At the end of yet another hard day of exasperated children and weary parents, I leaned over to kiss my oldest boy goodnight...

...to say I'm sorry for the harsh words,

...to say that I regret that he was caught in the crossfire of stress-out parents who put themselves, and not one another first,

...to say that I shouldn't have allowed my stress and frustrations to rule my actions.

...And his simple response was humbling and convicting:

"I'm finding that when I get up early and read my Bible, my day goes so much better. It really makes a difference in my day," he says.

Somehow, my 12 yr. old connected the dots where my sophisticated, deep-thinking, rationalizing mind was failing to recognize as basic and true: I need God's Word to direct my heart each day...not to check it off the list, not to earn favor with Jesus, not as a lucky charm...but simply because God's Word transforms our hearts and minds.

We know this to be true, and yet there are days we choose email over transformation, believing that clearing our inboxes will change our lives. And it does, but not the way truth can.

We know this to be true, and yet there are days we choose physical self-improvement over transformation, believing that physical remodeling will make everything better. And it may, but not the way truth can.

We know this to be true, and yet there are days we prioritize our to-do lists over transformation, believing that crossing one more thing off will make the difference. And it will, but not the way truth can.

There are many reasons why we may not read our Bibles regularly, but it always comes back to this:

We make time for what we think will make the most impact in the thing that matters most to us.

And so, I remember, again, that what draws me to Christ and the Word of God, is not guilt, fear, or fastidiousness, but rather - LOVE. I love my savior. I love the family he's entrusted me with. Therefor, I will remember to prioritize what is most important to me, and ask the Lord for the discernment to not make what's most important, ME.

When Christ matters most in our lives, the impact of drawing near to him each day will make the greatest difference in the lives I seek to love well.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. - Romans 12:2

Because of grace,