One of the critical pieces missing from many people's Christianity, I believe, is the absence of the truth that Christianity is about "relationship" with God through Jesus. Yes, we participate in religious activities. Yet, even in participating in religious activities on a regular basis, it is possible to go through the motions of religious activity w/o any awareness of a daily, on-going relationship with God. Many Christians even think that the "essence" of being a Christians is what they "do" on Sunday morning with very little thought given to the other six days of the week. Yet, God wants to have a daily relationship with us through Jesus.
Religious activity without relationship leads to ruin.
Duty without delight leads to drudgery. (Donald Whitney)
We often call this truth "walking with God". It is possible for every Christian to walk with God daily. Because of the Holy Spirit living inside of us, every Christian has the capacity to "walk with God" in a personal relationship through Jesus. We have the capacity to hear, obey, and please God.
I believe that one of the benefits of Henry Blackaby's study "Experiencing God" is that it helps show us ordinary people that we can have this kind of relationship and "walk with God" and we can make a difference for his kingdom as we obey him on a daily basis. Just as the disciples walked with Jesus physically on this earth, you and I can walk with God through Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
Let 2014 be the year we re-prioritize our relationship with the Lord as we build into our lives godly habits of prayer, bible reading, and regular gathering with other believers. Let 2014 be the year we give our spiritual lives the attention it deserves.
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