Putting God in the center of our lives

This week, we are continuing to study in Psalm 63. We've talked about how we can find peace in the pressures of life if our "paddle" in the rapids (the thing we make the highest of priorities) is that we are seeking the Lord. That will help us stay afloat, navigate the rapids, and live a victorious life in Him. 

What does seeking after God actually look like? Well, I first want to say that if we are seeking God it doesn't mean that we are a mystic on a mountain, who is out of touch with reality!

Not at all!

Putting God in the center of our lives is the priority that will give us balance and perspective in the crises of life. And it's down to earth, in touch with reality.

What do I mean? Let me give you an anecdote that may help clarify things. Let's say that a Christian sister feels she is called to help in the church, and so she volunteers to work with a small group who ministers in the community. All is moving along well, and the ministry is thriving. The food and clothing is being distributed to the families, and there are new believers coming into the church family.

Then, sister Beatrice decides that the group should also offer a soup kitchen system for homeless persons in the area. The group takes up the idea in their meeting, and the discussions of setup and financing actually become rather heated! The volunteer whose story we are telling becomes quite upset at the controversy and begins to wonder if this is something she wants to be a part of, at all!

If we have put seeking God at the center of our lives, we are able to step back from a stressful situation. We can look at it in perspective - will this even be remembered in a year or two? Is this something we need to argue about, or should we simply agree to pray about it and come together in a month or two and discuss it again? The balance and the perspective that we have in the crisis times are directly related to how successful we are at keeping God in the center of our lives.

So, what does the person who seeks after God look like? How can someone look at our lives and know that it's our priority? The mystic on the mountain, after all, can be totally out of touch. But we are right here "in the trenches" so to speak, and dealing daily with stress and pressure. What are the evidences that people will see in us?

The first evidence is that the believer who seeks after God will have inner satisfaction.

I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. (Psalm 63:5)

Fads and diets come and go, but medicine tells us that there are some foods that satisfy our bodies more fully than others. The correct combinations of protein, fat, carbohydrates, etc., will stop the tummy from rumbling and give us an overall feeling of satisfaction and fullness. We're reading here that David's soul was at rest. Even in the middle of the calamity he was facing, he had inner calm. Many of us would be pushed to our limit with what David was facing; we might even fall apart emotionally. Instead, David had inner peace. 

Just as we might feel satisfied after eating a delicious, well-balanced meal, David felt satisfied after "feasting" on (spending time in thought, prayer, and fellowship) God.

In the midst of stress and pressure, he had peace.

In the midst of the crisis, David felt inner satisfaction with his personal relationship with God.

That's one evidence that we've put God at the center of our lives . . . . 

More to come.