December 13

Put on the brakes, slow down, take a chill pill, relax, or in the words of my kids, “Chillax.”

However you want to say it, just let the message get through. It is too easy to let life rush by, and even more so during the holidays. Too often, the time between Thanksgiving and New Years Day flies by in a blur.

Let’s make a special effort this year to slow down for at least a part of each day, so that we can remember that God’s still God, and that His plan doesn’t get put on hold just because the holiday season is here.

Psalm 46:10 “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Even in the midst of the Christmas season, we need to take time to be still with God. We have to remember that His plan supersedes our plans. His plan gets priority. What if He wants to set someone free and He wants to use us to bring that about? Are we too busy? Are we listening to Him? Do we even notice who needs Jesus, or are we so busy with our Christmas plans that we put God on hold?

This year, take it one day at a time. See each day as its own day and ask God what role this day has in His plan. Ask Him what He wants from you today. He knows your plans. He knows what really needs to get done in your life and what can wait. Ask Him to help you prioritize -it’s perfectly fine to involve Him in the practical aspects of your day. He might have plans for your day that involve grocery shopping, or whatever else. Remember, we cross people’s paths for a reason and if we are tuned in to the Holy Spirit each day, we might be surprised to learn how involved He wants to be in the practical parts of our day. Don’t think that He calls us to go stand on the street corner preaching and reaching everyone that way. More often, He calls us to touch peoples’ lives for Him through our everyday interactions.

We need to make the most of our time and this means our everyday, practical lives. That’s where He wants the lost to see Him anyway, in their everyday lives, not just in a church on Sunday. He wants the world to know that He wants to be involved in our “everyday” life, not just in special days and times.

Ephesians 5:15-16 “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Colossians 4:5-6 “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. “