Complaining.
We all do it. I probably do more than is healthy if I'm honest with myself. It's so easy to gripe about what we DON'T have. One of the biggest on my list would probably be HARD things in life. If anything comes my way that MIGHT be hard, or that MIGHT cause a little pain, do I latch onto the One who is my strength, or do I start the whining? Almost every time, it would be the latter.
Trials are going to come, sorry, but it's the plain and simple truth. People say our strength is shown in how many trials and hard times we make it through, but really it's what we do DURING the time of those trials that shows where our strength lies. See, if we live our life like we're supposed to, it would close a lot of people's mouths that try and harm us (because there will be no proof of what they're saying) and just make us all around more content.
"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that at the revelations of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." -1 Peter 4:12-13
Wow. "If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed." How often do we see it that way? (Truthfully now.) We probably have never thought about it in that way.
"And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David, of Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouth of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from WEAKNESS were made STRONG, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight."
Regular men and women, just like you and I, had FAITH in God and in the promises they were given and conquered such amazing things that people knew it could only be from God Himself. It was not because they were strong, bold and courageous. It was their weakness that made God choose them, because when we are weak, He is strong and His power is shown through us in a way that cannot be claimed as our own.
"Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment."
If such things were to happen to you and I, would we still have faith, still be strong in our beliefs, or would we high tale and run for cover?
"They were stoned, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in the deserts and the mountains and caved and holes in the ground."
These people were tortured. Have you ever felt the need to have something you can love SO MUCH that you will give anything for it, including your life, because it means THAT much to you? That is what these men felt. God was not some crutch or made up idol. God was real in their lives; He was real in their hearts. It was visible, because they didn't make HIM INVISIBLE.
"All these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect."
These men and women were promised many things...they were told by God that He would return. They had SUCH faith that they risked and gave their lives for that very reason, because they BELIEVED that God would fulfill His promise in time. God's promise 2,000 years later rings no less true than it did the day He said it. He could come back tomorrow, or 200 years from now. But He will come back. Everything He said, He will do.
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,"
All of the people you read about in the bible... so often we treat them as bedtime or made up stories. We think "Oh how I wish I could be as brave as ____! Man, they had such passion for Jesus!" Yes, and they are your brothers and sisters. You and I have the exact same Power in us that they did! God hasn't shrunk any bit at all! We have shrunk Him. We have done some resizing and made Him into the little image we want Him to be, putting Him in a little box for safe keeping. We must stop cutting our faith down to fit the worlds small mindedness on Jesus. Just because they cannot understand the magnificence of Him doesn't mean we need to make Him smaller in our minds. -We have got to stop saying "I wish I was like" and start saying "I will be like".
"...let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on JESUS"
If I were to go out and run a race through the woods...there would probably be several things that COULD stop me from finishing; it could be leg cramps, thirst, branches, holes, puddles or animals in our path. I want to finish this race though, right? So what do I do, push through the fatigue, jump over or go around the obstacles, or do I give up and go back? Well hopefully my choice would be to continue on and just move around what was in my way. That is how it works with our faith. The road we are running on isn't perfect. We were told before the race began that we might face some difficulty, but we signed up anyway. As we run this race, instead of having that donut, cup of coffee or plate of eggs on our mind, Jesus should at the forefront of our mind. He gives us the strength we need to keep at it...to keep moving. Like I said, there will be things we will have to push through that will try to stop us, but we must fix our eyes on the PRIZE (Jesus) and push through the hard times.
"...fixing our eyes on JESUS, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him ENDURED THE CROSS, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." -Hebrews 4:32-39, 12:1-3
Consider how MUCH He endured. All for what? Everything He did was for you and I, so that we won't get depressed or tired, so our spirits would stay lifted and we will have something to look forward to in this life.
These verses mention many people who had faith in Gos to lead them in a way that was unknown and confusing to them. They faced many hardships and many people who were against what they were doing, but through it all they did not back down. They were steadfast.
If you are a believer, this race is for you, too. We have the same task and the same God that those men and women had all of those years ago. Our God has not changed. Remember to be encouraged in your walk with Christ, because God's strength is still able to empower us today. He is not a God in the past who left us to fend for ourselves.
