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Wednesday, June 17, 2020, 19:41

In a recent sermon, I quoted Christian leadership guru John Maxwell, who admonished us regarding the way to success as a Christian to, “trade your work for God for a walk with God.”  Chances are that I am not the only Christian who has struggled with this very principle through the years.  It is so easy to busy ourselves into oblivion that, without even realizing it has happened to us, we find ourselves in a void and dry place spiritually.  In that moment we realize that while we have accomplished works for the Kingdom, while we have loved God with zeal and passion, while our intentions were absolutely correct, noble, and just, that we have missed the main thing.  An old friend that I grew up with used to say, “the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”  This silly statement is easy to remember, and true.  Someone else has said, and I agree, that one of the primary tactics that Satan is using against the church today is to encourage such busyness in life that we are unable to devote the kind of time to our walk with God that is necessary for spiritual growth and health.  For many of us, the workday starts sooner, or lasts longer.  For others, the children we love are involved in more and more extra curricular activities.  These days, many adults are more socially involved after work in small communities of friends.  And then, there is the big time thief, the one that Zig Ziglar called the “great income inhibitor”…the television, to which I would also add potential, motivation, and creativity.  It is easier today than ever to vegetate in front of the TV box, giving hours of the evening to the latest sitcom, but not “finding any time” for our walk with God.  How important is a walk with God anyway to a Christian’s health and spiritual growth?  Years ago while working as a youth minister in my seminary church, I used to tell the young people that a Christian’s spiritual life could be compared to any appliance…a toaster for example.  The toaster does not cease to be a toaster when unplugged from the wall, but it cannot do what it was designed to do without being plugged in to its power source.  It is a useless hunk of metal without power.  So it is with a Christian.  The scriptures are clear that the Holy Spirit’s filling is the power for us to grow and serve (Acts 1:8-9), and we know that the filling of the Spirit comes through the word of God.  So, when a Christian neglects the spiritual disciplines…the most important of which are Bible devotions and prayer…the communication disciplines, we are like a toaster that is not plugged in.  We do not cease to be Christian of course, but the power is missing…the heat is missing…and instead of performing what we were created to perform, we sit lifeless, powerless, and dead.  So, with this in mind, would you make sure that you are plugged in?  Would you tap into your power source today, this week, this month, and beyond?  Remember, we cannot expect supernatural results in our lives through natural efforts.  Supernatural results demand supernatural power…the power of God at work in us.  Get plugged in!


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Joel Dover is an affiliate pastor of the Calvary Chapel Association and adheres to the statement of faith of the CCA. Lern more about the CCA here.