OF LIFE

"All I want is for you to be able to develop a way of life in which you can spend plenty of time together with the Master without a lot of distractions" (1Corinthians 7:35, The Message). 

A scribe once came to Jesus asking to know which is the greatest commandment in the law. Jesus told him that it was the commandment to love, and that this commandment has two parts. The first part which is very relevant to today's message says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). Loving God in the manner described above would require spending quality time with the Lord which takes us back to the issue of devotion. 

Modern life, especially in the metropolis has been structured in such a way that spending time with the Lord has become a luxury that only few people can afford. Apart from the legitimate busyness of earning a living and the daily preparations that go with it, we have also invented several adult toys and preoccupations that take away the time of the 21st century man. But he that will make a success of his walk with God must learn to prioritize fellowship with the Lord in all that he does. 

Jesus led quite a busy life, attending to people, ministering to their spiritual and physical needs, and moving from place to place, preaching the good news of the kingdom of God. Sometimes, it could be so serious that Jesus and the disciples would have "no leisure so much as to eat" (Mark 6:31). But in spite of such a tight schedule, Jesus still succeeded in affording quality time of devotion with the Father. From this we learn that there will always be a way out if only we will take the effort to find it. 

Developing a way of life that will help you to spend plenty of time together with the Lord without distractions is a task that you must give attention. Developing it means that it won't come naturally. It won't come naturally because you have a lot of things demanding your attention and the devil doesn't even want you to maintain a dynamic relationship with the Lord. That you are to develop it also implies that you might need to be innovative about your devotional life. There would be no hard and fast rules; the only important rules are those that help you get it done. Yes, it will require a great deal of continuous discipline but if you approach the matter with utmost sincerity, you will know what will work best for you.