Our Inner Lives

“At daybreak he [Jesus] went out to a solitary place” Luke 4:42.  “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” Luke 5:16.

The New Testament paints picture after picture of the way a Christian should strive to live.  It splashes examples on spiritual canvases of Christ-like attributes which we should strive to attain.  There are many times when reading the stories of Jesus that my weaknesses are highlighted when measured against His life on earth.  It sometimes seems that I can’t measure up to these examples by which I am called to live.  But there is one example that every one of us can do that doesn’t require much but yields amazing benefits– solitary time with God.

It is through this principle and commitment that everything else follows.  Through our fellowship and time with our Father we gain the wisdom to make the necessary decisions of this world.  Through our time with God He gives us the grace, mercy and power to forgive others and offer grace to our fellow travelers.  We learn how to respond with love based on the love we have received through this shared intimacy.

Our lives are certainly no busier than Jesus’ life while He was on earth.  He was constantly being asked to teach, to serve, to heal and to speak.  He lived His life as a sacrifice to His own agenda and desires.  His desire was to do the work that His Father had sent Him to do.  He was born with spiritual purpose and kept that at the forefront of His mind daily.  ‘Life all around Him was not balanced, but Jesus stayed steady and secure.  He led with His inner life.’ Stronger, p. 107.

We all ‘lead with our inner life.’ The question is what does our inner life look like… bitterness…self-absorption…our own desires…judging others?  Our behavior will reflect what our inner lives are made up of.  Those witnessing our walk will be able to determine whether we are withdrawing into our flesh or withdrawing into His presence.  When we make intentional decisions to make time for God in our daily routine we will begin to live the life that will afford us the spiritual blessings of Christ.