For the last 20 years it has been my practice to awaken every morning finding the presence of Jesus in me, acknowledging His presence and welcoming His presence. These words from C.S. Lewis taken from his book “Mere Christianity” certainly played a central part in this wonderful spiritual discipline that has so blessed me and many others:
"The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind.
We can only do it for moments at first. But from those moments the new sort of life will be spreading through our system: because now we are letting Him work at the right part of us. It is the difference between paint, which is merely laid on the surface, and a dye or stain which soaks right through.
He never talked vague, idealistic gas. When He said, ‘Be perfect,’ He meant it. He meant that we must go in for the full treatment. It is hard; but the sort of compromise we are all hankering after is harder—in fact, it is impossible.
It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad." From Mere Christianity
Never start any day in which you wish to be the kind of human being you were meant to be without first focusing on Jesus and finding Him to be all He is for you and in you. I find that starting every day with the simple phrase “Jesus, you are welcome here” while placing my hand over my heart gives me the right starting point for every day. It is time to fly!
Bud McCord
Abide International
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