Inspiration + Perspiration
Success in any endeavor depends on some measure of inspiration but in large measure requires much personal perspiration.
Our relationship with the Lord draws on the same tried and true combination of inspiration and perspiration.
The Lord will start the process with a little inspiration, perhaps wonderful insights or challenging thoughts that suddenly spring to mind.
But we know that the Lord also expects us to take His message out of storage in our memory.
We need to move inspiration effectively into the context of our work and our daily lives.
And that will always demand perspiration that human effort usually defined as work.
Active and attentive listening is one of those great gifts that bless our lives with spiritual as well as personal enrichment.
With God, active and attentive listening as a regular practice can lead to a deeper experience in our relationship with the Lord.
Just wanting that deeper relationship with God is the inspiration.
The work of it, the perspiration, involves discipline and patience on our part, a work that begins with silence.
Quiet.
And we all know how hard that is for most of us today.
We begin in silence.
Opening our heart and will to the presence of God.
We listen.
The next step is also challenging, follow-through.
We must think wisely and honestly as we examine the events in our daily lives.
Now is a good time to do a little spiritual stock-taking.
Put the Lord in on your schedule.
Call it a 10-minute daily spiritual retreat.
And make it a no excuses time for you and the Lord.
Make it a time for active and attentive listening.
Make time, give it a try and you may find things slow down, right in that active listening corner you created for yourself and God.
And you will find that the pace slowed down, not by chance, rather you made it happen, by making time for God.
Our relationship with the Lord draws on the same tried and true combination of inspiration and perspiration.
The Lord will start the process with a little inspiration, perhaps wonderful insights or challenging thoughts that suddenly spring to mind.
But we know that the Lord also expects us to take His message out of storage in our memory.
We need to move inspiration effectively into the context of our work and our daily lives.
And that will always demand perspiration that human effort usually defined as work.
Active and attentive listening is one of those great gifts that bless our lives with spiritual as well as personal enrichment.
With God, active and attentive listening as a regular practice can lead to a deeper experience in our relationship with the Lord.
Just wanting that deeper relationship with God is the inspiration.
The work of it, the perspiration, involves discipline and patience on our part, a work that begins with silence.
Quiet.
And we all know how hard that is for most of us today.
We begin in silence.
Opening our heart and will to the presence of God.
We listen.
The next step is also challenging, follow-through.
We must think wisely and honestly as we examine the events in our daily lives.
Now is a good time to do a little spiritual stock-taking.
Put the Lord in on your schedule.
Call it a 10-minute daily spiritual retreat.
And make it a no excuses time for you and the Lord.
Make it a time for active and attentive listening.
Make time, give it a try and you may find things slow down, right in that active listening corner you created for yourself and God.
And you will find that the pace slowed down, not by chance, rather you made it happen, by making time for God.