The line “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love” has been on my mind lately.
Maybe it’s because I easily drift from the Word and prayer when I’m on vacation.
Maybe it’s because I allow the busyness of traveling to be an excuse for my lack of time with God.
Or maybe it’s because, as a fallen human, my heart will wander anytime I’m not purposefully redirecting it.
Do you feel that too, dear Christian?
I guess I should briefly introduce myself. My name is Alison and I write at Life of Scoop – a blog designed to encourage authenticity in grace and truth. I am honored and excited to join the author team here at Satisfaction Through Christ. Friends, I pray that I will challenge you to think deeply about your need for Christ, to ponder truth, and to encourage honesty about your struggles. I love vulnerable soul talk over a hot cup of coffee, so would you sit with me here?
So, back to that difficult question. Do you feel the pull to wander from God?
I believe that pull comes from the devil, a stronger power than we sometimes like to realize. The excuses of distraction, busyness, traveling, family, holidays, and resolutions – well, it’s one big worthless excuse.
Because the truth is this: We must know who we are in Christ if we are to fight the pull of wandering and leaving God.
We can blame traveling, or we can discover our true identity.
We could excuse our laziness, or we could recognize our worth to God.
This is the only resolution you need this year, the only goal you need to set and the only ladder you must climb.
The journey to discovering who you are in Christ.
What if that was our only accomplishment in 2016? Would it be enough?
Christian, it would be enough. It would be enough to keep you under the wing of the Almighty God, away from the overarching power of the devil.
It would be enough to protect you from that wandering I mentioned.
How can we secure this identity deep into the folds of our being? Because that’s what it takes, you know. It takes effort and hard work, time and motivation.
How do we discover who we are in Christ?
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Ask God to show you.
Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” God will supply our every need.
Psalm 145:18 also says, “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”
The Bible says we are redeemed, chosen, full of God’s spirit, loved, cherished, a child of God, a friend of God, a saint, complete, and free from condemnation. But these truths don’t become reality in our lives until we learn to recognize them. Ask God to show you you’re true identity.
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Search the Scriptures regularly.
The Bible has a lot to say about who we are. Regularly reinforcing these truths by reading and studying them is essential to fighting the battle of wandering. It’s a weary battle. You must be on your toes constantly.
Therefore, constantly reminding yourself of your true worth is one of the best fighting tools you could develop.
Need some suggestions for a place to start? Look up a few of these verses each day.
John 1:12, John 15:15, Romans 5:1, 1 Corinthians 6:17, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 1 Corinthians 12:27, Ephesians 1:5, Ephesians 2:18, Colossians 1:14, Colossians 2:10, Romans 8:1-2, 28, 33-34, 2 Corinthians 1:21, Philippians 1:6, Philippians 3:20, 2 Timothy 1:7, Hebrews 4:16, 1 John 5:18, John 15:1, 5, John 15:16, 1 Corinthians 3:16, and Ephesians 2:6.
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Talk to yourself the way God talks to you.
It’s all too easy to demean yourself with harsh words and untrue statements. “I look ugly today.” “I’ll never be good enough to do that.” “There is no way anyone could love me today.”
These things are simply not true. Be careful with the words you speak to yourself, dear friend. Be careful. Words impact your thinking, which impacts your heart, which impacts your worth. It’s a slippery slope.
Tell yourself the things God would tell you. Hint: this starts with the Scripture references above. Memorize them for quick encouragement for yourself.
I don’t think there’s a better way to start the New Year than feeding yourself truth about your real identity and your only worth.
Weight loss is great.
Goals are meaningful.
Bible reading and prayer plans are wonderful.
But the success of these things lies in remaining close to God – leaning in to Him rather than wandering from His grasp.
And leaning in to God starts with constantly reminding ourselves of our worth. Our identity. Our name as a child of God.
Dear Christian, what if this was the only goal you made this year? Determine your worth to Christ and remind yourself constantly.
How’s that for a 2016 resolution?
Latest posts by Alison Tiemeyer (see all)
- What to do When Brokenness Surrounds You - May 26, 2016
- 5 Simple Prayers to Start Your Day Well - April 12, 2016
- To the One Who Feels Unworthy of a Savior this Easter - March 24, 2016
Lovely, Alison. Excited to see you writing here! Wishing you the very best in this new adventure as you continue to speak truth with no shortage of beauty and grace. <3
Thanks, Katie! I appreciate your support and encouragement. I’m fighting to be brave with this blogging venture. God’s got it all handled. 🙂
I’ve loved your writing since I first came across it several months ago, and I’m so glad you’re sharing it here with us at STC. May God continue to bless your ministry as you point thirsty souls toward HIm.
Thank you so much, Jennifer! It’s an honor to write here at STC. I love this group and the aim to present the gospel with honesty and grace. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Yes, I can so relate to this when I’m on vacation or traveling- it’s so easy to get distracted. I love the idea of talking to yourself the way God would. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for commenting, Abby! I’m so glad you were able to relate to this. 🙂