Author: Adam

Just yesterday I was speaking with my wife about how we are called to live with an eternal perspective. It’s so hard to do because we have so many needs and wants that we have developed in our present moment, but also things we expect to accomplish for ourselves that date back to our childhood. All the hopes and dreams we developed as we anticipated adulthood. Our present moment is certainly important but the hard truth is that we should daily weigh it against the eternal purposes God has for our lives.

That is what brings us to the passage where we find the idea of “walking” by faith and not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5: 6-10

The greater context that Paul is teaching us in this passage is set within living with the perspective of our heavenly homes and now our earthly one. The imagery of our current earthly bodies resemble a temporary tent compared to our heavenly bodies that are build not by the hands of man. Paul is preparing us for this walk we are called to live in our earthly bodies by setting the stage for the differences we must always keep in mind between the life we are to live through all of the heartache and challenges we face on this earth.

2 Corinthians 5:6-10 says:

⁶ So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

To walk by Faith means to keep in perspective our end destination in eternity. We may not see how things will pan out, but we live in a trust of the Lord that all things are working together for our final eternal destination. We are a people of good courage. Though we would rather be with the Lord than away from Him. We know we will return to Him.

We believe every detail and every facet of our world has been orchestrated by God and that one day we will appear before Him and hope to hear the resounding, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Now, here is the question. What do you think it will take for you to keep this perspective every day? Think back to the last few days, weeks, months? How challenging has it been to walk by faith and not by sight?

What has fogged your vision or path forward and has kept you distracted from the calling God has on your life?

Ponder these things and take a moment to reflect in writing out your thoughts.

Need help processing your journey? We are here to come along side you as you seek His hand. Let us know how we can serve you.

If you have struggled to keep a routine or to be disciplined in any way then you are not alone.

I believe that at the core of the human experience is this battle to overcome the sinful and slothful within us.

While many humans develop profound methods to achieve great things through grit, self determination, and yes, discipline. The most challenging disciplines of them all might very well be the spiritual disciplines. Why? Because you are not only up against flesh and blood, but the spiritual.

Meditating on God’s word Daily is a discipline of the Christian life that will come with it’s challenges.

Yet, the freedom that we experience when we meditate on the word daily in our lives is profound. When we have the word of God at the tip of our tongue every day to combat the works of the devil and the many challenges of daily life in the modern era. We are equipped to make wise and righteous decisions for ourselves, our families, and the kingdom.

Practical steps to Meditate on the Word Daily

In this modern era there are a million and one ways to go about this. So my first recommendation is not to get overwhelmed. Choose to take baby steps into a bible reading plan for one that allows for you to slowly digest the word daily. A devotional study via the YouVersion Bible App or Our Daily Bread devotionals are helpful for getting started.

Don’t let reading a devotional be the only way in which you digest the scriptures. You may first be intimidated by the scriptures, but that is okay. Simply reading the scriptures on its own is crucial for sparking your curiosity into its meaning and a path for which God works in our hearts. Don’t let the size nor the confusing language intimidate you, but rather let it fuel your curiosity and willingness to seek answers from trusted scholars and biblically based pastors.

Consider a tool such as the Fighter Verses scripture memory plan to memorize scripture. Committing the scripture to memory is a biblical practice for which you will never regret. Having the scriptures hidden in your heart for the spirit to draw upon in your moment of need is invaluable.

Consider journaling what you encounter in the scriptures and take time recording your thoughts about what you read. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Just spend time contemplating the scriptures. Ask God to reveal it’s meaning where its challenging to understand or your spirit struggles with.

You may even want to commit to writing down a passage of scripture each day, multiple times a day. Or, you may even want to have a nightly reflection of scriptures you read every night before you sleep.

Contemplate the ways in which you mull over things already in your life and then learn them or remember them? Does it help to develop a tune to what you are studying for memorization? We found scripture lullabies that are for our children to fall asleep to at night and I found myself humming the tunes of the songs all the time. These little simple things took my mind off of fleshly things and focused them on the scriptures.

Keep in mind there are a lot of options but what matters most is the joy in the journey of discovering and spending time with God in his Word. We develop this habit and practice because we love Him. We demonstrate our love for him by keeping his words. John 14:23-24

‘Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. ‘

John 14:23-24

Be blessed as you seek the Lord and learn his word.

What does it mean to cultivate a heart of worship?

In a time of endless distractions we can easily forget that we are creatures wired for worship.

It is in our nature to worship. So, what would it mean to cultivate something we are already wired to do?

This phrase is most often used in the context of developing a heart that is sensitive toward worshiping God and no other.

To cultivate a heart sensitive to worshiping God we mean to develop a heart that is no longer distracted by false gods and petty human distractions and we become laser focused on the true God of the universe and intimate with Him by drawing near to Him. The ways in which we draw near to God are regularly outlined in this Blog and are foundational to the Christian life. They provide fuel to the fire of our worship of God.

Practical Steps of Worship

Among the many practical steps I am going to outline there is nothing more important than recognizing our need to minimize distraction in order to spend time with someone worthy of our time and attention.

Consider this. I wouldn’t take my wife on a date only to sit a cross from her at dinner mindless of her and on my phone. I’m not going to cultivate much of a relationship doing that. In fact, I’m not cultivating much at all.

Spending time with God means we turn of the distractions and focus our attention on Him. Many people find that removing themselves from the daily rhythms of life helps this tremendously. Go outside. Take out the earbuds. Ask God to meet with you. Begin to pray.

All of these intentional acts tell God you are ready to spend undivided time with Him.

So, when your not distracted. Take the time in prayer and meditation of God’s word. Study His word and ask Him to reveal himself to you.

Develop a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving in these moments. As the scriptures reveal. God provided payment for your sin by the blood of Jesus. Don’t let that pass you by. Reflect on the sheer grace and mercy of a loving God that would provide redemption for His very creation that rejected Him.

Commit to acting in your faith by obedience to the Lord.

In fact, Jesus expressed this act of devotion in John 14:23-24 saying,

‘Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. ‘

John 14:23-24

This is really profound and certainly can impact our worship by acting in obedience.

Worship is a posture of love and devotion. It is not some mindless, emotional, meditative, trance believers find themselves in once a week.

Our worship is fueled by our knowledge of God the Father and then lived out by our obedience to Him.

Cultivating a heart of worship means that we spend time not just in prayer and meditative states listening to the wind, but that we are discovering Him by how He has revealed himself to us through his word and the words of Jesus.

We quite literally express our love and devotion to Jesus by keeping his words.

This will cultivate a heart of worship aimed at Him and no other. Keep him at the center of your worship and you will not go wrong.