Life Principle 1

Our intimacy with God -- His highest priority for our lives -- determines the impact of our lives. Genesis 1:26



First, re-write that for yourself.



MY intimacy with God -- His highest priority for MY life -- determines the impact of MY life.

I find that comments and verses mean a lot more and force me to look at them differently when I make them personal. You could even put your name in there and make it really personal.



Bridgette's intimacy with God -- His highest priority for Bridgette's life -- determines the impact of Bridgette's life. You get the picture.



God is a God of relationship. He all by Himself is a relationship (trinity: Father, Son & Holy Spirit). God wants a relationship with you, with me. The bible talks quite a lot about all the things God does that show how much he cares for us. As I write this lots of things come to mind, saving my tears, knowing the number of hairs on my head, the whole salvation thing...

how about just the amount of grace and patience and mercy He gives me every single day. I don't mean in a oh I'm so religious way... but think about it.

I was recently very upset with a situation in a friend's life. It didn't impact me directly, but the main crux of the problem was somebody wasn't living up to their expectations / their obligations and it was having fall out into her life. I was righteously angry. (that's a good kind of angry for the uninitiated). I was also trying very hard not to bad mouth the other person but look for the good there too. (I wasn't quite so successful in this I am sad to say, but that adds to my point.) While thinking about this God did His famous whammy on me and instead of seeing things from my safe and secure position over here out of the way where my motives are (clears throat) pure; God asks, and in what areas are you not living up to your expectations and obligations Bridgette? Who in your life might be feeling the burden your friend is because of the things you don't do? Hmmm, that's a whole lot less "fun'"

This could be one of those instances where I feel like I've been hit in the gut and all the air rapidly leaves my body while I crumple to the floor emotionally. But, this is my God we are talking about. He loves me. He wants what is best for me and I get to choose to see Him that way - which is to see Him truthfully. So when God comes up and asks me a question like: "That person there that you are having such difficulty with? How are you like them? How do you behave that way?" and I am given the gift of additional motivation to work on something I might have previously been content to let sit as is because it's not really bothering me.

The other side of this perspective change is I can then look back at the original problem person and see them differently. Not just see the "bad" they are doing, but see them through the eyes of experience. Yes, that behavior was bad. It was harmful. I often find myself doing similar things because I am feeling selfish though I don't care to call it that. When I look again, I see a human being who is falible and who needs all the same love, mercy and grace that I do. And then I see even more clearly where my relationship with God comes into play.

The closer I am to God, the more He has my ear. The more closely I am able to hear from Him, the more I know what He's going to say, what His desires are in my life. the same way I don't need my close friends to tell every detail of a story for me to understand how they felt in a situation because I know who they are. I want that in my relationship with God. He even makes it easier than that for me...for us. He gave us His Holy Spirit who talks directly to my spirit and goes everywhere with me.

I want to have a life that has impact. Don't you? I really do. Picturing myself looking back on my life; I don't want to have just gone through the motions or gotten through whatever; I want to leave a mark. I want people to remember me yes, but I want people to remember me as a christian. As the song Legacy by Nicole Nordeman goes. (lyrics & song on link).

So end of Life Principle 1: MY intimacy with God -- His highest priority for MY life -- determines the impact of MY life.

Questions:
Do I want to live a life that is fulfilling and significant?
Do I want to make a difference in the world?
Then surrend myself completely to Jesus Christ and ask Him to oepn my hear to His infinite love and mercy.

How will I live this Life Priniciple in my life?
How will I pursue a deeper relationship with God?

Pray asking God to draw me into intimate communion with Himself and to transform my life so that I can affect the world for the sake of His kingdom.

Remember:
God loves you and desired your fellowship and worship (Deut 6:5)
God wants my service for Him to be effective and fruitful (John 15:5)
God waits for me to invite Him to bless me (Rev 3:20)