Do you remember when you felt God first working on your heart, convicting and letting you know how much He loves you? Maybe it was at church camp, VBS, CIY, De Colores, an Emmaeus walk, a random Sunday morning, or a walk you took in the woods. And you responded by surrendering your life to Him and becoming a Christian.
The first days and weeks of our new faith walk are exciting. We are on fire! Which is ironic because our life with Jesus saves us from the fire (insert smiley face emoji here). We can’t wait to share our testimony about our new relationship with Jesus.
And then something happens. Life hits us, and we get settled back into our old routine. We either wonder what happened or forget about what happened. How do we keep that feeling of excitement, peace, and joy in our lives for the long haul?
You probably won’t be surprised by my answer, but I hope you will be challenged to adopt it. Let me give you five things you can do to keep the excitement. First, read ONE chapter of Proverbs every day. Psalm 119:11 says, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” God’s wisdom book encourages us, challenges us, and affirms the decisions we make. Second, decide on ONE time you are stopping each day to pray to God and talk to Him. James 5:16 says the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective.
Third, find ONE friend you can text and call with to encourage with Scripture and prayer. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Fourth, plug in to ONE small group (Life Group, Thursday night Bible studies here at church, Faith Training, Basecamp, or Titus 2). Acts 2:42-47 gives us a description of the first church and how they lived life together.
And lastly, find ONE place to serve. 1 Corinthians 12 describes for us how the body (the church) is made up of many members who have different gifts to edify the church. It might be with our 2:14 projects or a volunteer role here at church. Focusing on these things and allowing God to speak to you in these moments will be monumental in keeping the excitement alive.
No surprise in my answers, right? Yet, how many of us have a solid plan to improve in all five areas? Let’s grow to be like Jesus and observe how He keeps the fire in our heart burning.