Living with God
In Survival Mode
Recently the Cotcherys have been operating in one mode: survival mode!!!! Just in case you are not too familiar with this life skill, allow me to explain. Survival mode is the practice of living your life, day to day, while being stressed. In this mode, the stresses of life stifle us from being able to have any long-term plans beyond today and we are only graced with enough strength to live for the day we’re in.
In this state, idolatry has been lurking at my door. Idolatry, please Madame Cotchery explain—when I am in survival mode, my gaze is firmly placed upon my tasks and I am putting too high of a value on my to-do list. I have such an excessive attachment to my tasks that I busy myself with the execution of my responsibilities without being mindful of God. Do you ever find yourself walking through this maze of life, stepping on land mines with each step, and neglecting to spend time with God?
Now, please allow me to be the first to admit: living in survival mode when your back is up against the wall can have its benefits. We are not worried in the least about tomorrow. For crying out loud, WE CANNOT EVEN THINK OF TOMORROW! There is enough trouble for us in today. Secondly, if we look close enough, we can see God’s grace prodigiously on display as we are living moment to moment, allowing us to find peace in our limitations. We can realize that some things are simply not our concern, trusting God’s grace, our daily bread, to get us and our family through today.
As a follower of Jesus Christ, I am called in Matthew 6:33 to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.”
There will come one glorious day where it will be impossible—unthinkable—to put things above God, to separate our faith and works. Until then we must concern ourselves with ensuring that we are first seeking His righteousness and concerning ourselves with our worldly to-do list second. I encourage you to add time for yourself and for your children to commune with God onto your to-do list. This could include incorporating a devotional time in the morning with your kids over breakfast, encouraging them to pray out loud for the family before dinner or working devotional books into their bed time reading.
Consciously planning for time with God throughout the day allows our families the grace to worship our God as we move about the day, manifesting faith and works jointly. I hope you now see, my sweet, our Jesus who holds all things together can shape us to exist as both a survivalist and at rest knowing He will provide us with the fruit of peace and not the pang of being stretched or overwhelmed if we take the time to seek Him.
“Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
2 Corinthians 5:5