I'm learning more and more how much I desperately need God's grace every single day of my life. I've recently found myself frustrated with my own shortcomings and sins that seem to reoccur. I'm amazed at how easily I can find myself in a sin, even on the days I feel most committed and determined to living a life glorifying to God. Here's where the problem lies for me: I try to fight my own battle and I come face to face with my enemy who wants nothing more than for me to fall into the pit of sin again--and time after time, I lose. No matter how determined I am, I will inevitably fail when I don't allow God to go before me in battle.
In Deuteronomy 9:1-3, Israel is given a command to go into battle as well: "Hear, Israel: you are now about to cross the Jordan today, to go in and dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, with cities that have walls up to the sky. The people are strong and tall--Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: 'Who can stand up against the Anakites?' But be assured today that the Lord your God is the One who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; He will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the Lord has promised you."
Imagine if the Israelites were to go into this battle without God; they would be entirely in over their heads. It would be unrealistic to overcome such a mighty nation with their own strength. God promises, however, to go across the Jordan ahead of them, like a devouring fire which will destroy, subdue, and annihilate.
While reading through this passage, I asked myself how often I go into battle against my own sin without allowing God to go before me. I do this all too often and the result is always failure. The sin plays over and over like a bad song stuck on repeat. It becomes the one mountain I just can't climb--I struggle in an uphill battle just to fall short again. I make a few strides forward and shortly after, end up back at square one, feeling discouraged and weak. The most frustrating part is how determined I am to overcome the struggle and yet how unable I am to succeed.
I heard a speaker say once that our greatest sin can often be our own self direction and determination. I've realized I'm guilty of this; I put my own success above God and others and then when I fail, I beat myself up over it instead of wearing Christ's grace and forgiveness.
Failure is a fear of mine, as I believe it is for many of us. I used to have the mindset that "with God, I can do anything." I've since adapted that to "because of God's grace, He can do anything through me." It's hard sometimes to accept that there are things we just can't do on our own - but what if Christ came to do for us what we couldn't do ourselves? What incredible hope and joy we can experience when we believe this truth. We might feel defeated by sin, but Christ is always victorious. No pain is too deep, no fear is too great, and no sin is too big for Him to handle. When we choose to allow the Almighty One to go before us in our battles, He will perform wonders and will accomplish the unimaginable.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Giving it Over
God's Word is filled with passages that show the necessity of trusting God, but for most of us this is easier said than done. We tend to choose which areas of life we're willing to give over to Him and which ones we'd rather take care of on our own; but God doesn't ask us to trust Him when there's little at stake. He wants us to surrender everything to Him and trust Him with even the most important things in our lives.
We all have things we love and can't imagine our lives without - things like relationships, family, security, our futures, and so much more. We work hard to protect these things and keep them within our control because the thought of losing them is terrifying; but at some point our faith is put to the test. We come face to face with conflict and have to choose whether we will surrender it to God or attempt to handle it ourselves. In my life, the moments I tried to handle conflict on my own were always the moments I was most overwhelmed with worry and fear. I knew in my heart I couldn't control the outcome either way but part of me still wanted to try. I was essentially placing my love, trust, and hope in other things more than in Christ Himself. By failing to trust Him with my whole heart, I was really failing at loving Him with my whole heart.
I was challenged recently by a sermon I heard at Calvary Baptist Church in State College. The pastor explained how worry leaves our hearts dangerously unguarded. While we may think we're shielding ourselves from pain, we're actually increasing that chance by relying on ourselves more than God.
Matthew 6:26-27 says this: "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"
In other words, God will always take care of us and carry our burdens for us if we let Him. It's not always easy and it might feel like we're making a sacrifice, but we can't forget the greater sacrifice He made by giving His own Son's life for us. We can't ever repay Him for that, but we can show our love and gratitude by giving our lives over to Him and trusting Him with all our hearts.
We all have things we love and can't imagine our lives without - things like relationships, family, security, our futures, and so much more. We work hard to protect these things and keep them within our control because the thought of losing them is terrifying; but at some point our faith is put to the test. We come face to face with conflict and have to choose whether we will surrender it to God or attempt to handle it ourselves. In my life, the moments I tried to handle conflict on my own were always the moments I was most overwhelmed with worry and fear. I knew in my heart I couldn't control the outcome either way but part of me still wanted to try. I was essentially placing my love, trust, and hope in other things more than in Christ Himself. By failing to trust Him with my whole heart, I was really failing at loving Him with my whole heart.
I was challenged recently by a sermon I heard at Calvary Baptist Church in State College. The pastor explained how worry leaves our hearts dangerously unguarded. While we may think we're shielding ourselves from pain, we're actually increasing that chance by relying on ourselves more than God.
