Blank Screens

I stare at a blank screen. I need to fill it with words, but the blankness leaves little inspiration. Then I realize how much that resembles the condition of my heart at times.

In the battle against this world, I work hard to keep the bad out and maintain a clean and pure heart. The problem begins with my effort. It all falls on that little word "my." My effort, supported by my strength and power, are at best like this blank page. They offer nothing in the way of motivation, power, authority, creativity, or inspiration to battle the ugliness of this world.

In my writing, I need ideas. I rarely sit down to a blank computer screen and start to write. Instead, I keep a journal as I read the Bible each morning. A star goes beside each idea that I desire to expand into a blog post. I also have an Evernote note with other ideas, typically inspirations from daily life that remind me of God's presence. Amazingly enough, today this blank screen did actually begin to stir my thoughts, but typically I engage my other resources to help me know what to write each time I sit down.

My heart is much the same. I cannot accomplish the purpose for which I was created if I simple try to fight based on an empty heart. In fact, I was not created to combat evil. I was created to glorify God. His glory cannot emerge from a blank heart. It can only originate within a heart that is already full of Him. And the ability to fight the world flows naturally when I fulfill that foundational purpose.

Christ dwells within me, but I ignore His power when I do not cultivate the relationship with Him. I can attend church faithfully, read my Bible daily, and work through a prayer list. But if I do not truly relate to Him, I might as well be staring at a blank screen. There will be no inspiration, no power, and no motivation to glorify Him in all I do.

He must fill the screen of my life. Always.