A bit of a wake up call

Jesus the very thought of Thee
Bores me, I must confess;
Putting You first in all my life
Int'rests me even less.

I'll give you time on Sunday morn-
Then I will sing and praise;
But after that, my time's my own-
Mondays through Saturdays.

Demand no more of me, O Lord-
There is so much to do;
I have a life, I can't afford
To waste it all on You.

Credits to Lori Wick and Phil Caminiti- This re-write of the hymn Jesus the Very Thought of Thee appears on page 147 of Wick's novel Bamboo & Lace.

We would never say this out loud, but we live this way often, don't we? I know I'm guilty. We put pencil in time for God on Sunday morning, and then live as we wish for the rest of the week. I believe that's known as Churchianity - we get all involved in programs and ministries and such at church, using Christian lingo, saying the right things, having merchandise with Christian logos on it (hmmmm, a topic for another blog...), etc, but forget the central focus of the Christian life is God and a relationship with Him, putting Him first in everything, including the way we use our time.

I'm completely guilty of this. Taking the time to pray or to read my Bible daily or practice other spiritual disciplines - I just don't do it. And it's never because I don't have the time. It's because I'm lazy. I'd rather read the BBs or stitch or watch television, or most often, sleep. But as my youth pastor in high school (wonderful man! I miss him dearly. I hope he's doing well.) used to say, it's hard to have a good relationship with someone you never spend time with or talk to. I shall have to work on this.

It is amazing though how aware I am of the extent of my sin! I've been very lax about devotions, but somehow I haven't forgotten how far short I fall of God's perfection. I'm still aware every time I have a bad thought or am ungrateful or disobedient or put something above God. Praise be to God for his glorious grace in forgiving sin and His Holy Spirit who keeps us on the right path even when we slack!