Four things Charles Tindley enumerated when he examined his relationship with Christ. Could it be that I have the same four things coming in between my relationship with Him?
This world’s delusive dreams
Promises of security. A well-paying job. A prettier look. A fully-upgraded life. People cheer me on. A thousand likes on an edited snapshot. Am I content? At what cost?
Worldly pleasures
But I deserve to be happy. I earned this comfort.
Yet even the richest and wisest man exclaimed, “All is vanity.”
Habits of life, though harmless they seem
A friend tests himself daily with five question – At the start of the day, which comes first: Facebook Notifications, or an hour of Scripture? At the breakfast table, does the prayer come from a heart actually full of gratitude, or does it sound suspiciously like yesterday’s? At school, which drives harder: Desire for grades, or desire for God? At home, which seems sweeter: An hour of entertainment, or an hour of intercession? In bed, which lingers longer: The frolic of the day, or thoughts of heaven?
The small things during the day reflects my priorities in life. Did I pass the test?
Many hard trials
Rejected. Insulted. Mocked. Spitted on. Whacked. Dipped in boiling oil. Crucified upside down. Hunted. Persecuted. Left all comforts of home to live in caves and catacombs. Suffocated. Burned.
All for the sake of standing for Christ.
Not one ever happened to me. Yet, I complain.
Peter says, “Count it all joy…” Yet still, my eyes are ever turned away from Christ when trials of this life weigh me down.
Oh Lord, I pray, please let nothing come between.
