Building Blocks

Scripture:
"Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them." Mark 9:2

Observation:
Following the lives of the disciples is an incredible journey for me. Jesus literally scraped the bottom of the barrel with His ministry and surrounded Himself with a team of very unlikely men and women. Everyday these people walked after Jesus they experienced something new. Each moment offered them the opportunity to walk deeper or to step away.

Application:
I settle for too little of God. I need to more of Him than I am getting. So how do I do that? What needs to shift in my life in order for my image of God to be transfigured before me?

I think that it starts with the basic building block of staying connected with God. I am good at getting up early and carving out my quiet time. I study the Word, write my journal, pray and then roll with my day. There is a transition that happens around six o'clock every morning when I put down my Bible and begin getting my family up and going for the day. It almost feels like I leave God sitting in the club chair where I pray and head out without Him. For some reason, it is hard to keep connected with Him as I wrestle against the clock and attempt to accomplish all that is on my plate for the day. My life needs to shift in this area.

I think the next block I need to evaluate is the time I spend with Him. Many days, the only alone time I have with God is the time I spend from 5 - 6 in the morning. Just how much of God do I think I can get in an hour? This needs to change on a couple levels. First, I just need to be intentional throughout the day to pause and pray. My days are crazy. The demands created by a staff of more than 50 and the couple thousand volunteers I oversee creates more than I can reasonably complete. The success I have depends totally upon my ability to lead in obedience to God. I can't bet my success on an hour alone with God. Second, I need to carve out some intentional times to be alone with God. Throughout Jesus' ministry I see Him modeling the importance of getting away to lonely places which are free of distractions and just connecting with God.

I think that the last block I need to evaluate is my mission. Jesus was totally surrendered to God's mission for his life. Jesus' disciples surrendered to the best of their ability to the same mission. The question for me becomes whose mission am I serving? I have a tendency to ask God to be a part of my mission and not really seek after His. I want God to come along side of me and help me succeed with my plans. The call I sense in my spirit this morning is to really fast and pray for clarity around the direction God has for my life and get in alignment with it.

Every moment of everyday represents an opportunity to do something with God. He is constantly at work and I have an open invitation to join him. Surrender for me is moment by moment. It only takes a few decisions and I can find myself making choices I regret.

Prayer:
There is not a single thing listed in this journal that I am capable of doing. I have tried to address these basic three things for years. Help me today to stay connected with You. In a few moments I will put down my Bible, shut down my laptop and start my day. I don't want to leave You behind in that process. I ask that You walk before me. Open my eyes to view my life differently. I ask that You be real enough to me today that I can literally see Your path before me and follow along; staying in constant contact with You and pursuing only Your mission for my day.