Four "P's" and Psalm 51

According to our Bible study, Jennifer says that there IS indeed an answer to knowing why some run to God and others don't. Her words are simply stated but I know that they are almost an impossible hurdle to overcome.
They are, according to her, choices.
These choices often become the stumbling blocks of our Faith:

1. Pride.
Personally, this sin caught me by surprise a few years ago. I was all worried about appearances and letting mine and my family's heart issues go unaddressed. It was freeing to finally quit trying to please everyone else and just try to please God. The thing about the sin of pride is that it is, by far, one of the most serious offences to God, yet we don't often think it's a big deal.

2. Priorities
Write them down. That was the advice I was given.
Name the top three priorities.
Now write down what is keeping you from attending to the three priorities?
When I did that, it instigated a career change for me. I was almost ready to go check groceries somewhere if that is what it took.
The key to this one is,... write them down.
Just thinking of them won't work.
Once the priorities are named, make the necessary changes so that they can be given your time and attention.
Make the changes.
Period.

3. Preoccupation
It's no wonder I get spiritually parched and dry when there is zero time spent in the Word and in prayer. This kinda goes back to pride.
("I'm just too busy!")
(my eyes are now rolling at myself)

4. Pressure
When there is no time, rest, money, etc,...life gets way out of balance. For me, this was tied to #2. Stress was keeping me upset all the time because I was unable to attend to the important things in my life.


Good thoughts. All of them.
But here's the deal:
Stumbling blocks will forever be in our path because Satan wishes to destroy us. His favorite weapons are pain, despair and destruction and we are incredibly naive in thinking we can survive him.
While some of us are growing spiritually, let's not turn a blind or arrogant eye to those of us who are getting ripped apart by the enemy in the doorways of our church and the living rooms of our homes.
We are surrounded by brothers and sisters in desperate need of love, mercy and grace. I am, right this minute, recommitting my time to encouraging those around me who are not remotely interested in being filled with God.

In fact, let me start right now:
Psalm 51 is a prayer that reminds me that my heart is able to have healing if,..... I am willing.
Good thing that God doesn't require much else, 'cause there were plenty of times when I needed Him but had no energy to seek Him. I love this chapter because these are God's actions,..not ours:
Blot out...
Wash me...
Cleanse me...
Purge me...
Make me...
Hide me...
Create in me...
Renew in me...
Restore to me...
Uphold me...
Deliver me...

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Two different ideas in this post,...but lucky for you, I did not add the other 1800 ideas that are in my head! You see,..the time posted on these entries is actually the time I START writing! ZZzzzzzzz