My to-do list is quite long right now, and every day it keeps getting longer. School activities, housework, play dates, etc., etc. The list literally never ends; as it evolves and multiplies I accomplish one thing, and then add five more. Life is busy, and the more we allow it to be busy, the busier it will get. We can add so much to our day, and we can fill every little unit of time until we don't even know who we are anymore; we can become defined by our so called "commitments".
I have had no time lately to sit, relax, and enjoy the life God has given me. I'm a mom with three busy boys, I have a husband who's schedule is insanely unpredictable right now, and I have the responsibility of running a house, managing everything that comes in and goes out, and maintaining some sort of order in the chaos of it all. I have had no time in the last week and a half to spend worshiping, growing, and furthering my relationship with my Savior. This morning as I was reading my bible (something I admittedly haven't done in a few days), I felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit on my heart.
I am still working my way through Leviticus, and while most of it is proving to be slightly dull, I find that I'm learning quite a bit about God's nature through it all. Leviticus is basically a guide book that was given to Moses regarding God's laws for the Israelites; it lays out, in much detail, how the Israelites were to rightly live for God, the role of the priests, the rules of the temple, and the rituals of sacrifice, etc. God is holy, and therefore when His people came to Him they were required to do it in a certain way.
What is jumping out to me about it all is that everything was so intentional, so orderly; every ritual, sacrifice, and cleansing took time, and it was all for the purpose of staying right in the sight of God, to live according to His will. Following God's law required that the Israelites took their time and gave the best of what God had given them back to Him.
As I said in my last post, we aren't required to sacrifice animals as atonement for our sins anymore; we don't have priests that declare us clean or unclean; we have Jesus Christ who became the ultimate and permanent sacrifice for our sins. When we believe in Him, in His crucifixion and resurrection, when we put our faith in Him, and when we confess our sins and lay them at the foot of the cross, His blood covers over them; we are clean in God's eyes when through Christ's blood we are forgiven. We don't have sacrifice rituals, and we don't have a curtain that separates us from God; we can come before Him at any time, we can approach His throne, and we can commune with Him in a very deep and spiritual way, but we need to give back to Him the best of what He has given to us. He requires our time; relationship with Him takes an investment on our part. I love that about Leviticus; I am in awe of the purposefulness of God's people. God required holiness from unholy humans, and He gave them very practical, very detailed ways of approaching Him. Wow... I'm wondering why today when we have a Savior and a God who are so accessible to us on a day to day basis we turn our backs on them. Why is it that the freedom we've inherited through the blood shed on the cross is something we so easily give away to the world instead of to Him? God longs for relationship with His creation, His children made in His likeness; He longs for it so much that He sacrificed His Son to give us a way to freely come to Him.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). God laid down the life of His one and only Son, and whoever simply believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
He gave everything to bridge the gap, and to allow us to approach Him and live for Him; in return He asks for faith, and for time to grow us, mold us, and use us for His glory. Is that so hard?
As I sit here typing, the roll call of to-dos are making laps through my mind, but my one and only "must do" is coming first right now. In Matthew 22:37 Jesus says that the greatest commandment is this: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." That's it, the first and greatest commandment, everything else can wait while you figure out how to do exactly that. It will take your time, and the best of what you have, but in return you'll gain peace and the wisdom to handle all of the other "to-dos". I'm not sure why I keep having to learn this lesson over and over again, but each time it rings truer and truer.
Are you giving back to God the best that He has given to you? Do you give Him priority, or do you just squeeze Him in when you can? I challenge you to put Him first, and to trust Him completely with your time, your energy, and your attention. When you do that, when you intentionally and purposefully serve Him, you will be blessed in ways you can't even begin to imagine.
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