YOU CAN’T KEEP GOD ON A SHELF
How many of
us remember the “elf on a shelf”? He was
supposed to be watching, in this case, the children to see if they were naughty
or nice. Do you think that the elf stayed
there very long before someone either stole, trashed, or covered it up so that
the “all-seeing elf” could not see what they were doing?
I think that
it is the same with God. Do we put Him
on a shelf? Is He only there when we
want to use Him to answer our prayers?
Do we compartmentalize God to the extent that we rush to go to Church,
put our “time” in and then almost run over somebody to get out of the church
parking lot? Actually I know someone who
actually got a ticket in a church parking lot for driving too fast!!
Do we forget
about God the minute that we leave the church parking lot? Are we thinking about the game we are going
to watch that day and keep looking at our watch?
Putting God
on the shelf, in my opinion, means that He is really not a part of our lives.
We put Him “on the shelf” after church services, after other services. We put Him on the shelf when we go about our
activities during the day when we do what we want to do not really focusing on
God’s will.
It is so
easy because of our human nature to not include God. The truth of the matter is that God is always
with us even when we turn away from Him by our own actions or our sins. He is always reaching out to us. He desires to have a personal relationship
with us.
The
following is called “A Letter from a Friend”:
I just had to write to tell you how
much I love you and care for you.
Yesterday I saw you walking and laughing with your friends; I hoped that
soon you’d want Me to walk along with you, too.
So, I painted you a sunset to close your day and whispered a cool breeze
to refresh you. I waited---you never
called---I just kept on loving you.
As I watched you fall asleep last
night, I wanted so much to touch you. I
spilled moonlight onto your face---trickling down your cheeks as so many tears
have. You didn’t even think of Me. I wanted so much to comfort you.
The next day I exploded a brilliant
sunrise into glorious morning for you.
But you woke up late and rushed off---you didn’t even notice. My sky became cloudy and My tears were the
rain.
I love you, oh, if you’d listen. I really love you. I try to say it in the quiet of the green
meadows and in the blue sky. The wind
whispers My love throughout the treetops and spills it into the vibrant colors
of all the flowers. I shout it to you in
the thunder of the great waterfalls and compose love songs for birds to sing
for you. I warm you with the clothing of
My sunshine and perfume the air with nature’s sweet scent. My love for you is deeper than any ocean and
greater than any need in your heart. If
you’d only realize how I care.
My Father sends His love. I want you to meet Him---He cares, too. Fathers are just that way. So, please, call on Me soon. No matter how long it takes, I’ll
wait---because I love you.
Your Friend,
JESUS
Brother
Lawrence, who was a 17th century lay brother who lived in France
during the Thirty Years War in which he had fought. The following are a series of quotes from
Brother Lawrence:
The time of business does not differ
with me from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen,
while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I
possess God in as great tranquility as if I were on my knees.
He does not ask much of us, merely a
thought of Him from time to time, a little act of adoration, sometimes to ask
for His grace, sometimes to offer Him your sufferings, at other times to thank
Him for the graces, past and present, He has bestowed on you, in the midst of
your troubles to take solace in Him as often as you can. Lift up your heart to
Him during your meals and in company; the least little remembrance will always
be the most pleasing to Him. One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to
us than we think.
There's no greater lifestyle
and no greater happiness than that of having a continual conversation with God.
It is possible for us to live in the
very sense of the Lord's presence, under even the most difficult circumstances.
If you and I are going to enjoy the peace of paradise during this life we must
become accustomed to a familiar, humble, and very affectionate conversation
with the Lord Jesus.
The world appears very little to a
soul that contemplates the greatness of God.
Loving God and loving one's neighbor
are really the same thing.
Don’t keep
God on the shelf. Carry Him wherever you
are, whatever you are doing and He will fill you with His presence as Brother
Lawrence invited Him to every area of his life.
Doing so, you will find true peace because it is His peace that He
offers us each day.
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