Journal Entry ~ 06/12/19

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. - Hebrews 10:23-25

The world is great at coming up with reasons not to attend church or small group, and our hearts are prone to follow...because it's just easier some days to find excuses rather than working up the energy to go. It takes a steadfast commitment to continue to place God first when the world is dragging us away.  I know...I've been caught in the trap. There are so many "good" excuses not to go:  I don't feel well, my son has a thing, I have family coming over, it's been a hard week, I'm exhausted, my husband won't be coming, so I don't want to go, my work schedule, my church is a mess and I’m hurting. The list goes on. 

I'm guilty of using each of those excuses, and so many more. The problem is that we convince ourselves that we're okay if we miss out. There were times I would even rationalize that if God really wanted me to attend, then He wouldn't have presented me with this "problem", or He would clear my schedule so I could go. It's all the function of the delusional self-righteousness of sin. We think whatever we have going on is more important that what God's got going on. 

God wants us to choose Him over whatever the pressing issue is that's causing us to miss. There will always be other things going on in our lives, God wants us to CHOOSE Him every time. So, while in our heads we're thinking we're not all that bad by missing this once...we're breaking the very first commandment. You shall have no other God's before me. He didn't mince words when He laid out the first commandment. Nothing comes before him - not one of my lousy excuses. 

It was easy for me to see my idols once I was convicted - just look at my list of reasons not to attend church or small group. That was a hard lesson for me to learn. How could I continually bring God a list of my requests and expect Him to respond, but fail to place Him first in every situation. How selfish was that?  

God knows our heart, He knows our tendency to wander and make our own list of priorities over Him...and so He filled scripture with reminders just like this one. The most beautiful part of our God is that once I was convicted and changed my attitude, once I choose to place Him first and foremost above everything else, His loving grace rushed in and His peace overwhelmed. We love an awesome God, my friends. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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