Hit the Ground Running week #1: Loving God

First, let's announce the WINNERS of last week's giveaway:

THE BOOK: EJ
THE SHIRT: Lynn

Congratulations, ladies!

I hope if you're reading this that you're already participating in my Summer Challenge, spending 15 minutes a day reading your Bible and praying. If not, you can still join in. Check out the Summer Challenge post HERE.

And now...WELCOME to my 4-week "Hit the Ground Running" Monday series.

I hope these Monday morning posts will help you get your week off on the right foot. For four weeks, we'll focus on these key areas:
1. our relationship with God
2. our relationship with our spouse
3. loving our kids
4. taking care of our bodies

WEEK ONE: Our Relationship with God

Most of us know {or have at least heard of} the three keys to a successful Christian life: 1) Love God 2) Love others and 3) Go and make disciples. Easy, right? I have found that in the “New Normal” world we live in, the demands on our time push us further from, not closer to, the One who loves us most. In an effort to move in the right direction, I’m actually going to let a guest "post" on my blog. It’s relevant to my life and I trust that this post by my friend Dennis Johnston will be encouraging for you.

Matthew 6:31-34 English Standard Version "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

So many times we get caught up in worry. It seems that the daily needs of life, work, family and health all combine to make us anxious about tomorrow. Throw in a little crisis – finances, job problems, car repairs, and illness – and the stress level rises until we can’t sleep, we can’t think straight and ultimately, we aren’t able to function. That’s what happens when we are overwhelmed with our own needs.

Amazingly, Jesus speaks to this very issue in this passage from the Gospel of Matthew. What He tells us is that God knows what we need, even before we ask, and this loving Heavenly Father of ours will make sure we have what we need. So, what’s our problem then? If God is caring for us in the practical needs of our lives, why are we so consumed with the issues of daily life?

Good question – and the answer is somewhat simple: our priorities are all out of whack. We seek to have 'stuff' so that our basic needs will be met, when our real focus should be to seek the Provider. When we focus on acquiring material things and stress over our daily needs, we are trying to be our own provider – we aren’t truly trusting God. We are relying on ourselves and what we can do – through our own efforts, schemes and plans, we aren’t relying on God. Yes, we have to work and use what finances and opportunities God gives us wisely, but seeking God who is our Provider keeps things in the right perspective, acknowledging Him as the source of all that we need (Deuteronomy 8:17-18 ESV).

Placing Him first in all things demonstrates our love for Him and allows us to receive all that our loving Father desires to provide for us. In seeking first Him and His Kingdom, we build our lives on trusting Him – which can reduce the anxiety and stress of our everyday life.

YOUR CHALLENGE THIS WEEK:

Ask yourself this question – "What do I rely on in my life more than God?"

Pray this prayer – My Father in heaven, I know You are the One who provides all that I need in life. Help me to trust You to care for me and my family – give me the peaces and assurance of Your Holy Spirit. Show me how to place You and Your kingdom first in my life, aligning my priorities with Your heart. May it be so, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

(This is a guest post by Dennis Johnston. He has a heart to identify, equip, and release healthy leaders).

This week's #1 GIVEAWAY is a $25 Starbucks gift card that I hope you'll use to get away from the rush of life, enjoy a beverage and reflect on how you can make (or keep) God first in your life. Maybe you can even take a friend along, too.

The #2 GIVEAWAY is the book Know Your Bible by Paul Kent, guaranteed to help you ready, study and understand the Bible.

To ENTER, simply
* continue (or start) your 15-minute quiet time with the Lord every day.

* COMMENT on this post answering the question, "What types of things worry you the most in your life right now?" I hope to address some of them in future posts. You can sign in or comment anonymously--just leave your name, please.

The winners will be chosen by the random number generator (one entry per person) at 11pm Arizona time on Sunday, June 26th. Take care to leave an e-mail address so we can contact you if you win!

Feel free to e-mail me with questions at rccalderwood@aol.com