But I disagree with the idea of loitering in our spiritual life and time with Daddy. I'd like to say that I am not one to argue semantics, which is often seen as silly and pointless, but I am. I do argue semantics because I believe it's important. Semantics is the study of meaning in language; so when someone says, "you're just arguing semantics," what they’re really saying is, "you're just arguing meaning." Well, yeah.
The difference between loiter and lounge, when used as verbs, is that loiter is to stand about without any aim or purpose; to stand about idly; to linger; to hang around while lounge is to relax; to spend time lazily; to stand, sit, or recline in an indolent manner. Basically, both words, loiter and lounge, have positive and negative connotations and are synonyms of one another. But, for me, I find it more beneficial to lounge with God than to loiter in His presence.
The main positive in the definition of loiter is to linger, but lounging can also mean lingering lazily. The primary meaning of loiter is to stand or wait about idly without aim or purpose, and, call it semantics, but I believe wholeheartedly that our time with God should have both aim and purpose. Now that doesn't mean I think we need to be busy the entire time or striving to accomplish something. There are times when we need to battle spiritually, but there are times we need to lay striving aside. That's why I prefer to lounge, the primary meaning of which is to lie, sit or stand in a relaxed or lazy way.
That may rankle a bit at first, because we see laziness as a sin and moral failure. But when we spend time with Daddy lazily, we are accomplishing much. Lazily means in a manner that shows an unwillingness to exert oneself; with a lack of care or concern; slowly. Going back to the definition of lounge, it also means to stand, sit or recline in an indolent manner, which also sounds bad. But once again, in the spiritual, indolent, which means wanting to avoid activity or exertion, is a good thing.
If you look up lounge in a thesaurus, the first list of synonyms are nouns, and they are all basically places to drink alcohol. That's what many of us first think when we hear lounge, a place to go get away from everything and consume spirits until all cares and worries and pain are forgotten and where one won't have to strive with the day for a while. They rarely live up to the idea they are advertising, because a bar lounge is a poor counterfeit for lounging with Daddy.
Let's go to God with aim and purpose. What aim and purpose? To take our anxieties, cares, stresses and burdens into His presence and lay them down. To stop striving and fighting and instead find our rest in trusting Him. Let's spend time with God lazily, unwilling to exert or stress because we cast our cares and concerns on Him, resting in His care for us. Let's do this slowly, taking the time, however long it takes, to lie, sit or stand away from everything and consume the Spirit that truly restores, refreshes, comforts and strengthens. Let's be indolent and avoid activity or exertion. "Be still and know that I am God, " He says. "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." We don't have to exert or work for peace or God's attention, care and help, because Jesus has already done the work for us. We just need to rest in what has been done.
Today, let us lay aside the burdens weighing us down, and stop striving with everything and to be or do what we can never be or do on our own, and let us cease loitering, wasting our time waiting around without aim or purpose. Instead, let us lounge with Daddy, in His presence, relaxing and resting in what Christ has done, while we consume the things of the Spirit that heal, restore and empower us.
This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.
Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.
No comments:
Post a Comment