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January 26, 2009 10 Comments

Choosing What is Best

Friday’s entry in My Utmost for His Highest explained that when the Spirit fills us, we’re transformed. By beholding God as in a mirror, we become a mirror for others. “Beware of anything that would spot or tarnish that mirror in you,” Chamber writes. “It is almost always something good that will stain it— something good, but not what is best.”So many good things tempt us to turn away from beholding God and being changed into His likeness. What can we do?  

The most important rule for us is to concentrate on keeping our lives open to God. Let everything else including work, clothes, and food be set aside. The busyness of things obscures our concentration on God.

Chambers advises that we let work, clothes and food be set aside if it threatens our focus on God. The list could go on to include writing, TV, Twitter, shopping, reading, clubs, blogging, kids’ activities…it’s so easy to let busyness of all kinds obscure my concentration on God. If some activity threatens my focus on the Lord, I need to seriously evaluate its place in my life. I need to keep myself open to Him. If something disrupts that, I need to examine the trouble-spot.

Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him. This is an easy thing to allow, but we must guard against it. The most difficult lesson of the Christian life is learning how to continue “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord . . . .”

Did you catch that warning? Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him. I have seen it happen in my life–busyness distracts me from the Lord, and I must guard against it.I’m going too fast if my relationship with the Lord is off-kilter and deteriorating.During Mega Memory Month, I’m trying to polish off John 14 while dipping into the first 17 verses of John 15. I don’t think I’ll make it through to verse 17 in the days that remain, but as early as the first few lines, Jesus talks about us needing to abide in Him in order to bear fruit, just as a branch remains attached to a vine to bear fruit.A hurried lifestyle can disrupt a commitment to abiding in Him.And so I have chosen a slower pace. For years, I’ve been resisting the things that speed up my days or even my mind (Twitter appears to be a recent threat). I don’t want to let the temptation of a hurried lifestyle disturb my relationship of abiding in Him. I want to keep my life open to Him and concentrate on Him, even if it means managing those good things that distract.Because I want to choose what is best.

Filed Under: change, memorization, self-discovery, simplicity, slowing Tagged With: hurry, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

Comments

  1. Miss Dea says

    January 27, 2009 at 12:11 pm

    Hi Ann,

    Thanks for your post! I wrote a song about abiding in Christ many years ago. I’ll leave the link to it below if you are interested in listening to it. It truly is my heart’s cry put to music! Hope it is a blessing to you!

    In Him,

    Dea

    http://dea-frommyhearttoyours.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-prayer.html

    Reply
  2. Leila says

    January 27, 2009 at 12:23 pm

    Often when we prioritize we leave out the highest one: our relationship with Him.

    And the more we do that, the more afraid of silence we become…

    Reply
  3. laura says

    January 27, 2009 at 12:32 pm

    Mr. chambers has such a way with words…

    I regret to say that I have fallen into that trap of letting “good” things come between me and Him. It’s easy to do in this Christian life, because there is so much that needs doing.These are good words of advice. To constantly take inventory…to always “check in” with Him…this is what makes my offerings splendid.

    I visit often, love reading your thoughts.

    Reply
  4. Esther says

    January 27, 2009 at 2:38 pm

    Thanks for the reminder, timely as always.

    Also, thanks for intorducing me to “My Utmost for His Highest”. I love those short, intense sermons….no messing around with the good, he goes straight for the best.

    Reply
  5. annkroeker says

    January 27, 2009 at 7:07 pm

    Miss Dea–perfectly lovely! I just listened and left you a comment. The chorus is still running through my head, and it’s a sweet prayer to linger and remind me to stay, rest, remain, and…abide.

    Leila: Several of my friends resist solitude and silence with the Lord. We fill our days with activity and our heads with noise. So true. So sadly true.

    Laura: Thank you for your comment–I think it’s a near-universal struggle. I want to live that “splendid” life. Thanks for your words.

    Esther: You’re always welcome, dear Esther! I think whoever titled that collection My Utmost for His Highest named it well, because you’re right–Oswald Chambers seemed to yank us back to the King from whatever might be pulling us aside or tempting us to wander off…so that He would be glorified. I find it often to be just what I need to hear.

    Reply
  6. Cindy Swanson says

    January 27, 2009 at 7:59 pm

    Hi Ann! This is my first visit to your blog…I found it through Mel’s Diet Naked blog, in which she linked to your explanation of how to make steel-cut oatmeal in a crockpot. I’m going to do it!

    I really enjoyed your blog and will definitely be back. Do visit mine when you get a moment.

    Reply
  7. PearlsOfTruth says

    January 27, 2009 at 9:14 pm

    Enjoyed this post. I love Mr Chambers and his direct, cut-to-the-chase manner!

    Blessings to you,

    Amanda

    Reply
  8. trishsouthard says

    January 27, 2009 at 9:55 pm

    Just when I’m tempted to hook up the cable (Super Bowl Sunday is this weekend) the contemplative mom has convinced me to focus solely on Him.

    Reply
  9. Jean Stockdale says

    January 28, 2009 at 8:45 pm

    A timely word to all. Let them who have ears, let them hear. How often to we alllow the frantic pace of life in general overtake holy things. BLessings.

    Reply
  10. Maureen says

    January 31, 2009 at 8:04 pm

    What a wonderful reminder to us all. Who hasn’t let things get in the way of our relationship with God, only to realize that we need to pull back. Thank you for the wonderful words to inspire me to look at my own actions and see what needs changing.

    Reply

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