The Most Important Part of Your Job!

The most important item on your job description may not actually be ON your job description.

I have said for years that it’s absolutely essential that every leader regularly hears from God.

“Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go. He’s the one who will keep you on track.” ~ Proverbs 3:6 The Message.

“The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out.” ~ John 10:10 ESV

Recently I saw this on twitter by John Piper:

“The test of authentic morning devotions is: Do you feel good that you had them or that you heard Him?”

I was taught early on in my Christian walk that it would be a good idea for me to spend time with the Lord each morning before I dove into my day. With His help I have done this ever since. Having said that, I confess that it’s still easy for me to slip into having my “Devotions” out of habit, obligation or duty. In other words to have them and then check it off my list of things I should or must do that day. I’m a person of routines, habits and proven pathways. It would be a mistake of gargantuan proportions to approach Jesus with this kind of mindset. It flies in the face of everything I’ve understood about my intimate relationship with Him, but it’s still a battle for me.

Piper’s quote forced me again to ask myself if the satisfaction I feel is from doing what I needed to do or if my satisfaction is from having heard from Him.

Had them:

Performance-based. Personal devotions out of a sense of duty, obligation, responsibility—or, worse yet, desiring to please Him by having had them.

Heard Him:

Heart-based. Desiring to sit at His feet (like Mary did) and hear from Him. Making my relationship with Him the joy of my life. Having these “devotions” out of a sense of love, not obligation, experiencing them as a delight not a duty.

I want to guard my heart and check my motivation when I set time aside to be with Him.

There’s a song from the 1980’s by Don Moen

“I want to be where you are”

I just want to be where You are, Dwelling daily in Your presence; I don’t want to worship from afar, Draw me near to where You are. I just want to be where You are, In Your dwelling place forever; Take me to the place where You are, I just want to be with You.