I recently visited a restaurant and I noticed they had a banquet room. On this particular occasion, the banquet room had a sign on the door that said “reserved” and was full of people of various ages. Later, during a trip to the restroom, I noticed it was a birthday celebration. The cake and balloons were a dead giveaway. When our family has an opportunity to gather together and go out for dinner, we have to call ahead for a reservation as well. The number of people in our party is too large just to show up and expect to get seated. Making a reservation to go out for dinner takes intentionality and planning. You have to coordinate and find out who is available to meet for dinner. You have to find a restaurant that will accommodate your party and offer a food variety that meets the preferences and needs of your party. And you have to do all of this a day or two ahead of time so the restaurant can plan for your party. As I think about reservations, we not only make restaurant reservations but also reservations for a hotel stay, rental car, Uber, conventions, conferences, special meetings, sporting events, camping spots, movies, haircuts and styles, date nights with our spouse, etc., etc. We coordinate. We plan. We are intentional. Well, that is, as it applies to reservations.
As I think about it, I’d like to suggest that we make some spiritual-related reservations. Reservations that demonstrate our love for God and His priority in our life. For that matter, reservations that impact our spiritual growth. What kind of reservations would that be? Well, opportunities like personal devotions, shared life groups, worship, and even serving for a start. Think about it. God wants to have a deep and abiding relationship with you. He is available for you. He’ll gladly take your reservation. He’ll warmly welcome you to join Him where He is working. But like all reservations, it takes coordination, planning, and intentionality.
Whether it’s morning or evening devotions, weekly shared life group meetings, Sunday morning corporate worship gatherings, or using your spiritual gift in serving the church you have to reserve time for God and His work. You can’t proverbially fly by the seat of your pants. You can’t allow your schedule to get overcrowded and you have to reserve these most important priorities on your calendar before the other more non-essential activities. Allow me to be bold and ask. Do you make a reservation on your calendar for corporate worship each week or do you leave it open and allow other activities to crowd out your time with and for the Lord? Do you schedule your devotions or do you just do one if there is time and opportunity? I know. I know. This is where you throw a penalty flag and penalize me 15 yards for being legalistic. Right? Okay then, if I were a football coach I’d throw a challenge flag and say, when is it legalistic to make God (His worship, His word, His work) your priority?
If you say you love Jesus. If you say that He is your priority. If you say Jesus is worthy of our worship. Well then, shouldn’t your calendar reflect as much? Ask yourself, why is this so hard for so many people? What are the possible reasons? Doesn’t it all come down to one thing? You know, what Jesus said. MT 22:36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. The fact of the matter is, your lifestyle will reflect how much or little you love God regardless of what you tell yourself or others. So what does your calendar reveal? If the restaurant and the hair stylist can rate a reservation, how about Jesus? It takes coordination, planning, and intentionality but it’s worth it. After all, He is Jesus the King of kings and Lord of lords.
A Work in Progress,
Pastor Gene
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