The word vital means “necessary to life, existence or continuance.” When something is vital, it is indispensable and essential. Your heart is the most vital organ of your body. It is essential and indispensable. Without it, you cease to exist and function. Jesus very clearly expressed the vitality of remaining in Him. No one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6) and without Him we can do nothing (John 15:4). Far to often we approach God casually and treat our time with Him as optional. Just as your heart is not optional, total reliance and dependance on Christ is not optional.

As we mature as Kingdom-minded believers, we must embrace the reality that our success in life is tied directly to our obedience to the Father. This was the pattern that the Old Testament prophets and Jesus Himself demonstrated. Prophets lived their lives on assignment. Jesus lived His life on assignment. As Christ’s ambassadors, we must see everyday as an assignment from God tied to our greater purpose and destiny in the earth. Failure to receive our marching orders may result in spiritual imprisonment, injury or even death. The time we spend with God is when we receive our directives for the day. This time cannot just be quiet; it must become vital.

2 Corinthians 3:1-2 suggests that we are living epistles. How does God write on the tablets of our heart? During our vital time with Him. When Moses trekked up the mountain to spend vital time with God, the Lord revealed His law (Word) and His glory. That intimate time with God resulted in the glory of God resting upon him so strongly that we glowed. The residue of God’s glory was so powerful that Moses had to wear a veil to keep from blinding the Israelites with fading glory (2 Corinthians 3:13).

I believe that God wants to provide us with the same type of encounter He gave Moses, who was simply a man just like us. Every morning He calls us up to His holy mountain for a sacred meeting and intimate conversation. Instead of giving us stones with His law etched on it, He writes on our hearts with the Spirit of the living God.

When we leave that sacred moment people see the glory upon us because we are living epistles with unveiled faces. Today, don’t just spend quiet time with Him. Make it vital; your life (and the lives of others) depend on it.

13 “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

Today’s 5 minute devotional is for anyone who finds themselves discouraged by the struggles of life. The secret to happiness is learning how to be content in good times and bad times…

Study the scripture for yourself: Philippians 4:12-13 — http://read.ly/Phil4.12.NIV

Why so much negativity? Remember that life and death is in the power of your tongue… Make an effort to be positive, rather than being negative.

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. – Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. – Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV)

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. – Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

When was the last time you asked God what His will was? Our scripture focus for today is Romans 12:1-2:

¹Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual^[a] act of worship. ²Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (NIV)

In order to know the will of God we must:

1. Surrender our all to Him
2. No longer conform to the pattern of this world
3. Be transformed by the renewing of our minds

This is Part 1 of a three part series. Please feel free to leave comments below! Click here to watch the entire series.

“Most of us go to our graves with our music still inside of us, unplayed.” – Oliver Wendall Holmes

That quote struck a chord with me (no pun intended). If that statement is indeed true, then it means that most people in life will never reach their fullest potential. Unfortunately, many will lead mediocre lives and die with music unplayed. Unplayed music ultimately means unfulfilled purpose.

Take a moment to reflect on the fact that God created each and everyone of us purposely:

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. – Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)

Before you were formed in your mother’s womb, God knew you. Furthermore, He placed a calling on your life. You are special and He has unique purposes that He desires to reveal through you. These purposes are directly tied to His will.

Maybe He has called you to become a successful entrepreneur who empowers people within your community. Perhaps He wants you to utilize your intellect in order to research and tackle some of the socio-economic problems of our time. Or, maybe, He has simply gifted you with the ability to smile and bring joy to the relationships around you.

Regardless of what your passions or interests are, there is beautiful music that God has placed inside of you, and He wants the world to hear it. We are designed to be instruments for His glory.

So today, consider your life as a symphony. Understand that God is the composer of your life. He has already written the entire score, from beginning to end. He has personally crafted each movement of the piece; even the dark and dramatic moments.

Life, like the world’s greatest classical compositions, is dynamic and full of complexity. However, if we place our complete faith in the Omnipotent Composer, we will find that the end of the symphony is always better than the beginning (Haggai 2:9). We must trust that God is leading us to a grand finale that is greater than anything that we can hope or imagine!

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)

Finally, recognize that all great musicians need a skilled conductor to guide them through a complicated symphony. For believers, the Holy Spirit is our Conductor. He knows the heart of the Composer and establishes tempo in realtime. With our eyes fixed on the wave of His baton, the Holy Spirit guides us through each movement, advising us when to start, stop, crescendo or decrescendo.

When we allow God to lead, beautiful music is produced within our lives.

Today’s Prayer:

Lord, I dedicate my life as a symphony to you. You made me fearfully and wonderfully. It is my desire to play beautiful music that draws people to your love. Help me yield to the conducting power of the Holy Spirit in everything that I do today. I embrace the calling and purpose that you have destined for my life. In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.

It’s amazing how smells can help us remember people, places and moments in our lives. Often when I smell buttered popcorn, I think about school carnivals that I attended when I was in grade school. The favorite people in my life also have a recognizable smell, whether its their signature cologne, cocoa butter or the faint scent of their shampoo.

Honestly, there are some smells I would rather blank out. I will never forget the time my mother prepared chitterlings (chitlins for my soul food connoisseurs) in our home kitchens. Those of you who have experienced this process know how strong and pungent the smell is. Needless to say that was my first (and last) time tasting or eating chitterlings… all because of the smell.

Spiritually we also have a scent.

“In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life.” 2 Corinthians 12:14-15 (The Message)

Ask yourself this question; is my aroma pleasant and engaging? Are people drawn to the perfume of my conversation and attitude? Or are people repelled when they get a whiff of my negativity or hypocrisy?

Those of us who are believers in Christ should carry a sweet smell. We should be compassionate, caring and real with all people… especially those who may not believe the same thing we believe. The greatest commandment is summed up in loving God will all your heart, soul and strength, and loving you neighbor as yourself. The grace of God in our life should be attractive to those who are seeking truth.

Take a moment and take a whiff of yourself (it’s ok, no one is looking ). Do you smell of life or death today?

“Does it sound like we’re patting ourselves on the back, insisting on our credentials, asserting our authority? Well, we’re not.You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you.  Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it.” – 2 Corinthians 3:1-3 (The Message)

There is a very familiar saying that goes like this: ” I would rather see a sermon than hear one any day!” This scripture is a reminder that actions speak louder than words. Genuine faith in Jesus Christ is more than going to church on Sunday. Authentic belief  in God is more than choosing not to cuss, staying away from clubs or abstaining from sex before marriage. A bona fide believer is a living letter, a constantly-updated blog dedicated to God’s narrative.

When people see us (believers in God through Jesus Christ), they must see living epistles. The moment we surrender our lives to God, He places His Holy Spirit within us. God literally chooses to dwell and take up residence inside of us. In other words, He moves in and becomes the landlord of our hearts.  He then begins the lifelong process of transforming us inside and out. Motivated by His love, we then begin to respond to the work that He started within us. We begin to bear fruit:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” – Galatians 5:22-25 (NIV)

What does this mean for our interaction with those who have not yet committed their lives to God?

It means that we should spend more time and effort investing in our relationship with God than attempting to tell them how to live their lives.

As you are changed, it will show. When you walk in the fruit of the Spirit, it will positively affect those around you. Your light will shine so that others can see work that God has done on your heart.

Live your life as an open book. Don’t be afraid to admit that you are not perfect; embrace the fact that you are a work in progress. And when God does rewrite a chapter within your life or corrects your mistakes, don’t be afraid to share it with those people who are in your sphere of influence. Remember, you are a blog post that is constantly up for revision. Allow God to update you daily through the publishing power of His Holy Spirit.