Just a Thought: Have you been missing it? I often say as a pastor that “I am amazed at the disconnect people seem to have between what is happening in their lives and their spiritual state.” Sometimes we so separate our physical, financial, mental and emotional life from our spiritual life that we don’t see how they impact each other. But they do. Just as an illustration, Paul mentioned in first Corinthians, that the reason many of them were getting physically sick and dying was due to their spiritual condition. This is not just a New Testament concept. This was the situation of Israel in the wilderness. God had miraculously delivered them from Egyptian bondage. He had shown them His power, love and given them provisions. Yet, in spite of all they had seen and witnessed God do for them, they never made the connection that God was doing this “for them!” He was doing what He was doing for His people, yet some never made the connection and therefore had what we call a hard heart toward the Lord. Moses pointed this out in his rebuke of them. “Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders. But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.” (Deut 29:2-5) They were oblivious to the connection to their spiritual life (relationship with God) and their physical conditions. We know that spiritual things are discerned through the Spirit. But, if we choose not to Just a Thought: Have you been missing it? I often say as a pastor that “I am amazed at the disconnect people seem to have between what is happening in their lives and their spiritual state.” Sometimes we so separate our physical, financial, mental and emotional life from our spiritual life that we don’t see how they impact each other. But they do. Just as an illustration, Paul mentioned in first Corinthians, that the reason many of them were getting physically sick and dying was due to their spiritual condition. This is not just a New Testament concept. This was the situation of Israel in the wilderness. God had miraculously delivered them from Egyptian bondage. He had shown them His power, love and given them provisions. Yet, in spite of all they had seen and witnessed God do for them, they never made the connection that God was doing this “for them!” He was doing what He was doing for His people, yet some never made the connection and therefore had what we call a hard heart toward the Lord. Moses pointed this out in his rebuke of them. “Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders. But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.” (Deut 29:2-5) They were oblivious to the connection to their spiritual life (relationship with God) and their physical conditions. We know that spiritual things are discerned through the Spirit. But, if we choose not to see them and hear them, we simply won’t understand them. When we choose to live our lives ignoring what the Lord is trying to show us and speak to through all the other areas of our life, as if our spiritual life only exists on Sundays (if that), we are going to miss it! Have you been missing it? Has the Lord been showing you things physically, financially, mentally and emotionally because of your spiritual state? Could the two be related? Absolutely! Spiritually, I can be unsettled and lack the peace and confidence in the Lord I should have if Spiritually, I am not right in my relationship with the Lord (Rom. 8:5-9, 15). And, my spiritual life will affect the other areas of my life such as robbing me of the peace I should have from a mind set on the Lord (Isa. 26:3). Paul tells us we sow what we reap. Jesus said, The Lord uses our measurements of faith to deal with us (Lk. 6:38). Paul tells us in Phil. 4:8 how to have good mental stability through proper spiritual thinking. All the areas of our life are interconnected. Don’t miss that!! Being sensitive to the things of the Spirit is the best way to stay balanced and to hear and receive what the Lord is saying and doing to and with us. If you have been missing it, stop! Lord, let me see You are concerned with my whole life, not just my Sundays! Open my eyes and heart to all that You are trying to say to and show me so I may follow You completely every day. In Jesus name, amen. see them and hear them, we simply won’t understand them. When we choose to live our lives ignoring what the Lord is trying to show us and speak to through all the other areas of our life, as if our spiritual life only exists on Sundays (if that), we are going to miss it! Have you been missing it? Has the Lord been showing you things physically, financially, mentally and emotionally because of your spiritual state? Could the two be related? Absolutely! Spiritually, I can be unsettled and lack the peace and confidence in the Lord I should have if Spiritually, I am not right in my relationship with the Lord (Rom. 8:5-9, 15). And, my spiritual life will affect the other areas of my life such as robbing me of the peace I should have from a mind set on the Lord (Isa. 26:3). Paul tells us we sow what we reap. Jesus said, The Lord uses our measurements of faith to deal with us (Lk. 6:38). Paul tells us in Phil. 4:8 how to have good mental stability through proper spiritual thinking. All the areas of our life are interconnected. Don’t miss that!! Being sensitive to the things of the Spirit is the best way to stay balanced and to hear and receive what the Lord is saying and doing to and with us. If you have been missing it, stop! Lord, let me see You are concerned with my whole life, not just my Sundays! Open my eyes and heart to all that You are trying to say to and show me so I may follow You completely every day. In Jesus name, amen.
