What stirs your affections towards Jesus? What, when you do it, you walk away from loving Jesus more? Or, what has you feeling empty and far away from Him after? There’s things in scripture that are clearly forbidden, and there are things that are clearly commanded, but what about all the middle ground stuff? All the gray area? It’s not that they are necessarily sinful but is there something robbing your affections for Jesus?
A few years ago I read a blog post by Matt Chandler, one of my favorite pastors/bible teachers, on things that stir us towards Jesus. The blog can be found here. In it, he challenged me to keep a seasonal list of things that draw me towards Jesus, and things that draws me away from Him. It’s a very practical and simple way to keep a pulse on your walk with your Creator. I’ve tried to keep up with it the last few years and its been a huge encouragement/help in my walk. The list can seriously include anything. My list changes all the time. Sometimes it’s weird. But what it comes down to is worship. What stirs in you a spirit of thankfulness that points you towards your Creator? What stirs you towards Him? Run to those things. What puts out the flame? Run from those things. Below is my list. Hope it encourages.
Things that stir my affections for Christ
Quiet bible reading with coffee in my hand
Thinking about my fiancé
Thinking about my future marriage
Good preaching
Apple products
Mountains and lakes
New car smell
Charles Spurgeon quotes, books, and sermons
Chick-Fil-A
Hanging around non-believers
Things that kill my affections for Christ
Staying up late with nothing to do
Being alone for a long period of time
Idle Facebook and Twitter time
Dwelling on past sin, shame, and guilt
Stale, produced, and “showy” church services
Bad preaching
Reality shows
What about you? What would be on your list?
