Getting Ready

 December 26, 2023

Jesus told his followers to “seek first the kingdom of God.” It’s an admirable sentiment and goal, but over the years, I’ve learned that it’s much easier to talk about doing so than actually doing so. It’s the word “first” that gets me. At morning light, I’m not usually thinking about Jesus first. I’m wishing for that extra few winks, wishing old Emma the dog hadn’t woke me up at 4:00 because she needed to go outside. I’ve been struggling against the temptation to check my emails or responses to what I’ve written for FB. I’m so easily distracted by almost anything that I can’t claim to be seeking God first. Maybe second or third, but not first.

Lately, I’ve been challenged by Scripture. That happens frequently, but this has been different. A few years ago, God challenged me to give thanks in every situation. Actually, he commanded it in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. It was a big step for this naturally melancholic person, and doing so literally changed my life. More recently, it was 1 Kings 17:1 where it tells us Elijah identified himself as one who “stands before the Lord.” This was echoed by Jesus’ words in John 15:3 where he commands us to “abide in Me.” All of these Bible verses God used to challenge what I had come to accept as ordinary Christian living. What these texts showed me was that I was living a substandard life. 

I got to work, and most recently, it was Ezra’s commitment to “prepare his heart to seek [God]” that cut through my defenses. Oh yes, I have plenty of defenses against the onslaught of God’s Word. I can generate excuses along with the best of them, but God doesn’t let me get away with it for long. 

Remember what I said in the first paragraph? If anything other than God occupies my mind first thing in the morning, how can I say I am seeking him first? I couldn’t. So I’ve been working on that, offering a prayer even before I open my eyes, or when I wake up in the middle of the night, as men my age often do. 

Our house is mostly back to normal, but for weeks leading up to yesterday, Linda has been constantly occupied with preparing for Christmas, baking, decorating, gathering the ingredients for the various offerings that weighed down the dining room table yesterday. Preparation was seldom, if ever, out of her mind. That’s what I want in my walk with Jesus. It’s called preparing the heart, making sure I am ready for him at all times, because he could come at any time. I’m not there yet, but each day, I’m getting closer. That’s the way it should be, the way it will be, by the grace of our Lord Jesus.