The people this verse talked about endured great pain. Most of them actually died. And we complain when a friends spreads a silly rumor about us? In verse 38 it says "...men of whom the world was not worthy". Wow. If we want a description of what our faith should look like, that is a good one. We should be asking ourselves this, though. Would that be said about us a hundred years from now?Could it be said about us? Do we run our race complaining about being thirsty, getting cramps in our side, our legs hurting or moan and groan the whole time, or do we run because we have our eyes set on the site ahead, and it is so amazing that it pushes us through all the pain we're feeling?
Life is not about us. It's a rough things to hear, let me tell you. I always think to myself how things aren't fair for me. Well guess what? They won't ever be. As believers, this SHOULD be truth in our lives! Our life should be about HIM.
We spend so much time trying to figure out what God's plans are...why He allows certain things to happen. But honestly, all we need to know is that "all things work together for good for those who love Him". God will not always give us a reason for why He allowed something bad to happen, but as our faith is tested, we should be leaning on Him.
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." -Hebrews 11:1
Faith means we believe in something, even though we can't see it. We cannot see God, nor can we see His plan for our life. But we have FAITH that He is there and will work the best for our lives, because He SAID He would.
Reading a lot about the children of Israel, they were a fickle bunch of people, weren't they? God could never please them. They would complain about being hungry or thirsty, and God would feed them and give them water and countless other things. They would complain, God would give them what they wanted, and so the cycle would go. It was like a see-saw. Up and down all the time. When we don't get our way, do we, like the children of Israel, stomp our feet and whine about how rough we have it? Most of us probably do. (Those of you who claim you've never done that, simply disregard that last statement.) Our faith is what gives us hope. Whether things are going great, or we feel things couldn't get worse.
"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him." 1 John 3:1-2
To be called a child of God is a big thing. A child of THE King. Wow. It should be thought of as such an Honor...but these days we simply push it aside and say "well, if it saves me from going to hell...." God did not die to save us from hell; He died to SAVE US. He desires to spend time with His children, and aches when they are struggling or in pain. He is saddened at the very thought of His children hurting. But He promises to be there when it comes and a day where we will no longer feel pain.
The things of today, the hurts and pains; the struggles and trials; they are all what we must endure as we pass through this world. We never, EVER, have to face them alone, though.
"He will NEVER leave you NOR forsake you."
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Mystical Fairytales or Infinite Power?
Prayer.
You see bumper stickers around town of praying hands; Christians bow their heads in church when the pastor of deacon prays; when you have a test in school you pray that you did well; when you desire something you say a prayer to the "man upstairs".
Is this the image of prayer believers are giving the world? If we're all honest, I think it is. We treat prayer like a gimmick. Like it is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We think we will get anything we want simply by saying a prayer.
No wonder people don't take prayer seriously anymore!
When we don't make it something serious in our life, then no one else will, either; when we don't take prayer seriously, we are showing everyone around us that our relationship with Jesus isn't serious.
Let me explain exactly what prayer is. See, it isn't a "get what you want" whisper of a request. It is an intimate time with the most Powerful Being there has ever been...and the most powerful there ever will be.
We shouldn't go to Him with selfish desires. We go to Him with an earnest plea, totally humbled before Him, because when we get to the bottom of it all, He doesn't owe us a thing. You want a bigger house? Terrific. A better salary? Fantastic! God doesn't owe you any of that.
(I might go off on a rabbits trail for a minute, but just bear with me.)
Now before you get all riled up...let me finish explaining.
See, God isn't one for giving us what we deserve. His love goes beyond anything the human brain could ever comprehend. We cannot begin to fathom the depth of His amazing love.
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)" -Ephesians 2:1-5
Think about all the things you've always said were "mistakes," now go look at the ten commandments. How many have you broken? God says even if you think you've only broken ONE, it is as if you've broken them all. Unfair? No. God is a righteous Judge and will punish according to the crime. If someone killed one of your family members and went before a judge, and said "But judge. I've never lied, or stolen anything, and I'm a good person most of the time." would it be "fair" to let the man go, weighing the one bad thing verses all the good decisions he had made? No. We all agree, a good judge would still give the man his sentence according to his crimes committed.
Now think about what your punishment should be for disobeying (sinning against) the Lord of the universe! In the instance of Christ, He allows a way out, and that way is to repent. To willingly admit you have done wrong.
