I played volleyball in high school.
No, that's not my confession - most of you probably already knew that. You also probably know that when it comes to sports, there are certain "fundamentals" that one must learn. Before you can run plays on the court, win championships or make it to the olympics, you have to have the basics down.
Bump. Set. Spike.
Okay, that shows my age a little because now days it's Pass. Set. Attack. Or maybe Dig. Set. Kill? Who knows anymore?
The point is this: those three actions are the fundamentals of the game and you won't get anywhere if you haven't mastered them.
In the Christian walk there are also fundamentals. As someone who was raised in church and has a relationship with Jesus Christ, I am well aware that two of the "basic moves" of the Christian walk are time spent in prayer and time spent in God's Word.
So here's my confession...I've never really mastered those fundamentals.
Sure, I've had seasons that were better than others, but if the Christian life were a volleyball game, I should've been benched for the majority of it.
I have good news though. My game is starting to improve.
Over the last few months, I've felt a tug on my heart. I know that God is working in and around me and I've been overwhelmed with excitement at what He's doing. I have no doubt that part of His work has been drawing me to Him. For what purpose exactly I can't say, but I feel certain of it.
That being said, I've discovered something amazing. Something I should have discovered 20 years ago when I became a Christian.
When I actually spend time in prayer and reading God's love letter to me, I'm a different person.
I was struck by this thought a couple of days ago. I realized that I'm changing. I'm different.
A different teacher.
A different friend.
Different when handling temptation.
Notice I didn't say perfect, or even good - just different. Slightly better. What could possibly have made this kind of impact on my life?
That's when it hit me. My "quiet time" (as we say in Christianese) has been steady for the first time in ages. I have no doubt that the improvement in this fundamental area is what has led to the improvement in my walk.
It feels so good to finally be off the bench and join my teammates in the work God is doing for His kingdom. My prayer is that other "bench-warmers" will get back in the game as well by working on their fundamentals. If you've been sidelined for too long, I urge you to make a comeback through prayer and studying God's Word. It's time to rediscover Him and claim the victory.
Rediscover You (By Starfield)
I need to just admit my faith is paper thinI'm feeling so burned out on religionI say an empty prayer, I sing a tired songI need to just admit that the passion's goneAnd I wanna get it back
I wanna learn to pray the way that David prayedI want my soul to burn when I hear Your nameI wanna feel like new, I wanna hunger for YouBring me back to life like only You can do'Cause I don't wanna stay the same
You told me, look for You and I will findSo I'm here like I'm searching for the first timeRevive me, Jesus, make this cold heart start to moveHelp me rediscover You
Lord, I wanna be Yours todayI wanna know the passion of the saintsAnd how they were changed
You told me, look for You and I will findSo I'm here like I'm searching for the first timeRevive me, Jesus, make this cold heart start to moveI wanna burn for You, bring me back to lifeJesus, help me rediscover You
No, that's not my confession - most of you probably already knew that. You also probably know that when it comes to sports, there are certain "fundamentals" that one must learn. Before you can run plays on the court, win championships or make it to the olympics, you have to have the basics down.
Bump. Set. Spike.
Okay, that shows my age a little because now days it's Pass. Set. Attack. Or maybe Dig. Set. Kill? Who knows anymore?
The point is this: those three actions are the fundamentals of the game and you won't get anywhere if you haven't mastered them.
In the Christian walk there are also fundamentals. As someone who was raised in church and has a relationship with Jesus Christ, I am well aware that two of the "basic moves" of the Christian walk are time spent in prayer and time spent in God's Word.
So here's my confession...I've never really mastered those fundamentals.
Sure, I've had seasons that were better than others, but if the Christian life were a volleyball game, I should've been benched for the majority of it.
I have good news though. My game is starting to improve.
Over the last few months, I've felt a tug on my heart. I know that God is working in and around me and I've been overwhelmed with excitement at what He's doing. I have no doubt that part of His work has been drawing me to Him. For what purpose exactly I can't say, but I feel certain of it.
That being said, I've discovered something amazing. Something I should have discovered 20 years ago when I became a Christian.
When I actually spend time in prayer and reading God's love letter to me, I'm a different person.
I was struck by this thought a couple of days ago. I realized that I'm changing. I'm different.
A different teacher.
A different friend.
Different when handling temptation.
Notice I didn't say perfect, or even good - just different. Slightly better. What could possibly have made this kind of impact on my life?
That's when it hit me. My "quiet time" (as we say in Christianese) has been steady for the first time in ages. I have no doubt that the improvement in this fundamental area is what has led to the improvement in my walk.
It feels so good to finally be off the bench and join my teammates in the work God is doing for His kingdom. My prayer is that other "bench-warmers" will get back in the game as well by working on their fundamentals. If you've been sidelined for too long, I urge you to make a comeback through prayer and studying God's Word. It's time to rediscover Him and claim the victory.
Rediscover You (By Starfield)
I need to just admit my faith is paper thinI'm feeling so burned out on religionI say an empty prayer, I sing a tired songI need to just admit that the passion's goneAnd I wanna get it back
I wanna learn to pray the way that David prayedI want my soul to burn when I hear Your nameI wanna feel like new, I wanna hunger for YouBring me back to life like only You can do'Cause I don't wanna stay the same
You told me, look for You and I will findSo I'm here like I'm searching for the first timeRevive me, Jesus, make this cold heart start to moveHelp me rediscover You
Lord, I wanna be Yours todayI wanna know the passion of the saintsAnd how they were changed
You told me, look for You and I will findSo I'm here like I'm searching for the first timeRevive me, Jesus, make this cold heart start to moveI wanna burn for You, bring me back to lifeJesus, help me rediscover You
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