Warming Our Hearts

I’m sitting here sipping a mug of coffee trying to get warm. We keep the house cool to save money. It does help with expenses, but right now I am typing with fingerless gloves to keep my hands warm. I will acclimate to it soon enough, but I’m just not ready for the cold. Summer wasn’t a typical one and I missed the sun and heat.

Sometimes, it feels like our relationship with God is cold, too, at least mine seems that way at times. I suspect it’s the case for others though they may not admit it. Just as there are periods of drought when we seek the Spirit’s presence with great intensity, there are times of chill. But the coldness is not the same as drought. It is a time in which we simply do not feel like being with God.

I hear a collective gasp right now. By that statement, I simply mean that the passion to be close to God wanes and we become cold. Many things can take precedence before God. It might be our job and over working for money. It might be time spent on the internet or zoning out in front of the TV. Perhaps sex or alcohol/drugs consume us to the point of obsession and cause us to forget about God. It might even be our church work. All of us could list more, I’m sure.

The fact is, when other things catch our attention too much, God will come in a distant second. We will not spend time in prayer or reading our bibles. Connections with others will be curtailed. We go through the motions, but the passion is lacking. I must honestly confess there were definite times when my desires were focused elsewhere, and when that happened, I grew cold toward God. I really didn’t mean it to happen, but it quietly escalated little by little and soon, whatever I was concentrating on became my complete center of attention.

I am not suggesting that we become hermits and cloister ourselves away from the world and all that it offers. But we should stop now and then to do some soul searching to see where our priorities lie. And just in case our vision is clouded and our hearts already cold, the Spirit illuminates and shows us the truth. Then grace kicks in and we are gently prodded toward seeking God again with all our hearts, to have the fire stoked again.

I cannot speak for anyone else, but it’s about time for me to do some self assessment, a spiritual checkup. I hope to see that all is well, but if through the intervention of the Spirit I find I need to make some changes, I pray that the grace of God will enable me to do just that. I want a clean bill of spiritual health.