Well, God isn't here on this earth physically so you can't go find Him and tell Him you're sorry...how can we repent then? This is where prayer comes in.
Falling to Christ as one who has nothing to offer but our dirty sinful lives. The weight of everything we've done lies on our shoulders as we bow before the King. This is the sweetest time one can have with Christ. In that instance, He takes away every wrong doing, every sin, every mistake you've ever made and places them in a pit. Never to be carried by you again. He says it is no longer yours; it is no longer even there. He wiped your slate clean.
The power of prayer.
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
Now, this verse was not written for all of God's believers in 2012...but that doesn't mean we can't take something away from it. See, prayer is powerful because the one we are praying TO is powerful. He is great and mighty, and can do anything He very well pleases. His will may not always be ours, but the more we seek Him the more our desires will be what His will!
Prayer works.
"But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer." -Psalm 66:19
"Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer Nor His lovingkindness from me." -Psalm 66:20
When God's people pray, He not only hears them, but blesses them. He always answers prayers, even if it is not in a way that we wanted.
There's a story my dad always told, about a man that gave the credit for his answered prayer away (I will try to get it right.)
A man was up on a roof one day working away when he lost his footing and began to fall quickly towards the edge of the roof. He was in a state of panic and cried out "Lord, save me!" All of the sudden the mans shirt caught on a nail and saved him right before he went over the edge. He said "never mind Lord, this nail caught me."
Sound familiar? How often do we do that?
Prayer is sufficient.
This does not mean we pray and sit back waiting for God to hand us an answer on a silver platter. But more so that prayer should be enough. When we make prayer (time with God) a priority in our life, we will find all of the things we thought were SO important become so small and irrelevant that it's almost funny.
- - - - - - - - - -
My God is enough.
He is not some made us being for the weak to use as a crutch. He is not a fairy or giant in some fairytale land. He is THE Creator. THE King of the world. THE Loving/Righteous Judge. You can tell people all you want that you do not believe in the power of prayer or in Jesus Himself, that is fine. He gave us freedom, even if it means being free from Him. But know this, that doesn't mean He isn't there. I can go up to someone sitting down on a chair and tell them I don't believe there is a chair there...even though the evidence is right in front of my face. SOMETHING is holding that person up from falling, and me saying I don't believe in it will no more make it disappear than one saying they do not believe in Jesus will make Him any less real.
- - - - - - - - - -
Prayer is a straight line to talk to our Saviour.
When God's people pray, great things can happen. We cannot sit here doing nothing as we complain about the "state of the world" blaming it on what people ARE doing or acting like the "other" people, those prayer warriors, have it all under control. We should be blaming it on ourselves, for what we are NOT doing. The minute we give up our joy and belief in prayer is the minute we give up the most blessing filled minutes of our life.
Don't quit. Don't ever stop. Even when things seem to be going great, prayer is still as important as ever. God hungers for us to come to Him. He wants to spend time with us! And that should drive us to spend time with Him.
Do we really care?
"MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’" -Matthew 21:13
The house of God; Our churches. They are the house of God, correct? But what exactly is the "church"? In reality, it is not a building, but the people in the building. God's people MAKE the church. So, God's house, our church (His followers) are called to pray. His followers coming together to pray for one another; for the lost; the sick; the poor and needy; the hurting; the lonely; the condemned; the discouraged; the ones who are told they are nothing.
Are we going to let prayer become a thing of the past, that people look back upon as a fairytale, or will we make them talk for hundreds of years about how God's people prayed and God MOVED among thousands? It is your choice.
You see bumper stickers around town of praying hands; Christians bow their heads in church when the pastor of deacon prays; when you have a test in school you pray that you did well; when you desire something you say a prayer to the "man upstairs".
Is this the image of prayer believers are giving the world? If we're all honest, I think it is. We treat prayer like a gimmick. Like it is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We think we will get anything we want simply by saying a prayer.
No wonder people don't take prayer seriously anymore!
When we don't make it something serious in our life, then no one else will, either; when we don't take prayer seriously, we are showing everyone around us that our relationship with Jesus isn't serious.
Let me explain exactly what prayer is. See, it isn't a "get what you want" whisper of a request. It is an intimate time with the most Powerful Being there has ever been...and the most powerful there ever will be.
