The Art of Spiritual Separation

Memory Verse: "Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom." (Prov.18:1, KJV)

Scripture Reading: Lk.10:38-42.

For sometime now, the Lord has been speaking to my heart on the need for me to re-order my priorities. I kept on being 'busy' until I began running on red and I didn't even know!

You see, I have the best of intentions when it comes to connecting with God, yet somehow, I never seem to do what I hope to do. Most mornings, I get up extra early (not usually easy as I am not a morning person) to have an extended prayer time, only to get distracted by the day's activities. I've scheduled regular times to read and study God's word only to find that I don't open my bible nearly as I thought I would.

At this point, I preached myself to stop and refill my spiritual tank and for me to do this, I went on a 3-day personal retreat. And I also used the time to re-order my priorities just as the Lord had instructed.

How many of us are like me- running on red and we are yet to realise that we're running on red!

Like I did, allow me 'preach' you to stop. You need to practice the art of spiritual separation.

Create pauses from time to time where you stop to refuel your spirit man. Even though it may sometimes seem like you don't have enough time to stop for spiritual refuelling, you actually do if you rearrange your priorities.

Make your walk (relationship) with God your topmost priority over your work (activities / purpose / vision / mission) and fit everything else in your life around it.

Go ahead and say "no" to activities that do not add value to you. Don't wear a badge that reads busy. Although the world today gives us the message that being busy equals being important. That's a lie. I've learnt this.

From God's perspective, our walk with Him is far more important to Him than our work- what we do. Hence the need for spiritual separation and the life of Jesus was characterised by this spiritual virtue (see Matt.14:23, Mk.1:35, Lk.5:16, Lk.6:12).

So stop justifying busyness, saying yes to everything, occupying your life with trivial things that won't matter tomorrow, filling your life with many things and living with no margin.

Instead decide to stop at various intervals during your normal schedules (like I'm doing now) to check in with God. If you check through the life of Jesus Christ, strange things usually happened after His time of separation.

Same way, our spirit man is re-strengthened and we're re-energised and re-equipped to further accomplish our mission here on earth.

Ponder Point: Separation to God, separation from the world, is the first principle of Christian living. 

Action Point: Learn the art of spiritual separation.

Prayer Point: Father in Jesus name, I ask that You teach me the art of spiritual separation and as I submit to this spiritual discipline, cause me to intermeddle with Your wisdom for exploits, Amen.