Stop the Glorification of Busy

 I'm busy. How many times a week have you caught yourself saying that? How many times a day? Now a days when you ask some on how they've been, a good 80% of the time you get a "oh I'm good, just been busy". Now if you're like me with work, school, church and household responsibilities, its pretty easy to get caught up in the busy game. It's begun to get in the way of things and we begin to "prioritize" our time. In my own experience, if I'm too busy I would usually cut out the time I had set out to read the bible. I would convince myself that I was too tired to read tonight, and that God would understand. God is merciful and He does understand, but overall He knows the intentions of your heart. I mean, if you were too tired to read a few bible verses before bed, but you weren't too tired to browse Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or any other social media, or if you still had the energy to text someone for another 30 minutes, then He knows. The intentions of your heart reflect through your actions, and your actions speak louder than your words.

"God would surely have known it, for he knows the secrets of every heart." Psalm 44:21 NLT
"Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God." Luke 16:15 NLT

I know that we hear it ALL the time, but I'm gonna say it one more time, just for the record. We need to get our priorities straight and put God first. It's no joke that we do. If you really put everything in order and let Him have His rightful spot in your heart (number 1 ahem) then everything slowly but surely begins to fall into place. It's a promise in the word that if you seek first the Kingdom everything else follows.

"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." Matthew 6:33

So if I seek God first and His kingdom and live righteously, then He will give me EVERYTHING I need? YUP, even time management skills (I could really use those sometimes).

A lot of the time we use "being busy" as an excuse to be lazy. I'm not saying that God will get mad at you, He loves you beyond belief and He understands. But for the sake of that love He has for us, we should really take the time to honor Him by seeking Him. Instead of cutting out your prayer time or bible time, try cutting out the things that have no benefit to you. Or simply just do it no matter how tired or busy you may be. It pays off and God see's the effort you put in, and He loves that. It's about time we STOP the glorification of busy, and do ourselves a favor and give Him the rightful place in our lives and hearts.

Lots of Love, Michelle♥

Prayer - The World's Greastest Wireless Connection

On our last post we touched about overcoming fear and there were four steps to overcoming fear:
1)Prayer
2)Reading the word
3)Counsel
4)Worship

Well it's time to dig deeper into those individual aspects that make up our foundation for a great relationship with God. So let's get started with number 1: Prayer.
I think it's time that we start being honest with God. Growing up I had this image of God, an entity up in the clouds just ruling over people. In Sunday school I was taught to pray to God but not to communicate with Him. Let me tell you, those two things are completely different. I think many of us grow up with a notion that God has bigger problems out in the world than ours, so we don't express ourselves to Him and when we do,we start doing what the prodigal son did before coming home to his father. Rehearse his speech of forgiveness in hopes of being well received.

"I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father." Luke 15:18

How many times do you catch yourself formatting and scripting your prayers in your head and as soon as we get into "prayer mode" we start reciting this monotone rehearsed speech that God has already heard?! I think it's time that we start being honest in our prayer life, that we open up more, that we scream and cry. That we express and communicate our thoughts, our loneliness, fears, happiness and sadness to the Holy Spirit WITHOUT rehearsing them before hand because you know what? He already knows what's in your heart and on your mind. I also want to add that it doesn't matter where you are when you communicate with your Creator! Religion has made talking to your Father such a tradition that if we are not kneeling or in a church most feel like they aren't really praying. That makes prayer seem like a chore and to me, it's almost like having a specific place where I can talk to my parents, imagine that you are only allowed to talk to your parents in the kitchen and nowhere else! How crazy does that sound?! And we actually do this with our Heavenly Father! As if He is not everywhere! He is omniscient; all-knowing, all-wise, all-seeing, he is everywhere. It's time to be honest with God anywhere and everywhere! It's time to start communicating with Him at work, at school, in the car, even on the bus. It's time to close your eyes in the middle of a chaotic world and say "HELP" and it is essential to start understanding that prayer is not just holding your hands in front of your face and saying something out of Psalms. It is saying exactly what you feel, it is raw emotion, it is freedom. Jesus cried out to the Father: 

"And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” )." -Mark 15:34

Do you see that? He CRIED out, he had no shame to cry out to His father even when he knew that the story of his resurrection was greater and better than his death. But in the moment He felt alone and afraid and He made sure the Father knew, because He knew that the Father would deliver him from all fear and death. So why do we try to bottle up our feelings? Scream them out, ask for Him to show up when you don't feel Him! And when you actually start a real conversation with your God that's when He will say "Finally, it took you long enough to be honest with me, now let's get to work" and your redemption story will be far more beautiful than your trials, and it all starts with a decision. A decision to be open and honest with your prayers.

Peace and Grace - Diana