It’s that time of year!
The stores are packed, the trees are tied down on top of the cars, Jamie has his lights illuminating half of Kalkaska, and Santa is coming to town. At church, we pull out the stops with music and decorations and kids’ programs. Personally, I turn into a different person. I want to shop and buy gifts. I start to get giddy with excitement as though I were in elementary school again.
The question, of course, is why don’t we go all out every day? Every day is a celebration of Jesus’ coming to earth and dying for our sins. Every day is a day to be filled with joy because God created you, made you unique, equipped you, and most importantly, saved you from your sins.
How can we resolve to go all out going forward? The days I feel best are when I read my Bible, pray without a time limit, challenge my body by moving around for half an hour or so, and help someone other than myself.
2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all Scripture is breathed out by God. What better way to go all out than to do so with the breath of God giving you strength? In 1 Samuel 2:1, Hannah starts her prayer, “My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.” If my heart exults in the Lord because of his salvation, how can we not be motivated?
Paul references exercises like running and fighting. He definitely wasn’t a guy who stood still for very long. And Jesus said in Matthew 25 that when we do something for the “least of these,” we’ve done it unto Him. And all throughout Scripture, there are commands from God to look after widows and orphans and those in need.
Four walls of strength to make it through each day. And four basic principles to help us go all out every day. Let God breathe life into you, talk to Him, move this body that is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and serve outside of yourself. There’s nothing to purchase. He already purchased you. There is no decorating necessary. He loves you how He made you. There is no stressing over what to buy people. He equipped you to help those He puts in your path. I think it simply comes down to going all out for the right reason. God created you, and Jesus died to save you. Let’s go all out every day.