What was the first task you accomplished this morning? Did you roll out of bed and start working, taking care of chores, getting ready for the day? Or did you spend time with the one who loves you more than anybody else in the world?
This morning I woke up tired from a busy weekend. But I soldiered on to spend time with our good Lord, the hour or two I like to set aside before doing anything else. I try not to skip time with Him because otherwise my days turn out less than adequate.
While the weekend was filled with family cheer and church, the kind that most people envy, my mind kept going back to something someone said. I was insulted with statements that bruised my ego and undermined my work. This morning, I brought it up to our good Lord and I was reminded what true insult is. The best way to illustrate this is the painting by Matthias GRÜNEWALD, called “The Crucifixion”. While this image deserves a sermon series by my Pastor. In this case, God used the image to remind me what true insult means and how one should receive it in order to be aligned with His will.
Mind you, I did not feel that God dismissed my plea. Instead, the image underscored the exacerbation of a trivial issue. I felt insulted and was subconsciously holding un-forgiveness towards someone. Spending time and precious thought cycles on how I can feel better by proving them wrong. Most importantly, I was not seeking guidance and hence missing a valuable lesson.
I was expected to forgive, a clear Christina directive. Behave with grace and mercy, ask God to help me navigate the situation and do what He expects me to do. On my own, I would have searched for zingers and found a way to take my pound of flesh. I am so thankful that I sought the omniscient. I would have continued in my unChristian fashion, had I not paused for my time with Jesus. He would have had to clean up a bigger mess later.
My conclusion for today is this. No matter how tired or sleepy you are, make time for your morning “Holy Hour”, “Time with Jesus”, “Daily Devotional”. No matter what you call it, make time to spend it with Jesus. Praise Him, pray, confess, learn about Him and His wonderful ways. Your day will take a godly turn and this I can assure you with the highest degree of confidence.
Dear God,
You made time for me this morning, You, You who runs this world and keeps the planets in their orbits. Your words, advice and actions are precious. I came to you with an impure heart and with loving kindness You corrected me. Grant me the ability to show the grace & mercy You bestow upon me continuously. All glory be Yours. Amen.