Prescription for Life

The experts say…

·       Exercise for at least 2 ½ hours every week (moderate aerobic exercise) plus strength exercise at least twice a week.

·       Drink 8 glasses of water a day.

·       Drink 3 cups of milk a day.

·       Prepare and eat family dinner together most nights of the week – no TV!

·       Get 7-9 hours of sleep at night.

·       Spend an hour a day in prayer and scripture reading.

·       Call your mother.

·       Keep your home (& laundry) clean.

·       Not to mention your regular job if all of this is not your actual 9 to 5 work.

Of course we could go on and on adding to this list the must-do’s of our daily lives.  Just thinking about this makes you think you need a 52 hour day to accomplish all you need to get done. As a mom, some days just feel like we’re in survival mode. At the end of the day if you’ve fed, clothed, cleaned and said ‘I love you’ to each family member it’s been a pretty good day. Somehow our time with the Lord gets lost in the list like it has above. We put it off thinking it will be quieter later, I’ll be more awake later, there will be less interruptions later. Then later never comes. The result? We are becoming spiritually anorexic. We are starving ourselves of the nourishment that comes from feasting on the living Word of God. We are settling for less than what God intended for us to be when we are in fellowship with Him and are growing in wisdom and faith. So where’s the balance? If I devote all my time to studying the Bible then I’m neglecting something else that’s important like exercise or home-keeping. God says, “Trust in the Lord will all of your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6).  Don’t you think God knows what you need to get done today? Trust me, He does. I believe that He just wants us to put Him first in every little thing that we do. God wants us to live “on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). So today, if you can’t remember the last time you read God’s word outside of church, take your first bite. If all you can do right now is a devotion magazine or book with a Bible verse at the top of the page, that’s okay. It’s a start, a baby bite. Read it, think about it, and memorize the verses if you can. Make it a priority to spend at least part of your day learning who God is. Soon you’ll be craving more of God’s word and you’ll be ready to go deeper into studying the scripture for yourself. I believe God will honor the time you give Him each day. Hebrews 11:6 says, “now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.”  Seek Him with all of your heart and not out of routine or duty and you will find the reward is abundant life that can only come from life in Christ.