Craig Clouston

 Conscious Effort

August 30

Think on these things.

Philippians 4:9

Another using dream. Gibb wondered what was going on and what it meant.

He couldn’t get the images out of his head.

He’d been free from addiction for over five years and hadn’t had to deal

with the seduction or obsession since then. Yet this dream felt so real; he’d

been searching through medicine cabinets in houses that weren’t his. When he

awoke, his relief was profound. But he was disturbed that he’d not only found

pills during his search, he’d taken some! Knowing it would end in him hurting

those he loved and terrorizing people he didn’t know, he couldn’t figure out

why, after all these years, the dreams had surfaced again.

Searching for a reason, Gibb realized he’d slacked off in his morning devo-

tions recently. He’d begun to hurry through the readings. He hadn’t been as

consistent in his prayer time either. Getting out of bed, Gibb decided to change

his devotional routine to see if the dreams stopped.

After brushing his teeth, he headed for the living room. Bending his heart

to God, Gibb simply asked, “What are the dreams about, Lord?” He received

an astonishingly immediate response. “Your life of leisure, Gibson. You have

taken things for granted lately, and the enemy has responded. When I told

you to think on these things, I meant all the time.” Grateful that God had redi-

rected him, and knowing this would end the dreams, Gibb bowed his head in

thanksgiving.

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We can become neglectful of our relationship with God and end up losing the

closeness where we find refuge. It may not necessarily be a fatal mistake, but

left unchecked, it can cause needless suffering. Prolonged distancing will cause

us to cut ourselves off from our shield of protection. When that happens, we

must return to the basics, recommitting our hearts in an effort to draw closer

to God. Having gotten sloppy in our approach, it will usually require conscious

effort to reestablish our relationship without establishing just a familiar routine.

Paul advised the Philippians to think about wholesome things in order to

keep their minds stayed on God. We would do well to do the same and not

allow ourselves to become slipshod in our spiritual discipline. Conscious effort

will be rewarded with closeness in relationship.

Prayer

“I’m prone to becoming lazy, Lord. Help me

recommit my heart and mind to Your care. Draw

me ever closer. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”