what we truly value

 My good friend Lisa sent me a package recently and included in it was a copy of the book Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney. I have always struggled with keeping God at the focus of my life and especially with daily prayer and devotionals, so when I got this book I made it a goal to read at least a chapter a day while Laila was down for one of her naps. I did a pretty good job, only missing a day here or there, and I just finished it. It's a quick read (only 150 or so pages - and it's a little book), but it has a BIG message.

The passage that hit me the hardest was something I read today and I just felt compelled to share it with whoever feels like listening.

"We make time for what we truly value. We build habits and routines around the things that really matter to us. This is an important principle to understand as we seek to build our lives around the gospel.  Do you want to live a cross centered life? A cross centered life is made up of cross centered days (italics his). And those days are ones in which we stay near enough to the cross 'for its sparks to fall on us,'...we don't let ourselves forget that the cross of Christ 'is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled' (John Stott's quotation)."

This really convicted me since I claim to be a believer in Christ yet I tend to find time during the day to take hour long runs or watch multiple television shows, yet I "can't" find time to pray or read the bible. What does that say about what I truly value? Nothing good, that's for sure. 

My goal this year is to rectify this. And I really recommend this book. Thanks Lisa for sharing it with me!