BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

When my wife and I were first starting out in ministry, we only had a few members and one service a week. I had plenty of time to get still before the Lord. As our church grew, things became more complicated. As your commitments grow and as your ministry grows, you’ll face the same question I did: How can we maintain a place of stillness so we can continue to experience the presence and glory of God? Psalm 119:130 gives us insight: “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” You might read that and think the word “simple” is referring to the foolish or immature, but that’s not it at all. "Strong’s Concordance" defines simple in this verse as “those who are open.” God’s Word gives understanding to those who are open. You could also look at it this way: What is the opposite of simple? Complicated. The more complicated our lives are, the less likely we are to be still. The Complication of Time It’s challenging to manage time in a way that allows us to get still before God. Getting beyond our smartphones, our cares and our to-do lists is a battle. We all have practical things that need to be done. We need to spend time communicating with our spouses. We need to spend time with each of our children, especially when they’re young. For those in ministry or in some other leadership position, there’s always work to do. We can’t simply sit in a corner, wait on the Lord and expect everything to get done. In addition, the more our influence increases, the more demands increase as well. We need to exercise, too, if we’re going to take care of our physical bodies. Depending on how God leads us, we may need to do strength training, cardio, stretching or something else. All that takes time. If you think about it too much, you may find yourself like Martha, “troubled by many things”! Thankfully, the Lord showed me something that set me free—and I believe it will help you too. Redeem the Time Ephesians 5:14-16 says, “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” If you’re ready for time to be redeemed, read those verses again. When I was meditating on them, the word “light” stopped me in my tracks—because the Word says, “God is light” (1 John 1:5). I knew from previous studies that understanding the properties of light gives us insight into God. One of the things Einstein demonstrated mathematically in his theory of relativity was that the closer we get to the speed of light, the more time is dilated—meaning it slows down. Recognizing that I had a time problem, I reasoned that if I were to get with God, time would elongate, and I’d have a greater capacity to fit in what needed to be done. That revelation, and ultimately that practice, has been my greatest shortcut in ministry. Solutions to problems that save vast amounts of time and energy have come during my time in the light, when I’ve gotten still enough to know the Lord. That’s when I’ve had flashes of understanding and revelation. Being still doesn’t encroach on my time management either. It allows God to enable me to redeem the time, to save that which would otherwise be lost. I challenge you to take time to be still, to spend time in the Word and with the Lord—and to trust that He’ll redeem that time. He’ll give you supernatural insight and shortcuts to accomplish the things you need to do. Simplify No, it’s not easy to do, but a simple, uncomplicated life allows His Word to enter in. That results in revelation. First John 1:7 put it this way: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” That verse is talking about continual unbroken fellowship with God. It’s in that place that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. This, however, is more than salvation. When you walk in the light—when you become still—you have fellowship with God. It’s in that place that you find great revelation, great joy, great excitement and great effectiveness. It’s where you maximize your time and get things done while watching your influence grow. It’s where you get to know Him. V Mac Hammond is senior pastor of Living Word Christian Center, in Brooklyn Park, Minn. For more information go to lwcc.org. _____________________________ Watch Mac on "Winner’s Way" VICTORY Channel® Sun. 11 p.m.; Mon. 5 a.m.; Wed. 8 a.m.; Sat. 7 a.m., 2 p.m., 8 p.m. CT _____________________________ 22 : BVOV

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