We shouldn't go to Him with selfish desires. We go to Him with an earnest plea, totally humbled before Him, because when we get to the bottom of it all, He doesn't owe us a thing. You want a bigger house? Terrific. A better salary? Fantastic! God doesn't owe you any of that.
(I might go off on a rabbits trail for a minute, but just bear with me.)
Now before you get all riled up...let me finish explaining.
See, God isn't one for giving us what we deserve. His love goes beyond anything the human brain could ever comprehend. We cannot begin to fathom the depth of His amazing love.
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)" -Ephesians 2:1-5
Think about all the things you've always said were "mistakes," now go look at the ten commandments. How many have you broken? God says even if you think you've only broken ONE, it is as if you've broken them all. Unfair? No. God is a righteous Judge and will punish according to the crime. If someone killed one of your family members and went before a judge, and said "But judge. I've never lied, or stolen anything, and I'm a good person most of the time." would it be "fair" to let the man go, weighing the one bad thing verses all the good decisions he had made? No. We all agree, a good judge would still give the man his sentence according to his crimes committed.
Now think about what your punishment should be for disobeying (sinning against) the Lord of the universe! In the instance of Christ, He allows a way out, and that way is to repent. To willingly admit you have done wrong.
Well, God isn't here on this earth physically so you can't go find Him and tell Him you're sorry...how can we repent then? This is where prayer comes in.
Falling to Christ as one who has nothing to offer but our dirty sinful lives. The weight of everything we've done lies on our shoulders as we bow before the King. This is the sweetest time one can have with Christ. In that instance, He takes away every wrong doing, every sin, every mistake you've ever made and places them in a pit. Never to be carried by you again. He says it is no longer yours; it is no longer even there. He wiped your slate clean.
The power of prayer.
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
Now, this verse was not written for all of God's believers in 2012...but that doesn't mean we can't take something away from it. See, prayer is powerful because the one we are praying TO is powerful. He is great and mighty, and can do anything He very well pleases. His will may not always be ours, but the more we seek Him the more our desires will be what His will!
Prayer works.
"But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer." -Psalm 66:19
"Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer Nor His lovingkindness from me." -Psalm 66:20
When God's people pray, He not only hears them, but blesses them. He always answers prayers, even if it is not in a way that we wanted.
There's a story my dad always told, about a man that gave the credit for his answered prayer away (I will try to get it right.)
A man was up on a roof one day working away when he lost his footing and began to fall quickly towards the edge of the roof. He was in a state of panic and cried out "Lord, save me!" All of the sudden the mans shirt caught on a nail and saved him right before he went over the edge. He said "never mind Lord, this nail caught me."
Sound familiar? How often do we do that?
Prayer is sufficient.
This does not mean we pray and sit back waiting for God to hand us an answer on a silver platter. But more so that prayer should be enough. When we make prayer (time with God) a priority in our life, we will find all of the things we thought were SO important become so small and irrelevant that it's almost funny.
- - - - - - - - - -
My God is enough.
He is not some made us being for the weak to use as a crutch. He is not a fairy or giant in some fairytale land. He is THE Creator. THE King of the world. THE Loving/Righteous Judge. You can tell people all you want that you do not believe in the power of prayer or in Jesus Himself, that is fine. He gave us freedom, even if it means being free from Him. But know this, that doesn't mean He isn't there. I can go up to someone sitting down on a chair and tell them I don't believe there is a chair there...even though the evidence is right in front of my face. SOMETHING is holding that person up from falling, and me saying I don't believe in it will no more make it disappear than one saying they do not believe in Jesus will make Him any less real.
- - - - - - - - - -
Prayer is a straight line to talk to our Saviour.
When God's people pray, great things can happen. We cannot sit here doing nothing as we complain about the "state of the world" blaming it on what people ARE doing or acting like the "other" people, those prayer warriors, have it all under control. We should be blaming it on ourselves, for what we are NOT doing. The minute we give up our joy and belief in prayer is the minute we give up the most blessing filled minutes of our life.
Don't quit. Don't ever stop. Even when things seem to be going great, prayer is still as important as ever. God hungers for us to come to Him. He wants to spend time with us! And that should drive us to spend time with Him.
Do we really care?
"MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’" -Matthew 21:13
The house of God; Our churches. They are the house of God, correct? But what exactly is the "church"? In reality, it is not a building, but the people in the building. God's people MAKE the church. So, God's house, our church (His followers) are called to pray. His followers coming together to pray for one another; for the lost; the sick; the poor and needy; the hurting; the lonely; the condemned; the discouraged; the ones who are told they are nothing.
Are we going to let prayer become a thing of the past, that people look back upon as a fairytale, or will we make them talk for hundreds of years about how God's people prayed and God MOVED among thousands? It is your choice.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Healing Scars
People say the older you get, the wiser you become. Sometimes I think the older I get the better chance it has for me to mess things up even more. I've never done drugs, I've never been an alcoholic, or gotten into trouble with the wrong people; sometimes, though, it's the smaller mistakes that haunt you more.
I have flash backs of bad memories quite frequently, always have. But I believe God has been showing me that healing begins when you allow it to. Trying to force a situation better or think it away will never solve the problem. Now, I've never been too much of a thinker, but when it comes to hurts and scars, I tend to over think everything and try to fix them on my own. This normally makes it all much worse. Human tendencies are to know everything (most of us think we do!) and to solve all of the problems on our own. See, we are a very prideful race. We believe we know enough to live life on our own without any outside help. This is where we are always wrong. Sometimes the best way to heal is simply to let go of control.
God doesn't ask that we suffer through pain. He doesn't want us to bear all of the burdens of sins, wrong doings and broken hearts. See, this is why He came. He gave His life so ours could be lived more abundantly!
I am not just a pile of broken pieces. YOU are not made up of broken pieces!
Think about it. You and I sin everyday of our lives; we make mistakes every single day. Jesus knew this before He ever came to the earth; He knew it before any of us were even created! Yet, He still chose to sacrifice Himself in our place. If you've never known true love before, this is it.
"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
There will never be anyone who loves you more than Jesus Christ. Never be anyone who is willing to give up as much as He did. Never one who wants the best for you more than Him.
So many things steal my heart away from God. Life gets busy and I make all kinds of excuses for not making Him my top priority. The miracle here is that He never leaves. Even when I place worldly goods over Him, He sits back and waits for me to realize how much I need Him.
Brokenness is part of life. We will all go through it and will all have scars from the sin that roams the earth; we do not have to face each day alone. We do not have to label ourselves with the brokenness we feel inside.
Today is the day you forgive yourself; if you believe in what God has said, then Jesus has already forgiven everything you've done. The day He died on the cross was the day He took our place of death for every sin we have ever committed and every mistake we will ever make. There is no sin too great that cannot be forgiven. There is no place too low that Christ cannot reach you.
To know Him is to know love, joy, peace, healing, and forgiveness. He doesn't just help you move on, He helps you move past.
It is a gift, not a demand. Take it or leave it. But as for me, I would rather spend the rest of my life with aching scars WITH Jesus, than a "perfect" life without Him, because there will be a day when life will no longer be filled with pain, but be replaced with "joy unspeakable and full of glory." (1 Peter 1:8)
"and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” " -Revelation 21:4-5
I have flash backs of bad memories quite frequently, always have. But I believe God has been showing me that healing begins when you allow it to. Trying to force a situation better or think it away will never solve the problem. Now, I've never been too much of a thinker, but when it comes to hurts and scars, I tend to over think everything and try to fix them on my own. This normally makes it all much worse. Human tendencies are to know everything (most of us think we do!) and to solve all of the problems on our own. See, we are a very prideful race. We believe we know enough to live life on our own without any outside help. This is where we are always wrong. Sometimes the best way to heal is simply to let go of control.
God doesn't ask that we suffer through pain. He doesn't want us to bear all of the burdens of sins, wrong doings and broken hearts. See, this is why He came. He gave His life so ours could be lived more abundantly!
I am not just a pile of broken pieces. YOU are not made up of broken pieces!
Think about it. You and I sin everyday of our lives; we make mistakes every single day. Jesus knew this before He ever came to the earth; He knew it before any of us were even created! Yet, He still chose to sacrifice Himself in our place. If you've never known true love before, this is it.
"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
There will never be anyone who loves you more than Jesus Christ. Never be anyone who is willing to give up as much as He did. Never one who wants the best for you more than Him.
