John 7:5
For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
There is something to be said about the dangerous reality of this verse. The truth is, Jesus' own brothers did not grasp the miracle of who He was. They ate, slept, played and lived together day in and day out. But eventually, the familiarity of who He was began to set in...and the glory of who He was never birthed in their lives.
I don't know about you, but that's a sobering reality in my life as well. Sometimes the familiarity trumps the glory.
It's easy to live my life and get used to the awe and wonder of who Jesus is. It's easy to take for granted His presence each and every single day, getting so comfortable with that truth that I never take the time to truly soak it in, to truly experience Him.
For me and you, the most dangerous enemy of our passion is familiarity. It's an enemy whose mission is clear: "Take nothing from your victim, cause him only to take everything for granted." It's an enemy that sneaks up on us without making a noise, leaving no hint of it's approach. Leaving no trace that it came, until it has permeated every part of our lives...leaving behind the symptoms of apathy, doubt, and disbelief.
May you never grow so accustomed to your faith that you allow the seeds of familiarity to take root in your heart. May you learn to wake up every morning and recognize His mercies as new. May you be refreshed and reacquainted with His glory this season of Lent.
So true! It is so easy to get wrapped up in everything going on in your life, that faith is taken for granted. I am guilty of it myself, not realizing until it's time to go to bed that I have not prayed or spoken with God that particular day. This was a sobering post and I thank you for it:)
ReplyDeleteI agree! It is so easy to be lax. For me, I have been using an exercise of thanksgiving & praise each time I get in my car to go, in the shower, or whenever I have a few min. to myself. Even in that it is easy to default into familiar phrases of praise. So I force myself to verbalize more precisely & in as much detail as I can how I feel towards my King. It refreshes my soul & renews my love for Him.
ReplyDeleteMary, thanks for the encouragement. You are right, it's so easy to get caught up in the normalcy of our days and forget.
ReplyDeleteDebbie, I love that idea of learning to praise God in the day to day. Reminds me of a book by Brother Lawrence called "practicing the presence of God" where he learned to seek and praise God even while doing the dishes in the monastery. What a great challenge. Thank you for reading and for your thoughts!!