by Brother Matthew Abney
I relate to living sanctified on a day to day basis and what do I have to do to get through my day. The first thing I do before I get out of bed is thank GOD for the day and the weather. Whether it’s raining or sunny, it’s a great day for me. Next I run down the thoughts from my heart. From there I read the living word to add to my growth and then I sing a song from my heart. It’s never a song that I know, but words of how I feel. I pray for my family, friends and enemies (those who don’t have good intentions for me at work or wherever I see them) so that I can be a blessing to someone in need. Sometimes I call my dad to pray with him.
Every morning I choose to read one scripture that stands out to me so that I can make it a part of my heart. I then start my day ready to deal with whatever comes my way . . .who’s going to call looking for a hand-out; who’s going to invite me to eat during my fast day; or who’s going to invite me to the club for drinks. You must stand firm in what you believe because "you can do all things through Christ." I feel good knowing that my day is going to be great!
What is living sanctified like on a day to day basis? When you see how you feel each day, there’s a peace of mind. You notice things happen out of the ordinary . . . great things! You start to expect good things to happen like food, discounts, passes, promotions, and money. When you pray, our relationship with the Lord will grow. You’ll be able to hear from God with direction on how to handle anything that comes up, like where to find money needed and how to spend it wisely. In the middle of the day you’ll find yourself praying and not just on fast days (Tuesday & Friday), but being thankful for the blessing of wisdom; just thanking God for the day knowing that your future is bright; asking for repentance; and staying focused.
Fear helps me stay focused on staying faithful. I compare living sanctified to living with diabetes. Do you take care of yourself and protect yourself from things that may hurt you? Do you change your ways or continue to die? Do you eat less? Do you exercise or watch what you eat? To live sanctified, you must exercise your faith by reading, praying, attending Sunday School, learning more how to live, and watch what you take in (like nudity, cursing, gossip, and so much more). Like with diabetes, you realize it isn’t necessary to eat so much food. I don’t need to be in the club or drinking if I want to live sanctified. I don’t have to be a part of the world to live in it.
To live sanctified, I need to take my medicine, read my word and learn the basic instructions to live by. I need to attend Sunday School where there is teaching on how to live. Are you willing to lose your toes, your legs or die because you’ve become comfortable not taking care of yourself? Living with no direction; doing things on your own; sad, lost and worrying about life; lost in the middle sinning and thinking it’s ok is like a diabetic coma. Do you really want to wait until they say we just need one toe so that you can live in a downward spiral of pain? Or would you rather live knowing that you can and are in good standing with the Lord once again? The fear of GOD will help you live sanctified! Get out of the middle before it’s too late.