So many things steal my heart away from God. Life gets busy and I make all kinds of excuses for not making Him my top priority. The miracle here is that He never leaves. Even when I place worldly goods over Him, He sits back and waits for me to realize how much I need Him.
Brokenness is part of life. We will all go through it and will all have scars from the sin that roams the earth; we do not have to face each day alone. We do not have to label ourselves with the brokenness we feel inside.
Today is the day you forgive yourself; if you believe in what God has said, then Jesus has already forgiven everything you've done. The day He died on the cross was the day He took our place of death for every sin we have ever committed and every mistake we will ever make. There is no sin too great that cannot be forgiven. There is no place too low that Christ cannot reach you.
To know Him is to know love, joy, peace, healing, and forgiveness. He doesn't just help you move on, He helps you move past.
It is a gift, not a demand. Take it or leave it. But as for me, I would rather spend the rest of my life with aching scars WITH Jesus, than a "perfect" life without Him, because there will be a day when life will no longer be filled with pain, but be replaced with "joy unspeakable and full of glory." (1 Peter 1:8)
"and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” " -Revelation 21:4-5
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Choosing Over Feeling
When you love someone, you want to do things that you know will please them or make them happy; it's a simple fact of life.
This random thought then morphed into me thinking about my relationship with God. (Yes, I said relationship, not "religion.") A relationship (in reference here) requires love. Husband/wife, parent/child, etc. These relationships are built on the principal of love. The root of what they are held together by is LOVE. Love is not just a feeling, but an action carried out.
Why, then, do I so frequently stray from pleasing God? Why do I make decisions knowing they will hurt Him? Well, just like a husband/wife, love and the desire to please doesn't come naturally after awhile. Sure initially it is all we think about, but after time goes by we begin to let the "feeling" run why we do things. Feelings are a very dangerous thing to give power to to lead your actions. Your heart can make poor decisions based on "feelings." This is why love needs to be an action and not just a fuzzy feeling.
I can love God with all my heart, but have no desire to please Him. Why? Because I am not CHOOSING to follow Him and His guidance.
The heart is very misleading and can get you into a lot of trouble. This is why we must allow the Holy Spirit to guide each and every step we take. The more time we spend listening for His guidance and watching for His direction the more time our minds will be on HIM. This means He is on the forefront of our mind more often. "There where your heart is, there will your treasure be also." The more time you spend on something, the more it will mean to you.
I must say, I don't spend near as much time with God as I should. I can always tell when I start slacking in my walk with Christ when I become very judgemental, have little patience or don't treat people with kindness. All of these things wouldn't be a problem if I were SEEKING to please God. It's a chain reaction situation. Follow God, you will live a life more abundantly and with so much more meaning!
This is the one thing I (as a follower of Christ) am required to do. Seek God with all my heart, mind and soul. If I do that, almost all of the other problems in my life will be resolved. I won't have a perfect life, but my attitude towards others and my outlook on life will be different. Not only will I be able to tell a difference, but everyone around me will, as well! When one spends time seeking God instead of earthly love and possessions they will find a life that is a filled with more peace and less stress.
"If you love Me, you will keep my commandments." IF we love Him.
I am dumbfounded at the fact that Christ has given me EVERYTHING I have in my possession, He gave me the life I live and the very breath I breathe....and I can be so ungrateful towards Him when I don't get one thing I want. "The heart is deceitful and wicked" My heart has one thing on it's mind: me. It wants ME to be happy, it wants ME to get what I want; but this is not a heart of God. Every day I have to ask Him to give me a heart like His so I can live that day in a way that is pleasing to HIM.
You know what will start to happen? Well, when you do something for your spouse/parent/child and they are so grateful and filled with joy, how does it make you feel? It should make you feel pretty good! Seeing someone you love so happy automatically makes you joyful! This is also what will happen when you do what is pleasing to God. You will have joy, because He is happy.
I want to be one who gets to hear "well done, my good and faithful servant" when I enter into heaven someday. I don't want to hear "depart from Me, for I never knew you." (Matthew 7:23)
It's about time I start making the choice to make my life, every aspect, in a way that is pleasing to God. "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)
"I will serve Him, because I love Him, He has given life to me."
This random thought then morphed into me thinking about my relationship with God. (Yes, I said relationship, not "religion.") A relationship (in reference here) requires love. Husband/wife, parent/child, etc. These relationships are built on the principal of love. The root of what they are held together by is LOVE. Love is not just a feeling, but an action carried out.
