Too often…weak, tired or disingenuous Christians lose their enthusiasm and zest for serving God. Their gladness turns melancholy as life becomes strained and troubled. When people leave the solidarity of their faith, it is possible for them to sink deep into a reclusive existence and slowly separate from God’s presence. Sadly, they are on the road to a stale, non-devotional existence.
They find it hard to discipline flesh to get up Sunday mornings and attend church or Sunday school. It becomes less desirable and less meaningful to do so. To be present at evening and midweek services develops into a thing of the past, because of undisciplined behavior. Teaching Sunday school classes or hosting home Bible study groups cease, while the excuse that there’s no time to prepare eases their conscience. One excuse leads to another, while non-involvement looms on the horizon. The thrill of worship and prayer meetings grow less exciting each time they begrudgingly attend.
Soon, if the reasons are not searched out and resolved for the lack of enthusiasm, these people will find themselves sitting in a corner, because of their own choices, and wonder why life is fleeting by with nothing to look forward to. They have just entered into the zone of ‘boredom living’, where daily routine stagnates, because of the slow moving existence they’ve chosen.
Faithfulness to God’s house, paying tithes, reading the Bible, prayer and ministering with the talents God blessed them with, turn into something less important than watching sports on television, playing golf, taking the recreational vehicle to a place to unwind or just relaxing with a good book.
What happened? Anything worth while must be cultivated and looked after with care. There must be a prayer life and Bible study to maintain optimum, spiritual awareness and strength. The more a person puts forth an effort to learn about God and His love, the greater the desire to spend time with Him emerges. This stimulates a need to enjoy the company of other Christians; attend church; and to share the goodness of God with others.
The blending together of worldly pleasures with Godly principles usually leads to a weak, anemic condition. There is nothing wrong with enjoying life, having hobbies and doing fun things, but to allow them to consume the majority of our time is where trouble begins; as does partaking in the wrong kind of fun. The Holy Spirit will keep us in line if we listen to Him.
Keeping things rightly prioritized is the key to a fulfilled, prosperous way of living. Serving God with gladness removes boredom and anemia from a person’s zest for excitement in their life. We need to serve God with all our mind, soul and body, while enjoying family, friends and yes, having fun.
As long as God is at the forefront in decision making, acts of loving kindness will be shown to others. Support of Godly programs, not only financially, but with personal time, will be given. When loving God with all that is within us becomes foremost, I believe the blending together of Godly principles and wholesome entertainment will not detract from spiritual growth, as long as we listen to the Holy Spirit. To disregard His voice means walking away from God. No person in their right mind wants to do this.
Written by,
Papa Boyd
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