Feeding your forgotten soul

As youth leaders we have many people who we are responsible for. There are the young people for starters and then the others we lead with. We may have responsible for our own family and children, not forgetting being responsible for the work that we are paid to do (whether in the church or elsewhere). And yet how easy it is to ignore the one life that we are most responsible for, our own.

We are each called by God first and foremost to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength' (Deuteronomy 6:5, TNIV). This is the greatest commandment and yet how quickly I find myself changing 'love' to 'serve', serve the Lord with all your heart.....

I am an activist by nature and so love getting things done. One of my strengths I discovered (through Strengthsfinder) is achiever, so I need to get things done. But the most important thing for me is not how much can I do or how much I can achieve, but how much do I love God. I need to regularly bring myself before God and simply remain at his feet.

What does it mean to love God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength? To me, these words certainly conjure up images of not a passive activity but a very persistent, active one.

What's your relationship with God like right now? I've had the privilege of spending some time out this week to be able to ask myself this question and to make sure that I have in place simple steps to help me grow closer to my heavenly father, and, as a result, grow deeper in my understanding of who he made me to be.

If you haven't taken time out recently, why not book in some time when you can meet with God. Don't carry an agenda, just spend time hanging out with your heavenly father. I promise you won't regret it.

Andy