With Holy Week upon us and Easter just a few days away, Christians will spend extra time contemplating the immense sacrifice Jesus made for us and celebrating our salvation through His resurrection. We will attend church and break bread with family and friends in His honor. But as the holiday passes, many of us will be challenged to sustain our focus on God in the face of worldly distractions.
A spiritual mentor of mine (who would insist on remaining anonymous) recently shared a simple but moving diagram, shown below, that he calls "Spiritual Fuel."
The spiritual fuel, of course, is your personal relationship with God. It is at the center because nothing else can sustain itself there. Not church, not work, not even your family and other relationships. The worldly things we cherish most are are of man, and are therefore imperfect. Only God is perfect, and our lives can only be sustained with Him as our center.
The beauty is, God strengthens the things we love about this world when we honor Him.
Our careers improve the more we use our gifts and manage time and money well.
Our communities grow stronger through outreach and fellowship.
Our families are fortified by prayer and obedience.
Our church grows stronger through everything the fuel cell puts forth.
I encourage you to read all of the Bible verses referenced in the diagram. No matter where you are, a Bible app on your smart phone is just a couple of clicks away. Sit quietly and read them all, and I promise it will move God a little closer to your center. Hopefully it will also make it a little easier to keep Him there long after Easter passes.
