40 Days of Spiritual RebootSample

What a wonderful season of 40 days it has been, working through these different areas of our lives with you. No one has been blessed more than I have as I’ve typed these words. Sometimes with tears and sometimes with strain as I realise with each passing day how far I am from the holy estate that God would have me be. But we press on toward the goal of the high calling of God. Straining forward to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of us… that we may know Christ in His death AND in His resurrection. And be found in him with a righteousness not of our own but of him who loved us and gave himself for us. He must increase and we must decrease.

Today as we close this theme and this season let's end with our heart, head and hands lifted to the name of Jesus in Worship. The fifth purpose we have been discussing from the great commandment and the great commission is ‘worship’. We exist to celebrate God’s presence. Scripture exhorts us to give glory to God in all that we do. The imperative is to ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength’.

Here‘s the issue. It wouldn’t have been a command if it came naturally to us. There are three reasons God commands it. Not suggests it. Not just asks for it. But commands it. Firstly, because in our broken fallen nature it does not come naturally to love God. For the flesh is at war against the spirit. The two just cannot agree. Secondly, obedience to the command brings about the character of God which will put to death the work of the flesh. Obedience kills carnality. And thirdly, intentionally giving glory to God maintains an accurate perspective of our own size and significance. We become bigger than we actually are, in our own eyes, if we don’t daily give worship to God.

OPEN YOUR BIBLE

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength’. There are four areas there where God must get first priority. Or in other words, four areas we need to keep monitoring for a possible rebellion of the will of God. Remember always, the flesh wants to rule. But it is not the rightful ruler. It's like the two-year-old child in the home that spins the family around its whims. But that doesn’t make it the head of the home.

"Love God with all your heart." The heart is the seat of your volition. Your will. God will never ever override your will. He will respect your freedom and defend it to his own hurt. It is a choice you make. God doesn’t bend your will but He does command your surrender. The greatest act of surrender is the wilful choice to let God rule you. Will I do that daily? How?

I report to God first thing in the morning, surrender my will, my agenda, my time and my affections to Him. I give him worship and recalibrate my perspective of God by magnifying him. You don’t have to minimise yourself. Just magnify him.

I resolve to not over-ride God’s ‘revealed’ will today.

"Love God with all your soul” - Your soul is your thoughts and emotions. Our thoughts are highly influenced by our emotions. In fact, if we feel it we believe it. Some people can’t even tell the difference. And God wants us to bring our emotions under submission to him. That means our feelings don’t get the better of us. They don’t lead us in contradiction to God’s revealed will. They don’t override our judgment.

Daily I resolve to run my emotions through the grid of God’s truth so it aligns with His will and his approval. My emotions and my thoughts are intertwined. If I think right, I will feel right. But I am not the judge of what thoughts are right. God’s word is. So I actively sift my emotions and think before feeling.

“Love God with all your mind” - This is our intellect. Our level of education, information and conditioning lead us to tweak and tune our perspective of God in direct proportion to our willingness to submit to him. We rewrite the deed and make amendments to the constitution as and when we feel God is impinging on our lives. We all do this. Let's just admit it. And we do it subconsciously because we are tuned, in the flesh, to play God.

Daily I resolve to renew my mind with the word of God lest my intellect render me ineffectual.

“Love God with all your strength” - This is a combination of mind and will and physical endurance. The more you’re committed to something, some achievement, some goal, some pursuit… the more you discipline all areas of your life so that nothing shackles you, binds you, slows you down or trips you. When all faculties are concentrated on achieving success…. you are applying all your strength. You're pushing your body, pushing aside your emotions and focusing your thoughts on ‘this one thing’. When that one thing is bringing about Christ’s character and purpose in my life… I am loving God with all my strength.

Daily I tune my heart, mind and soul to press forward toward this goal.

COME CLEAN

40 Days of Renewal is not an end but a beginning. It is the season you set aside for greater impact and fruitfulness. So as you arrive at the end of the forty days, offer yourself up to God as a sacrifice of worship. Determine today that YOU… don’t GIVE sacrifice to God. YOU… ARE… the Sacrifice! You are the worship!

IT'S YOU ON THE ALTAR.

I have enjoyed my time with you. May the Lord bless you. If this has been a blessing please pass it on to others. Join us online at www.onlinewithcovenant.life or http://bit.ly/CLCrimson_YouTube and let me know how I can serve you better.

The Peace of Christ be with you always.