Not Walking in the Light?

Perhaps you are a believer, yet you are not walking in His ways. Or perhaps your faith just seems stagnant and you don’t know if there is a God or if you want to devote your life to Him. Or perhaps you are a new believer and don’t know what to do next. Many Christians do not even know how to love God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength—and this is the greatest commandment! We cannot walk with God if we do not love Him. Let’s get to the core of relationship—love. I want to challenge you in five ways…only five! Stick with me here…

The Challenge: Love God

The Duration: 14 days—14 consecutive days! ~30 minutes/day + intentional refocusing throughout the day

The Challenge Applied:

1. Love God with your heart:

Spend the first evening going through the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20) and confessing your sin to God, asking Him to forgive you. Then move on because He has forgiven you. When you get to idolatry, ask God to show you one thing which you have made an idol (anything you love more than God)…and then spend the next 13 days without that idol. If this is the TV, don’t watch it. If it is alcohol, don’t drink it. You can’t love God with all your heart if you have given part of your heart to something or someone else. Don’t know what an idol is? Watch the video:

2. Love God with your mind:

Read the Bible for at least 5 minutes everyday IF God reminds you (if He doesn’t remind you by causing you to think about it, then you are off the hook, friends!)

Also, meditate on a different verse every day, thinking intentionally and prayerfully about it throughout the day and repeating the verse out loud. You can choose to go through the Beatitudes (Matthew 5), the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5) or even the 10 commandments (Exodus 20). Below are some key parts to Biblical meditation:

– VISUALIZE yourself acting righteously. So if you are meditating on the Fruits of the Spirit, then picture yourself loving that person who irritates you. Picture what you would do and say in Biblical love when you see that person tomorrow. Or picture yourself being patient and blessing the slow car that will be in front of you in the fast lane tomorrow on the freeway. When you picture yourself being holy as God has commanded, you are more likely to be holy. The power of the mind to control and predetermine our circumstances is strong and this can be a powerful tool in Biblical meditation as we picture ourselves living out scripture.

–PERSONALIZE the scriptures by replacing generic terms with your name, sin, circumstance, etc. Example: I would personalize Romans 6: 1-4 like this and repeat it throughout the day: “What shall (Brandee) say then? Shall (Brandee) continue in (envy) that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall (Brandee) who died to (envy) live any longer in it? Or do you know that as (Brandee) was baptized into Christ Jesus (she) was baptized into His death? Therefore (Brandee) was buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so (Brandee) also should walk in newness of life.” This is a great exercise to do throughout scripture and it will transform you as you meditate on it throughout the entire day. The scriptures come alive as you place yourself in scripture and personalize it to your struggles, accomplishments, etc.

3. Love God with your soul:

Spend 10 minutes everyday praising God and giving Him thanks…without asking for a single thing. Force yourself to focus on Him and praise Him for who He is, what He has done in your life, etc. David told his soul—“Praise the Lord, O my soul” (Psalm 146:1) and then he did it.

4. Love God with your strength:

Do all of these things WHOLEHEARTEDLY…for 14 CONSECUTIVE days…and take it seriously. It is only two weeks…

5. Love others as HE has loved you:

Purpose in your heart not to curse others. Picture the cross between you and the person who you do not love and thank God that He loves them. Ask God to enable you to love them, and begin loving them and praying good for them. Then watch as God transforms your heart. The Cross is a great equalizer!

Be blessed, dear friend!! I know God will meet you as you seek Him and will relight that flame!