God

We are only days into 2009. Most of us have already made our new year’s resolutions, if we are going to make them. Many will involve self-promises or attempts at resolving a spiritual, physical or emotional issue. All of these optimistic thoughts have value if we can attain our goals. But sometimes it is easier to make our resolutions very simple. They can be as easy as spending more eye-to-eye time with people in our lives — especially our children or spouse. God is all about relationships.

I have a question for everyone reading this column. When was the last time you were significantly fed spiritually? Let me clarify. Is it easy for you to recall the last time you felt God in a big way and were challenged to grow in your relationship with Him? Sometimes this growth will happen at a retreat, a camp or a conference. Other times it will happen in a corporate setting, after joining a Bible study or even changing churches. However the process occurs, it is vital to our spiritual life to keep maturing in our walk with God. If you are reading this and you cannot recall the most recent time you grew spiritually, or perhaps you do remember and you recognize that it was a long time ago, it may be time to shake things up in your spiritual life.

In recent weeks, much of the discussion in America has centered around the economy. Some pundits have speculated that the country is entering its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. In difficult economic times, what can people do to live spiritually and serve God, and are there any stories in scripture that can provide an example at a time when jobs and money appear scarce? ? It?s often more difficult to keep our hearts focused on God during times of prosperity than it is during times of economic hardship.