Present your life to God every day & let Him empower you

Every day we run a lap in the race of life. While individuals live a different number of days (Ps. 90:12), each day matters in our relationships with people who matter forever. While we should prepare and plan for the months and years of our lives, we experience life day-by-day. The challenge to “make the most of our time” (Eph. 5:15) makes the transitions of each day critically important as we respond to the unrepeated opportunities we encounter daily.

Each race and every day has a starting point. This beginning requires positive traction which establishes essential momentum. In a sprint, there are starting blocks for the runners. In life, your source of traction determines the trajectory of your day. For the businessman focused only on earning money, his unrelenting greed may cause him to bounce out of bed. For the person obsessed with their appearance, the lengthy early morning exercise regimen may be the only way to start. While maintaining your health and earning a profit are not inappropriate values, making them your core motivation skews life in directions that impact relationships.

For the follower of Christ committed to spiritual multiplication, there is biblical insight about both the time and the attitude critical to gaining the traction for contagious influence for Christ. The morning is the time for us to insure we are in tune with God’s purpose and priorities (Ps. 5:3). We need God’s strength and wisdom the entire day…why wait until lunch to offer control of our lives to God. How you spend the first moments of your day have great significance. While some need a shower or cup of coffee to be fully alert (another issue, but not for this blog), the first moments of full awareness in your day have great significance. Grateful worship through God’s word and in His presence prompts us to present our lives to God (Rom. 12:1-2). This daily experience positions a follower of Christ for the blessing of knowing and doing God’s will. As we release our day to God’s direction and empowerment, we look for the good works which God has prepared for us (Eph. 2:10) to do. We ask Him to show us these opportunities early enough for us to respond in dependence mode, relying on God’s power through the Spirit (Eph. 5:18). As we do what God desires, we have an aroma that makes Jesus the issue (2 Cor. 2:14), prompting people to react with questions or criticism (2 Cor. 2:15-16; Col. 4:5; 1 Pet. 3:14-16). While this kind of day may not be easy, it is never boring. And it is the very kind of day that has the eternal significance we were created to enjoy.

Try this pattern for the next week. Intentionally present your life to God and ask Him to empower you to do all He has prepared for you that day. Look for those opportunities and boldly embrace them. It will be the beginning of an adventure your were created to enjoy.

~ Ken Horton