The Theme Song of Our Lives

What is the 'theme of your song'? Most of us could actually give a title to the 'song' that describes the things we have done, want to do, and continue to do in our lives. The rodeo bull rider may make his theme, "I wanna ride, ride, ride till I can't ride no more". The determined CEO may say his is, "I made it, look at me now". Whatever the 'theme' of your song is, if Jesus isn't at the center of that 'song', you might need a rewrite on that song!

Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived. I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord; therefore, I obey your instructions. This is how I spend my life: obeying your commandments. (Psalm 119:54-56 NLT)

Reflection is a powerful 'tool' in our arsenal of defense against the enemy of our soul and even our own stubborn sin nature. The goodness of God is often reflected in our lives, with his love and grace coming through when other emotions might have dictated a different response from us. Reflecting upon God is not just 'reflecting God'. It us intentionally taking the time to get to know his many attributes - letting them really impact our perception of him in and around us.

Reflection involves gratitude. We cannot help but think about the many ways he has transformed our lives and not be grateful for the change. Without him, we would be stuck in that dead-end existence of sinning, feeling bad about it, sinning again, feeling worse about it, and so on. When we consider what God has done and is still doing in our lives, it helps us to see his goodness, grace, love, and patience. The attributes of God are often the focus of our reflection, aren't they?

Obedience is frequently linked to reflection or meditation in scripture. The more we 'consider', 'ponder', 'ruminate upon', 'turn over in our minds' - the more we step into his presence and begin to develop a closeness with him. We don't 'meditate' with our minds alone - doing 'mindfulness activities' ad nauseum. We might quiet our minds, focus on his Word, and find ourselves really celebrating something we come to see as a promise to us, or a practical way to incorporate his teaching into our lives. Our minds are engaged, but so is our heart (will, emotions) and body (obedient actions he may require from us).

If you have never spent much time 'reflecting upon' God in your lives, you may find that you 'reflect' little of God through your lives. The two are linked! We reflect more of his attributes the more we come to know and appreciate them. The theme of our song really changes once we allow him to be the true center of our lives! Just sayin!