Why, then, do I so frequently stray from pleasing God? Why do I make decisions knowing they will hurt Him? Well, just like a husband/wife, love and the desire to please doesn't come naturally after awhile. Sure initially it is all we think about, but after time goes by we begin to let the "feeling" run why we do things. Feelings are a very dangerous thing to give power to to lead your actions. Your heart can make poor decisions based on "feelings." This is why love needs to be an action and not just a fuzzy feeling.
I can love God with all my heart, but have no desire to please Him. Why? Because I am not CHOOSING to follow Him and His guidance.
The heart is very misleading and can get you into a lot of trouble. This is why we must allow the Holy Spirit to guide each and every step we take. The more time we spend listening for His guidance and watching for His direction the more time our minds will be on HIM. This means He is on the forefront of our mind more often. "There where your heart is, there will your treasure be also." The more time you spend on something, the more it will mean to you.
I must say, I don't spend near as much time with God as I should. I can always tell when I start slacking in my walk with Christ when I become very judgemental, have little patience or don't treat people with kindness. All of these things wouldn't be a problem if I were SEEKING to please God. It's a chain reaction situation. Follow God, you will live a life more abundantly and with so much more meaning!
This is the one thing I (as a follower of Christ) am required to do. Seek God with all my heart, mind and soul. If I do that, almost all of the other problems in my life will be resolved. I won't have a perfect life, but my attitude towards others and my outlook on life will be different. Not only will I be able to tell a difference, but everyone around me will, as well! When one spends time seeking God instead of earthly love and possessions they will find a life that is a filled with more peace and less stress.
"If you love Me, you will keep my commandments." IF we love Him.
I am dumbfounded at the fact that Christ has given me EVERYTHING I have in my possession, He gave me the life I live and the very breath I breathe....and I can be so ungrateful towards Him when I don't get one thing I want. "The heart is deceitful and wicked" My heart has one thing on it's mind: me. It wants ME to be happy, it wants ME to get what I want; but this is not a heart of God. Every day I have to ask Him to give me a heart like His so I can live that day in a way that is pleasing to HIM.
You know what will start to happen? Well, when you do something for your spouse/parent/child and they are so grateful and filled with joy, how does it make you feel? It should make you feel pretty good! Seeing someone you love so happy automatically makes you joyful! This is also what will happen when you do what is pleasing to God. You will have joy, because He is happy.
I want to be one who gets to hear "well done, my good and faithful servant" when I enter into heaven someday. I don't want to hear "depart from Me, for I never knew you." (Matthew 7:23)
It's about time I start making the choice to make my life, every aspect, in a way that is pleasing to God. "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)
"I will serve Him, because I love Him, He has given life to me."
Sunday, July 1, 2012
The Jesus Lifestyle
Amazing Grace
This precious gift from God Himself of eternal life through faith in Him
How Sweet The Sound
It is like music to my ears to know such grace exists
That Saved A Wretch Like Me
I was nothing. I sinned against a holy and righteous God and was headed on a road to hell
I Once Was Lost
Going through each day not having any direction; no place I had in my site as the end
But Now Am Found
Since Jesus came into my heart, I have been found and bought by the Most High; the King of kings and Lord of lords. He found me and took me in as His own
Was Blind
I saw nothing but my own self and what I wanted
But Now I See
Jesus has given me new eyes, eyes that can see joy, peace and love.
This song is probably one of the greatest songs ever written. You see, it wasn't written by someone who had a perfect life. It was written by a man who had done wrong by many slaves, and felt a huge change in his life when he met Jesus. He wanted everyone to know how to find THE WAY. He knew how it felt to be so lost you don't know which way was up and which was down. He was headed on a path that was going nowhere.
It amazes me sometimes how often I can speak of God's love as if I am an expert; especially how we shouldn't treat those who are different than us with less respect. I still find myself making comments every now and then that proves how sinful my heart can still be.
I want to live like Jesus, and to do so I must put myself, my own desires and fears, aside so I can love endlessly.
