Stepping Stones: Appointment’s That Motivate

Transformational Thought

For years I’ve taken a weekly music lesson and at times, it was the highlight of my week. It’s only 30 minutes, and my teacher is very talented, but he’s also kind of grumpy. But I still really enjoy that 30 minutes. I’m notorious for cancelling many different kinds of appointments because of my incessant overbooking, but I rarely cancel my music lesson.

Part of me not canceling my music lesson comes from my love of music, but also I show up because my teacher expects me to. He can tell within 3 minutes if I have kept my commitment to practice that preceding week. In a way, he holds me accountable for what I committed to do and am responsible for. But, the main reason I show up is because my teacher gives me the impression that I have the ability to play my instrument with greater skill than I believe I can. This is incredibly powerful and quite motivating.

What if you could have a daily appointment and go see someone who loves you…someone who accepts you just as you are, while seeing in you far more than you see in yourself? What if this ultimate teacher, coach, or parent could relieve your stress, forgive all your transgressions, and eliminate your guilt, your insecurity, and especially your world-weariness?

If such a place and person did exist, you can be confident that your greatest enemy would not want you going there, would try to talk you out of it, or hide it from you. Well, it exists and God is waiting…for you to come to Him. And your enemy is always trying to get in your way, by getting in your head and steering you away from the perfect teacher.

Today, accept and rejoice that the reality of place and the Person are waiting for you. Allow His love and acceptance as well as His expectation of who He is helping you to become to motivate you. Don’t let anything interfere with your appointments with Him as nothing will give you more that that appointment with Him. Identify one activity you can shorten to go someplace and to someone for all you desires. Find practical ways to begin wearing a path to Him. Make dates with Him and then keep those dates.

Prayer
Dear Father God, I know deep in my heart that spending time with You is the most important and rewarding investment of time I can make…yet, it is also the most difficult part of my daily behavior to master. I pray, Father, that You quiet the evil spirits who work so tirelessly to deceive me with intrusive thoughts and distraction. Help me submit to the Holy Spirit to master my flesh’s impulses and knee-jerk wants. I pray in the name of Your Son and my ultimate teacher, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children said - AMEN!

The Truth
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
Psalm 139:1-2