I recently started writing journals. I wanted to share one of my entries that I believe could be truly valuable to many. This is more of a testament, I’m writing this out of my personal experience, that reminded me that the Giver is more than the gift. I pray that this post brings encouragement to you.
We all begin our spiritual journey with great excitement and passion. However, as time goes on, that initial enthusiasm can gradually fade away. Jesus speaks of the same thing in Revelation 2:4 when he says, “..return to your old ways”.
I’ve been praying for the same passion and hunger, or even more, than I had in the early days. As a part of this, I was remembering how I used to have so much time to spend with God. Then I caught myself saying, “Oh, look! Now I’m blaming the lack of time!” I almost dismissed it but another voice in my head replied, “You were simply spending more time with God – That’s the secret.” That was a conversation between the inner man and the outer man.
Then it struck me: “Have I been chasing the passion and excitement all this time? Was it as simple as just spending more time with God?” This realization wasn’t new; it’s something we talk about all the time, yet so easy to overlook. I was just chasing the gifts, I cannot fathom how I almost forgot that the giver is more than the gift.
I felt so foolish when I realized this. And this time, it was after a really long break. And I did not know how or where to start. But with the revelation that God, as a person, is more important than the medium, the instrument, or any other “ways” we use to reach Him, I’ve simply begun having conversation with Him. And the desire for Word, passion for prayer, knowledge, wisdom, patience, character of God, everything followed.
Conclusion
Do I say I have changed completely? Did I overcome all of my temptations? Not really. That’s not important to me now. I don’t want to measure things. I just want to spend time with Him. Everything else will be taken care of. If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this post, it’s this:
God, as a person, is more important than the medium, the instrument, or any other “ways” we use to reach Him. It doesn’t matter how you start communicating, just spend time with God. Everything else follows.