For those of us who grew up in church life, we’ve most likely been consistently encouraged from the pulpit and in our Sunday School, small group and Bible study classes to maintain a daily time with the Lord.
Reading the Bible, meditating on Scripture, spending time in prayer — these are all common spiritual disciplines.
And we all know precious saints of the faith who would rival Billy and Ruth Graham in their dedication to these important practices.
They keep their routines no matter what else is taking place and aren’t shy about letting guests visiting their homes see them in action. Many of them also journal about what God is teaching them along the way.
Daily conversations land on what he or she read and discovered that morning.
Scripture references, God’s promises and inspirational stories constantly overflow from the mouths of those immersed in time with the Lord.
It’s natural, not forced; and they are keenly in tune with current events as well but able to keep proper perspective amid whatever crisis might be happening at the moment.
The concept of living life and sharing with others from the overflow intrigues me, but it took me a while to truly grasp how it worked.
In my younger years, I understood it to mean knowledge based on intense theological study and time spent learning and memorizing Scripture and lessons from the Bible.
And while these also are important spiritual disciplines and should be part of our routine, I soon realized I was putting too much pressure on myself to know the Bible at such a level to have all the answers, no matter what question was asked.
I felt inadequate if I couldn’t recite all the popular Bible verses word for word at any given moment, and, without realizing it, I became focused on acquiring head knowledge rather than nurturing and growing my personal relationship with the Lord.
Guidance of mentors
The quiet modeling and intentional mentoring from those more seasoned believers in my life helped me realize how I was stifling my relationship with the Lord by trying too hard — and also attempting to achieve the goal in my own strength.
Learning to clear my mind and sit still while soaking up Scripture and what it is saying to me in that moment opened my eyes to what it truly means to have access to the Living Word.
All who desire to turn away from sinful and selfish ways, call upon the name of Jesus and turn over their lives to Him as Lord and Savior have the same opportunity.
We definitely need spiritual leaders in our lives to teach us and help us grow, but our access to the Lord is a direct connection between Him and His children.
The more time we spend with Him, the sweeter our relationship grows and the more we automatically share with others — out of the overflow — and the less time we have to let the worries of this world suffocate us and those around us.
