What would your life be like if you never:

• Ø Laughed again?
• Ø Felt the sunshine on your skin again?
• Ø Had a chance to eat your favorite meal again?
• Ø Hugged your child again?
• Ø Or never again kissed that very special someone in your life?

Now, take the feelings that your answers generated inside of you and multiply it by the largest number that you can think of and then you’ll just start to come close to how God feels because you decided to skip spending time with Him today.

God knows something that most of us don’t seem to understand, He wants us to spend time with Him for OUR BENEFIT, NOT HIS. Found at the heart of every single temptation (from Satan) is the desire to kill, steal and destroy this relationship. The hidden agenda of every temptation is to distract you from the desires of God; And the greatest of all of His desires for you to live a life of joy and abundance.

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy, I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” John 10:10 [Amp]

The abundance that Jesus is talking about is manifested in your life through the Fruit of God’s Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23). And found in this Fruit is the answer to any temptation that you will ever face. Your ability to stand against every single temptation that Satan will ever bring before you is found in the quality of your relationship with God.

“For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.” Galatians 5:17 [Amp]

The more time you spend in God’s presence, the more you’ll become like Him, and the more you become like Him, the more His fruit will start to express itself through you. Your character is the channel that the fruit of the Spirit uses to express and manifest Himself in your life.

REMEMBER:

• · The first Fruit listed is LOVE. Love here is an action, doing the right (or best) thing and the right time.
• · Character is an outward expression of what is going on privately in your heart. If you don’t like what going on in your heart (or life) increase the amount and quality of time that you are spending with God and His word.
• · Character is developed during those times when no one (but God) sees you. This is when you come face to face with what you truly believe.
• · Character grows through correction. Learn to make doing right more important than being right. Humbling yourself allows the gifts that are in you to grow and produce fruit.

Satan will see to it that you’ll never FIND time to spend with God --- YOU MUST MAKE THE TIME TO SPEND WITH HIM. Your life, your destiny and the quality of your living depends on it.

Are you satisfied with the amount of time that you are spending with God? If not, what are you willing to do about it?

Pastor Michael Larkins is the Author of “Victorious Nuggets – Transforming Self-Esteem into Christ-Esteem.

For more of his blogs go to his web site www.thewealthresponse.com