What kind of person are you becoming?

Posted byoakhillcrossvillePosted inUncategorized
Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Rest, relax, renew”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “What kind of person are you becoming?”
 
Here’s a question to consider: “What kind of a person are you in the process of becoming?” The fact is that we are all in the process of becoming someone different from who we have been. Living things do not remain static. Even if you do nothing, time will change you. The days will pass, your body will get older, your patterns of thinking will become more established, and the effects of your habits will accumulate and compound. Let me say it again, even if you do nothing, time will change you – either for good or bad.
 
Therefore, it’s imperative that we be proactive and incorporate into our lives practices and patterns of living that will have a net positive effect on us and which will help us to continue changing for the better. Sabbath rest helps to do that because it draws us closer to God. You can be as close to God as you want to be, but it will depend on how much time you choose to spend with Him.
 
As we’ve learned, Sabbath rest is rest with a redemptive purpose. It is rest that is specifically intended to be spiritually nurturing. The first and most important kind of Sabbath rest is periods of extended quiet time with God. But Sabbath rest can take other forms as well. It can include reading good Christian books (spiritual reading); it can include time spent listening to Christian music; it can include times of good fellowship with family and Christian friends; it can include playing and celebrating. As we’ve learned this month, there are many ways to rest, relax, and renew while keeping God as the central focus.
 
This morning I want to leave you with a question posed by Mark Buchanan in his great book “The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath”. Mark challenges us to ask ourselves, “Does the path I’m walking lead to a place I want to go? If I keep heading this way, will I like where I arrive?”
 
Another way to think of that is, “What kind of person are you in the process of becoming? If you continue doing what you’re doing, will you like the person you end up being?”
 
Sabbath rest is God’s gift to you. All of it – the permission to stop working, the liberty to play and to celebrate, the practices that bring about spiritual nurture, it’s all a gift from God. I encourage you to make the mindset of Sabbath rest a regular part of your life. It will change you for the better.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville)
 
 
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