Hello, Altered Stories Ministry Family,
We are now in the middle of what is known as the “dog days” of Summer, when not much is happening, and time tends to move slowly. Added to this doldrum, temperatures rise hotter and hotter, driving people indoors. We also tend to do things for the sake of doing them, not giving much thought to why we do them at all.
We also can go through “dog days” emotionally and spiritually. We can get a dry, dusty feeling, like God isn’t interested in what we are doing for Him. We also don’t have a desire to do His work because we see it as church stuff. I do get this. I’ve been there. You don’t want to pray much. You don’t want to read the Bible much and one message from a Pastor is similar to the previous ones you’ve heard.
How do we break free out of this cycle?
It comes down to repentance. We need to repent of the religious thinking that has crept into our minds regarding our relationship with Jesus. Ask God to breathe on you a fresh fire, so we desire to do His will.
We need to be open to new ideas. In Acts 17:16-23, Paul told his audience that he noticed all the gods they worshiped, especially the altar “to the unknown god.” He took that idea and used it to preach the gospel to them about the One True God.
What can you use to reach others for Christ? We don’t have an opt-out option for the Great Commission.
The cool thing is that if we take the time to share the Good News with someone, we won’t be dry as in the “dog days” of our faith. The fire of the Holy Spirit will be fueled and will show Himself faithful as He has so many times before in our lives.
I pray this message encourages you!
God bless,
Teresa
