Spiritual Check-Up

If I may ask you, how is your relationship with God today? Please avoid telling me what you did or did not do. I'm not asking how often you did your quiet time this week or how long you prayed to Jesus. Nor am I asking if you prayed three times a day. I'm also not asking if you read the Bible in your devotion today. And most importantly, I'm not asking how many ministries you are involved in. What I'm asking is, how is your relationship with God today?

As I tried to answer this question myself and reflected for a while, a picture of a girl suddenly popped in my head. She was a good girl who studied hard at home and in school. She wanted to earn good grades to please her parents. She took home numerous medals and awards. This didn't make her any closer to her parents though. Her achievements did not equal to the depth of communication in their relationship and the delight they have for each other.

I realized that how I, and probably some of you, treat God is similar to how we'd treat our parents. Sometimes we feel that the love of God can be earned by merit. We forget that there's nothing we can do to make him love us any more or any less. He just loves us already. And Jesus made all that possible. He has done everything on our part already when He died on the cross. He was (and still is) the one who makes us clean, who paves the way for us to go to God!

If you were like the girl in my thought bubble, you would have probably started new ministries for Him. Nothing bad with that, but remember, what we do does not make us any closer to Him. A relationship is a matter of the heart, it is inward, it is hidden behind the veil of what our brothers and sisters in Christ cannot see.

Now, think again and dig deeper.. beneath the piles and rubbles of your ministries, of your schedule, of your actions.. search your heart. Do you see God there? If you see that He is at the very core of your being, then praise God! But, if you don't see Him in the midst of all the work you are doing for Him, and you don't see Him in your heart, then maybe it's time to stop achieving for a while (God doesn't need them anyway) and focus on what's most important, your relationship with Him.

Maybe you would like to say a little prayer with me:

Dear Lord,

Thank you for sending your Son on the cross to die for my sins. I know that all the works I do for You are incomparable to what Jesus has done for me. There is indeed nothing I can do to make you love me any more or any less. Thank You very much for loving me.

May you forgive me dear Lord if sometimes I delight more in the successes of my works than I take delight in You. I welcome you to my heart. Please reign in every part of me. Fill in all the cracks and crevices of my heart. May you become my only joy, only peace and only strength.

In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen

Take this vitamins before you go. May this blessing refresh you in your walk with Him. :)

An Irish Blessing

May the blessing of light be upon you
Light on the outside, light on the inside
With God's sunlight shining on you

May your heart glow with warmth like a turf fire
That welcomes friends and strangers alike

May the light of the Lord shine from your eyes
Like a candle in the window
Welcoming the weary traveler

May the blessing of God's soft rain be on you
Falling gently on your head
Refreshing your soul with
The sweetness of little flowers newly blooming

May the strength of the winds of heaven bless you
Carrying the rain to wash your spirit clean
Sparkling after in the sunlight

May the blessing of God's earth be on you
And as you walk the road
May you always have a kind word to those you meet

May you understand the strength and power of God
In a thunder storm and winter
And a quiet beauty of creation
In the calm of a summer sunset

And may you come to realize
That insignificant as you may seem
In this great universe
You are an important part of God's plan

May He watch over you and keep you safe from harm