Have you let the pursuit of leisure, success or security turn you away from God? Do you feel that the world persuades you to lower you standards? Are you failing to live as though God mattered?

These are questions that were piercing my heart this morning. And I let the Holy Spirit do its work in me throughout the day. Everything that keeps God’s will from happening in my life needs to go.

For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. (Rev.3:17, NRSV)

The consensus of the western world seems to be that we don’t need God. We are rich, we have succeeded, we have prospered on our own. We start believing that we don’t need God. We start thinking God does not care how we live. Soon we are practicing atheism without even realizing it. But this is not the happy end, is it?

On Judgment Day,
    I’ll search through every closet and alley in Jerusalem.
I’ll find and punish those who are sitting it out, fat and lazy,
    amusing themselves and taking it easy,
Who think, ‘God doesn’t do anything, good or bad.
    He isn’t involved, so neither are we.’
(Zephaniah 1:12, MSG)

But God does care how we live and we do need God. But if we don’t follow Christ, we will soon fall into disobedience and laziness. Because self-satisfaction weakens our ability to hear God’s voice and threatens our capacity to feel compassion. Complacency destroys our spiritual life and prevents us from becoming all that God has created us to be. This is the road to destruction. If this is not what we want, if we want to be all God wants us to be…we need to make a U-turn by repenting and getting back to God.

How can we stay on track? How can we live as thought God matters? With the words of Zephaniah:

Seek the Lord [inquire for Him, inquire of Him, and require Him as the foremost necessity of your life], all you humble of the land who have acted in compliance with His revealed will and have kept His commandments; seek righteousness, seek humility [inquire for them, require them as vital]. It may be you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger. (Zephaniah 2:3, AMP)

 

Gracious God,
Forgive us for becoming lazy and self-satisfied.
Forgive us for not living like you mattered.
Show us what is wrong with us.
Cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Show us how to live out our faith.
Be our everything!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: What do you think? Does God matter? What keeps you on track?

Image courtesy of Matt Gruber. Linking up today with Heart & Home and