“You have...one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.” (Ephesians 4:6 MSG)
Our body is mostly made up of water. Even at a cellular level, water is the main component of every living thing. The earth’s surface has more water than land. Yet, we rarely pay much attention to this essential source of life. Instead, we are preoccupied by ‘other’ things like food, fuel, land, and wealth.
Similarly, God permeates everything. Yet, our minds are crowded with ‘other’ issues. We fail to notice that the Divine suffuses every aspect of life. Our time is occupied with nonessentials.
“In the spiritual life, the word discipline means "the effort to create some space in which God can act." Discipline means to prevent everything in your life from being filled up. Discipline means that somewhere you're not occupied, and certainly not preoccupied.” (Henri Nouwen)
In order to be whole, our lives have to reflect the truth that everything is saturated by God’s Spirit. This requires discipline. We must create space, make time, remain free and available. The desire to occupy our lives with that which brings us validation, pleasure, and comfort is high. We must vigilantly restrain ourselves from these temptations. When we leave room for God to act, He reveals His presence in everything. Our thoughts, our actions, and our being become suffused by His Oneness.
Lord, may we be completely occupied with You.
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