by Trey O'Brien

I read Isaiah 6:1-8 earlier today.  You know.  Isaiah has a vision of the Lord sitting on His throne. Clearly Isaiah was't bored with God, right?  

May I ask the last time you had an Isaiah moment?  Can you remember?  Me neither.
Actually, I've had many moments in which I felt the nearness of the Lord.  However, if I'm honest, there have been many more moments in which our relationship can feel...empty. 

Look, I know that I have a certain and eternal hope in my Savior Jesus.  I love my wife very much, and I adore my girls.  I have a very rewarding job, love the people of WPC, and am committed to seeing the Gospel move forward in Greenwood (and beyond).  But...am I the only one who has asked the question:  "Is this all that there is?"

Why do we own the corner on boredom & anxiety in the 21st Century United States where any/every type of entertainment is available just a few clicks away?  Why don't I (a follower of Jesus!) experience the joy of following Him more often?  Why has life become such a duty?  Ever felt this way?

How many people do you know that would admit:  "Frankly, I'm bored with the Lord."  Most of us think that a lightning bolt is headed our way for even thinking such!  But, I've talked with some of you who've admitted that this is true of you also.

How do we deal with this?  Can we be honest with ourselves and God?  My experience has been that I've either hoped that these feelings of coldness would go away on their own or that I can fight them back by Bible study and going to church.  

But, it wasn't until I began to give up trying to fix things and just come clean with what I was ashamed of about my relationship with God that He answered me.  It's as if He looked at me and replied:  "Finally!  Now let's get to work!"

A passage of Scripture that has been particularly helpful in my life has been when Jesus entered the home of Martha/Mary.  (Luke 10:38-42).  It's not that Martha was a crazy person.  She knew and loved Jesus!  It's that she'd forgotten the joy of just being WITH Jesus and instead was overwhelmed with DOING FOR Jesus.  

I feel the weight of the excessive activities that I take on that have choked out so much joy in my life.  The Lord never called me to meet all of our cultural expectations or to get busy with activity so as to exhaust every opportunity.  Rather, He has called me to enjoy my relationship with Him daily and to look for His presence in every aspect of my life.  This has led me to ask Him for eyes to see Him daily, His Word to look for a daily reminder of my hope in Him, and then to love those around me as He loves me.  Simplifying things has helped me regain some of the wonder for Him that He has for me.