Poppy Smith .....
“I have a bad habit I’m trying to break,” Popppy says. “Instead of cozying up to God first thing in the morning, I cozy up to my computer, filling my head with what’s temporary rather than eternal.”
Oh, I (Dawn) sooooo understand this. There are so many "temptations" to keep us from seeking God first, aren't there? I check email early because I work for people "back east" and want to see if there are assignments, but after that, I try to not get distracted and spend time with the Lord. Believe me, it takes intentionality!
Poppy continues . . .
You’d think that King David had his spiritual life all together—but clearly, he didn’t.
David says,
"My hearts says of you, 'Seek his face!' Your face, Lord, I will seek" (Psalm 27:8).
He acknowledges his longing for a greater closeness to the Lord, but he also recognized that deliberate choices were needed in order to experience what he desired.
His response to the stirring in his spirit required a decision of his will.
It takes more than inner yearning for us to enjoy God. It takes a conscious decision of our will to follow through on the words, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
For God to work inner transformation and produce a deeper sense of His presence in us takes time and some level of self-discipline. But it is possible. We can discipline our bodies and our time.
I’ve seen the Holy Spirit change me in many ways, but on a recent Sunday I decided more self-discipline was desperately needed. I especially wanted to see if I could break my addiction to checking email.
Instead of merely not looking at my inbox for the day, I determined to not even turn the computer on.
I’d been responding like Pavlov’s dog every time my email pinged, so I deliberately fasted—I gave up one thing to give time to another.
That’s my definition of fasting, whether it’s food or anything else that has control over me.
As the hours went by I was amazed. By committing my little exercise to the Lord, I discovered that I could control myself and spend more time in His presence. I learned that I don’t have to allow email, or any other habit, to gobble up the hours in my day.
For someone who isn’t naturally self-disciplined, this was a major victory.
How about you? Is there a habit, attitude, or hard-to-break behavior that needs kicking out of your life? It won’t happen by magic, but it can be overcome if you ask God for help and follow through with personal discipline.
Paul urged Timothy to “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” (l Timothy 4:7).
As you gear up for fall, here are ways to respond when your soul echoes David’s cry: “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
- Pray for Spirit-given discipline to put a higher value on seeking God’s face before other activities.
- Pursue daily intimacy by thinking about how Jesus treated people, spoke to them, noticed and cared for them. And ask that He would live that kind of life through you.
- Practice being alone with the Father to talk to Him, to quietly listen for his direction and correction, as well as encouragement and love.
- Persevere in the race God has set before you, inviting the Holy Spirit to change your daily choices to what matters most to your best self.
We all have the same amount of time each day. What will you take time from in order to spend it in God’s presence?
Poppy Smith is British, married to an American, and has lived in many countries. A former Bible Study Fellowship teaching leader with a Masters in Spiritual Formation,
she is a multi-published author who speaks widely, challenging women to make their lives count by looking at their choices, attitudes, and relationship with God. Find more about Poppy on her website.
Graphic adapted, Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.