[Note: This message was originally sent out in 2009 when our family was traveling in a camper trailer through the northern and western United States. However, I recognize this as a message I need to hear again and again!]
Today is day thirty-two of our traveling “journey.” I put journey in quotes because I’m not exactly sure what to call it. We are definitely not on vacation – we are needing to address this with regard to how we school our kids – and we don’t really have specific ministry goals related to travel; I don’t have a speaking schedule, no meetings or conferences. So, I called it a journey. We are going from one place to another seeing what God will do along the way, how He might use us and what lessons He might teach our family.
One lesson which is becoming more and more clear has to do with priorities and the busyness of life. I have often written about the need to examine our priorities and see if they are aligned with the priorities of God, but I am beginning to see that examining priorities means more than just a listing of first, second, and third.
Before getting on the path of full-time ministry I spent many years training to be an electrical engineer. One of the concepts an engineer must learn is that of signal to noise ratio. All signals contain an inescapable amount of noise. However, a signal can be fully recovered as long as the signal to noise ratio is high. It’s not enough for the signal to just be larger; it must be much larger or we say it has become buried in the noise.
Over the last thirty-two days the noise of life has begun to slowly fade. It’s not completely gone (I’m not sure that is ever possible) but as the noise is reduced, God’s signal is becoming more clear and I’m beginning to understand.
The busyness of life can make it impossible to hear from God. Jesus came to give life, “and have it to the full” (John 10:10). But we will never have this life – the life which brings true glory and honor to God – unless our life in Christ is far above the noise of this world.
Matthew 6:33
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
It is becoming clear that when Jesus said “first” He did not simply mean to seek His kingdom slightly more than the things of this world. Jesus consistently talked in terms of a dramatic difference; “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be My disciple” ( Luke 14:26). In engineering terms we would say Jesus was speaking about a high signal to noise ratio, where our love for God is so great that all other loves appear as hate; “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24).
We are called to serve God and love Him with ALL our heart. This love can never be something we simply add to our other loves, it must be a love beyond compare! Let’s truly examine our priorities and determine to give God the absolute fullness of our heart. Let’s reduce the worldly clutter and forever live above the noise.
Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries
**** Reading Plan ****
Aug 16 Nehemiah 11:1-12:26; 1 Corinthians 10:15-11:2; Psalm 34:11-22; Proverbs 21:14-16
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