Something that has been on my mind is, how do I avoid becoming someone who only thinks about God when I’m in church, and not just that but how do I develop a deeper relationship with God. I’ve been trying to get back into the habit of reading the word (well not just reading it but desiring to read it), while reading God’s word this morning I stumbled upon (or better God lead me) to this verse in Romans. Something I’ve probably read before, but in the Message Bible version it seems to take on new meaning and stunning clarity.
Romans 12
Place Your Life Before God
1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
This would definetly not be an easy thing to do, but its one of those moments where I remember that God’s word can speak directly to me. The Bible is not just a bunch of stories, rules to live by, or condimination. But rather it is life, a rich and full life in God.
And what’s really sweet is, is that theme seems to be the focus of books I just got.
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster I’m hoping this book will challenge me to engage more in prayer and meditation.
Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive by John Eldredge I really like John Eldredge’s books I’ve read both Desire and Wild at Heart, and WaH was especially good.
The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer I think this book will really challenge me and my views.
Mighty Anchor 