Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a good weekend and keeping warm. I plan to clean the apartment and later we are going to a Birthday party. It is a big birthday and worthy of a gold crown! The question this week is: Do you feel your actions flow out of your love for the Lord or more about your self-satisfaction? Would those close to you see evidence of your growth in the Lord?
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How mature are we spiritually in our walk with the Lord? We may say we have known the Lord for twenty years, and yet still be like a two-year-old toddler who is doing the same things over and over again, not growing or becoming more like Jesus. Pastor/Dr. Peter Scazzero writes about what it means to being emotionally healthy spiritually and helps us to see the symptoms that display our need to change if we are to mature.

We can be doing a lot of work for God, but it may come from a place of satisfying ourselves rather than Him or even doing things He has never asked of us. Our prayers can be more about doing our own thing, rather than seeking to do what God wants. We may also not admit or deal with our anger, fears, shame, hurts and other emotions, which can only hinder us from being able to love God, others and ourselves. When we also fail to allow the Holy Spirit to strip away our false self, our true self cannot come forth and mature. Another symptom that Scazzero mentions is denying the past and how it impacts our present. Yes, we are a new creature in Christ, but we need to go back and break free of destructive patterns in our lives that hinder us from growing. We must be careful not to compartmentalize our lives into what is secular and what is spiritual, for the Lord wants to be part of our whole lives and actions throughout the day. When conflicts in relationships come up, we need to deal with them in honest and loving ways. We also don’t cover over our weaknesses, but admit them and ask for His help.

We need a deep interior life if we are to grow in the Lord. We may do a lot of work for God but He wants us to pray, enjoy His presence and to delight to be with Him. Our worth comes from God’s unconditional love for us, not what works we do. We serve others as God directs us, not trying to single-handedly meet all the needs around us. When we do things that flow from our life with God, we experience joy.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to shine His light in the hidden places of your heart,  and let Him remove and heal all that hinders your life with Him and others.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy