Guest Contributor: Joann Moore: Get Back Up and Press On

 
It was one of those mornings. I got up, got dressed, but the morning somehow got away from me. I remember looking at the clock when I finally sat down to write and spend some time with Jesus and it was almost eleven o’clock. My heart sank. The day was moving fast and I couldn’t help but think of all the things that I needed to still get done that day. As I sat in front of my computer, I felt defeated and said these words out loud, 

 “Lord, I have so much to do.”

And then it happened. I literally felt this big “ugh” in my spirit and in my heart, like having all the air sucked out of me. Unfortunately, I got up and started to go about my business, doing those things that I thought were important. 

Not till several days later did I realize that the “big ugh” was not only my spirit grieving, but I grieved the Lord as well. In others words, I basically told God that I didn’t have time for Him, because I was too busy. Too busy doing “things”. Things that in the big scheme of life and my spiritual walk with the Lord, were ultimately unimportant. When we get to heaven, God isn’t going to ask us if on that day we took the trash out or cleaned the kitchen, but He will ask us if we did what He asked. Did we seek Him with all our heart, all our souls and all our minds? “Did you spend time with me today like I desired for you or did you think getting those things crossed off your to-do list was more important? Couldn’t you have spent ten minutes seeking My face that day and let the dishes wait“? 

See up until that day, I had been carving out time in my day for Him. I made it a priority to sit down for ten minutes, half an hour, or longer to spend time with Him. To pray, write and to listen and then be obedient to what He told me to do. I had started this after the first of this year, because I had realized that my busyness had taken over all aspects of my life and I had pushed Him to the back burner, like I had many other things. I was re-prioritizing. And I knew that I desperately needed Him back in the forefront of my life. But I grieved Him that day and I grieved my spirit as well. I had put more value in my time doing things, than in my relationship with Him. 

I had a conversation with a friend the other day about this very same thing. She told me she needed to do some soul searching and really needed to get her relationship with the Lord back on track. “I've been talking to God today to see how to start again. I keep trying to start that relationship with Him, but I keep failing,” she told me. She needed to start her relationship with God again, because she had put Him on the back burner as I did. He wasn’t a priority in her life. She had allowed things, time and being busy to get in the way of her relationship with Him. She got distracted, thinking other things were more important. We all have done this at one time or other. In Romans 3:23, Paul tells us that we 

“...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

We are not perfect. We are sinners, saved by grace. At times we put other things first before we do God. Even Paul struggled with doing the right thing. He tells us in Romans 7:15, 

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”  

We say to God some days that our to-do list, our time, this and that, our busyness, is more important than spending time with Him. We may not say that out loud or even want to admit it, but we do. We make time for everything else, but no time for God.

But thank goodness for God’s grace and forgiveness! Thankfully the Lord isn’t so cruel as to say, “Hey you messed up, you haven’t been spending time with Me. I’m done with you. And forget about starting over, because you have failed once again.” No, thank goodness! We all fall short, but we get back up and keep pursuing Him. The key is getting back up, knowing you were wrong, ask for forgiveness for not

putting Him first and start to move forward again. Please don’t skip the part about asking God for forgiveness, because if we don’t ask for forgiveness, we can’t move forward. We need to uncomplicate our lives and realize that He is more important than any “thing” in this world. Is spending time with Him really less important than what you think you need to accomplish today? 

Carve out time in your day. Make the time to spend with Him. Some days we’ll have bad days and get off track. Sometimes those days may turn in to several days or longer, but get back up, “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” {Philippians 3:13}. We have the choice to put Him first in our life and make Him our priority. When we fail, which we will, get back up and press on. James reminds us, that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us {James 4:8}. He will always be faithful in that. Will you be faithful to do your part and draw near to Him? Are you willing to set aside some time and make Him your priority? It’s really just that simple. 

Get back up my friend, and press on. Keep pursuing Him! 

- Joann 

Thanks for sharing your heart today, Joann!  

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,