By Jenn Gurel
Several times in my Christian life, I have felt at odds with my relationship with God, like there was something missing. I have resolved over and over to “do better”, to “get my act together” and to “dig deeper and listen”, but I still repeat the same cycle of fall in love-fall away. One morning, while reading my Bible, I was reminded of Eat, Pray, Love and decided to write how I could do all three: a reminder for when I feel like I’m slipping away. My prayer is that these three thoughts will help others in their walk.
Eat! “He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deut. 8:3). Who doesn’t like to eat!? I eat because I’m bored, angry, stressed, tired…breathing! One thing I have been learning though the Bible study “Made to Crave” by Lysa TerKeurst, that none of this stuff will ever FILL me the way I need to be filled! I need to feed on God’s word and promises instead of chips. I need to drink in His love for me, instead of coffee or Pepsi. The “manna” from God is way more filling than any of that other stuff. Today, I resolve to Eat all of God’s word!
Pray! “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil. 4:6). Another of my struggles is to trust God. I read a devotional last week that asked the question, “God, are you enough?” When I thought about it my answer was, “Yes, but…” It’s the BUT that trips me up. I can’t say “yes, you’re enough” and then add a “but”! That BUT means He really isn’t enough. I don’t think it’s an easy thing for anyone to stop at just YES. I always have a BUT to add. I always need something more than what He has at that moment. I long for the day I can just say…YES YOU ARE ENOUGH!!! No matter what else is going on in my crazy world!
Love! “He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’” (Luke 10:27). Love. It’s a four-letter word I take for granted. Sometimes, I find myself wondering, after I tell someone I love them, “How have I shown them?” Even when I tell my kids I love them, do they really know? Or do they hear the word and have no idea what it really means in relation to them. Love is an ACTION word. God showed His love by giving up His Son to death so that I might live. There is NO DOUBT in that action of how much I am loved by God! I don’t need to ask how He loves me after that display. Shouldn’t I be willing to do just as much for my kids? For my neighbour? At the very least, I should love everyone the way I want to be loved and show that with my actions.
I pray that you Eat all you can eat of God’s word, Pray until your knees ache (and then pray some more), and LOVE like your life depends on it!