"Jesus loves the outcast. He also loves the ones the world just loves to hate." (Relient K)
Isn't it about time we start treating people how we want to be treated? If I've said it once I've probably said it a thousand times. "Well that's not fair." Oh, the dreaded word. My mom always told me "Well Jessie, life isn't fair. You need to learn that while you're young." Boy did I ever. I don't get treated like kings and queens. As a matter of a fact, there have been times when I've been treated pretty awful, and whereas I could go and moan and groan about it, I then remember I have treated people just as poorly.
Life isn't fair, but it sure doesn't have to be as cutthroat as we make it sometimes. If we would all just be a little more kind to strangers. Live a little slower. Show more compassion to those who are hurting. We really wouldn't have to deal with so much of a mess everyday.
I have set so many goals for myself over the years it's ridiculous. But, do you know what I've learned? Telling myself I am going to show more "kindness" won't make me any more kind than I am right now. Saying "well, people have said I'm not very nice, so I guess I need to work on that." Kindness isn't something you make yourself do; kindness is something you live out because it's all you know how to do. Jesus living inside of us should make us more kind, loving and compassionate than we used to be! And people should be able to see the change every single day.
It won't be easy; making these things part of our lifestyle will take more than what we have, so we will have to lean on God for help. But the verse over in Nehemiah says "the joy of the Lord is my strength."
Have you ever noticed how much more pain or stress you can handle when you have someone in your life that makes you happy constantly? Bad things don't seem as bad, sad times don't seem as sad... The joy God gives through His love is what gives us the strength we need to continue on our Christian journey. It is not an easy one, but it can be a beautiful one!
This precious gift from God Himself of eternal life through faith in Him
How Sweet The Sound
It is like music to my ears to know such grace exists
That Saved A Wretch Like Me
I was nothing. I sinned against a holy and righteous God and was headed on a road to hell
I Once Was Lost
Going through each day not having any direction; no place I had in my site as the end
But Now Am Found
Since Jesus came into my heart, I have been found and bought by the Most High; the King of kings and Lord of lords. He found me and took me in as His own
Was Blind
I saw nothing but my own self and what I wanted
But Now I See
Jesus has given me new eyes, eyes that can see joy, peace and love.
This song is probably one of the greatest songs ever written. You see, it wasn't written by someone who had a perfect life. It was written by a man who had done wrong by many slaves, and felt a huge change in his life when he met Jesus. He wanted everyone to know how to find THE WAY. He knew how it felt to be so lost you don't know which way was up and which was down. He was headed on a path that was going nowhere.
It amazes me sometimes how often I can speak of God's love as if I am an expert; especially how we shouldn't treat those who are different than us with less respect. I still find myself making comments every now and then that proves how sinful my heart can still be.
I want to live like Jesus, and to do so I must put myself, my own desires and fears, aside so I can love endlessly.
"Jesus loves the outcast. He also loves the ones the world just loves to hate." (Relient K)
Isn't it about time we start treating people how we want to be treated? If I've said it once I've probably said it a thousand times. "Well that's not fair." Oh, the dreaded word. My mom always told me "Well Jessie, life isn't fair. You need to learn that while you're young." Boy did I ever. I don't get treated like kings and queens. As a matter of a fact, there have been times when I've been treated pretty awful, and whereas I could go and moan and groan about it, I then remember I have treated people just as poorly.
Life isn't fair, but it sure doesn't have to be as cutthroat as we make it sometimes. If we would all just be a little more kind to strangers. Live a little slower. Show more compassion to those who are hurting. We really wouldn't have to deal with so much of a mess everyday.
I have set so many goals for myself over the years it's ridiculous. But, do you know what I've learned? Telling myself I am going to show more "kindness" won't make me any more kind than I am right now. Saying "well, people have said I'm not very nice, so I guess I need to work on that." Kindness isn't something you make yourself do; kindness is something you live out because it's all you know how to do. Jesus living inside of us should make us more kind, loving and compassionate than we used to be! And people should be able to see the change every single day.
It won't be easy; making these things part of our lifestyle will take more than what we have, so we will have to lean on God for help. But the verse over in Nehemiah says "the joy of the Lord is my strength."
Have you ever noticed how much more pain or stress you can handle when you have someone in your life that makes you happy constantly? Bad things don't seem as bad, sad times don't seem as sad... The joy God gives through His love is what gives us the strength we need to continue on our Christian journey. It is not an easy one, but it can be a beautiful one!
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