BY MICHELLE WILLIAMS, VOLUNTEER EXTRAORDINAIRE
Fruitfulness is the second ingredient of the Good Life. Pursuing God is the key to living a fruitful life.
We know we need to study the word of God and spend time in communion with God—yet we often treat these disciplines much the same way we treat dental hygiene. Pursuing God becomes a chore that we put off or promise to start tomorrow.
In the second sermon in the series A Taste of the Good Life, Barry Rod explained that it has become the norm to neglect our spiritual growth. But he challenged us to imagine that pursuing God could be much more than a chore.
The reason we study the scriptures and spend time in prayer is to learn about God’s character and desires. It’s about getting to know Him and building a foundation for our lives in Him. When we live for His purpose, our lives are transformed: fears melt away, relationships heal, and we become patient, kind, and generous. We become fruitful.
If pursuing God feels like an obligation, it’s time for a shift in perspective. Aligning our lives with God’s purpose should be something that sets our passion for God on fire. The way we study God’s Word and build a relationship with Him should bring us delight and fit in with the way we live our lives. There is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach to pursuing God—it’s not meant to be a prescribed set of rituals. Pursuing God is a posture—and one that we can choose for ourselves.
Learning from the Bible can be accomplished in more ways than simply opening and reading it. In today’s world, we have so many options for learning from the scriptures. There are audiobooks, podcasts, and social media groups dedicated to spreading the Word. We can study music or art alongside with the scriptures, or we can engage in discussion among friends. We are free to go where our desires lead.
Spending time with God doesn’t have to be at the crack of dawn, and there are so many ways to delight in it. If praying in silence feels awkward (or, like Barry, if you are constantly pestered by a “troop of brain monkeys”), singing or speaking aloud are also options. Writing is another—think journaling or blogging. Many people find that their minds are clear when they work with their hands in the garden or washing dishes, and that’s the time they choose to spend with God.
Pursue God in ways that give you life and delight you, and you will live a fruitful life.
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. —Psalms 1:1-3
Tell us in the comments the ways in which you pursue God, or the ideas that you want to try out!
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