After a mountain top experience like Easter, I found myself curiously "cool" last week. Once I was done talking about myself in the "Easter blogs", I was feeling kind of empty.( That should have been a clue right there: me, me, me). I know I'm am trying to fill a hole when I start organizing and redecorating everything. The key word there is "start" because I move onto something else before getting the first job done to completion. After a few false starts, I am getting intuitive enough to look inside and see what needs fixing. Since becoming a Christian, I take this empty place to the Lord and ask Him to fill it. This week on In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley he preached on recognizing when the fire is going out and how to relight it. Here is his list of things that could be a signal that your flame and passion for God is flickering:
1. Neglecting the Word of God: If you are too busy to read the Word and hear what God wants to say to you, then you are too busy.
2. Prayer Life Changes: The words are going out but not getting anywhere.
3. Church Attendance Changes
4. Only Give Occasionally: Remember: that blessing of money did not come from HR but from God.
5. Begin to Compromise Standards and Belief System: Rationalizing things the world does as ok.
6. Defensive About Lifestyle
7. Begin to Lose Joy: replaced by worry, doubt, and fear, which do not come from God
8. Cease to Pay Attention to the Prompting of the Holy Spirit
After hearing his list, I knew I was having trouble with #1, #2, and #7, which came directly as a result of 1 & 2. I let the busyness of a vacation week get in the way of my normal routine and it left me empty. Tomorrow I will share his list of how to rekindle the flame. In the meantime, does anything on the list strike a chord within you? Ask God to show you how to get back to your first love, Him. "May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him." Romans 15:13
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