Back to basics for spiritual success

At the end of a long day, I sometimes find myself curling up for the evening with a good book and a cup of tea. I want to forget the concerns of my day, losing myself in the stories of people who live only in my imagination.  

But come Sunday morning, as I sit in church, I sense something has been missing in my life. Then, I realize I have neglected my once-solid relationship with God in favour, once again, of accomplishing daily tasks or escaping looming deadlines with fruitless entertainment.

The need for careful attention

When I decided to follow Christ, I had no idea that such a vibrant and newfound faith could so easily fall by the wayside without careful attention. As I got comfortable with God, He somehow became overshadowed by the flurry of daily routines and took a backseat to quarter-life milestones like wedding plans, renovations, home buying and job training.

After all He has done for me, why is it so easy to put off spending time with Him in prayer and pouring over His Word? I would never simply begin to ignore my husband because of laziness or indifference . . . our relationship means too much to me! I couldn’t handle living in an uptight and silent relationship; a successful marriage cannot grow that way.

Accepting grace

However, when I accepted Christ’s salvation, I asked Jesus to "live in my heart," didn’t I? Such a living arrangement will similarly become stagnant if it is always one-sided. But the mercy of having Christ in my heart is that even when I fail Him, He promises He will never leave me or forsake me (Joshua 1:5). He chooses to live in me, giving me another chance, time and again, to right my wrongs, ask for forgiveness and lean on Him as my sole Source of life.

Tonight, I’m going to curl up with some tea and my Bible. I intend to give God the concerns of my day through prayer and learn from the dreams and experiences of real people who, hundreds of years ago, served the same God who lives in my heart. That is my formula for spiritual success.