We are just coming off our 40-day journey. Throughout the season of Lent we set aside special time pour into our own spiritual growth. Hundreds of you chose to participate in the daily email devotions, first five video teachings, scripture reading plans, fasting, prayer services and other opportunities for spiritual growth. All of this got me thinking about how we start our day. I've come to believe that how we start our day is of greater importance than we often realize. The right start can make all the difference in our attitude, productivity and sense of joy. The right start to a day can lay a foundation that a great life can be built upon.
There are lots of ways to start your day. For many, of course, the day begins with brushing our teeth and taking a shower (both of which I certainly encouraged.) But what happens after that can make all the difference. Some will then turn on the TV to see the weather and the latest news. Others will start by checking Facebook, Instagram Snapchat or Twitter. And then others will immediately open their phone and begin responding to emails and texts. But I would like to offer a different approach for consideration. Instead of turning on the phone, picking up a newspaper or firing off an email, what if we started our day with God.
I'm not saying we can't shower first and put on a pot of coffee. But imagine the difference it would make if the first thing you really engaged your heart and mind in every day was your walk with Christ. Can you imagine what a different start the day would have? Rather than the chaos of our emails and texts, we could have the peace of Christ. Rather than immerse our minds in the latest bad news, we could fill our minds with the good news of Jesus.
Personally, I'm an early riser. There was a time when every day I hit the ground running. I felt there was so much to be done I did not have the time to begin the day in prayer, scripture or some other devotional practice. But over time my perspective changed. Now I feel the very opposite. I couldn't imagine not starting my day focus on Christ, immersed in the presence of the Holy Spirit. What I've discovered is that when I get my day off to the right start, everything else goes better. So, if you are not doing this already, I would encourage you to give it a try. Set aside the first few moments of your day to pray, read your Bible or journal. Many begin with the First Five daily video devotion. If any of you would like to receive a daily email with the direct link for that day’s First 5, please email me and I will add you to the list.
Spending time with Jesus every morning gets our day off to the right start. It lays the foundation of peace, hope, love and joy that we can carry with us throughout the day. With that foundation of Christ in place, you are ready to face whatever the day may bring.
Love you all,
Pastor Steve
BTW, I know some of you have heard that Grace Duff, one of our Rock Church young adults will be part of an outreach team doing evangelistic mission work this summer at Yellowstone National Park. She is currently raising support for the work. If you would be interested in helping, you can donate at this link. https://give.cru.org/1146823