Matthew 6:26-27 says this: "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"
In other words, God will always take care of us and carry our burdens for us if we let Him. It's not always easy and it might feel like we're making a sacrifice, but we can't forget the greater sacrifice He made by giving His own Son's life for us. We can't ever repay Him for that, but we can show our love and gratitude by giving our lives over to Him and trusting Him with all our hearts.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Forgiven
As I think about this topic, I find myself remembering of my favorite Sanctus Real songs, "Forgiven." Part of the lyrics go like this:
In this life, I know what I've been
But here in Your arms, I know what I am
I'm forgiven, I'm forgiven
I don't have to carry the weight of who I've been
Cause I'm forgiven
What a relief to know we don't have to carry the weight of who we once were. When we receive God's forgiveness, we're no longer that person - we're made new.
This was always a hard concept for me. I found myself asking forgiveness over and over again for the same sins because I didn't feel forgiven. I didn't feel cleansed and renewed because I allowed my shame and disappointment in myself to overshadow the truth that my sins were washed away. I think back to those times and imagine God saying to me "I already forgave you. Don't you believe me?"
A few nights ago, I was listening to one of Beth Moore's videos from her series on David. She was speaking about forgiveness and used Romans 4:1-8 to explain that our righteousness is not reckoned according to our behavior, but rather according to our belief. We are made righteous in God's eyes not by our works, but by believing His Word and the truth of who we are in Christ. When we believe God is bigger than all sin and that we're renewed and forgiven by His grace, it will then show in the way we act. We always act out of what we truly believe.
This made perfect sense to me. The times I fell back into sin were the times I felt defeated, not good enough, and unforgiven. That's what I believed I was, so that's what I continued to be. I'm so thankful God is a God of mercy who doesn't give up on us when we make mistakes.
What's even better is God doesn't stop at forgiveness. In Isaiah 43:25, we see God showing mercy to Israel when they were unfaithful. He says "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more."It's not that He can't remember, but He chooses not to. He takes our scarlet-red sins and washes them white as snow. Where would we be if it weren't for Christ's sacrifice? He didn't just lift our sins from us; 1 Peter 2:24 says he himself bore them in his body on the cross. By His wounds, we are healed.
The song "Forgiven" ends with these words: "When I don't measure up to much in this life, I'm a treasure in the arms of Christ." We are treasures in the arms of Christ - It's this simple truth that makes all the difference and helps us accept His free gift of grace.
In this life, I know what I've been
But here in Your arms, I know what I am
I'm forgiven, I'm forgiven
I don't have to carry the weight of who I've been
Cause I'm forgiven
What a relief to know we don't have to carry the weight of who we once were. When we receive God's forgiveness, we're no longer that person - we're made new.
This was always a hard concept for me. I found myself asking forgiveness over and over again for the same sins because I didn't feel forgiven. I didn't feel cleansed and renewed because I allowed my shame and disappointment in myself to overshadow the truth that my sins were washed away. I think back to those times and imagine God saying to me "I already forgave you. Don't you believe me?"
A few nights ago, I was listening to one of Beth Moore's videos from her series on David. She was speaking about forgiveness and used Romans 4:1-8 to explain that our righteousness is not reckoned according to our behavior, but rather according to our belief. We are made righteous in God's eyes not by our works, but by believing His Word and the truth of who we are in Christ. When we believe God is bigger than all sin and that we're renewed and forgiven by His grace, it will then show in the way we act. We always act out of what we truly believe.
This made perfect sense to me. The times I fell back into sin were the times I felt defeated, not good enough, and unforgiven. That's what I believed I was, so that's what I continued to be. I'm so thankful God is a God of mercy who doesn't give up on us when we make mistakes.
What's even better is God doesn't stop at forgiveness. In Isaiah 43:25, we see God showing mercy to Israel when they were unfaithful. He says "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more."It's not that He can't remember, but He chooses not to. He takes our scarlet-red sins and washes them white as snow. Where would we be if it weren't for Christ's sacrifice? He didn't just lift our sins from us; 1 Peter 2:24 says he himself bore them in his body on the cross. By His wounds, we are healed.
The song "Forgiven" ends with these words: "When I don't measure up to much in this life, I'm a treasure in the arms of Christ." We are treasures in the arms of Christ - It's this simple truth that makes all the difference and helps us accept His free gift of grace.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Waiting On God
It's amazing how many choices we make in a day, down to the places we go, the people we surround ourselves with, the ways we react, the words we say, and much more. This means we have countless opportunities to please God with the choices we make - but the problem is some choices are harder to make than others. Another problem is that we want answers right away. In our fast-paced culture where we have so many things at our fingertips, it's not always easy to wait on God when we seek direction.
I can recall times in my life when I made decisions without feeling like God was with me. I might have prayed about it and asked for guidance, but when I didn't hear His answer, I went ahead with what I thought was best anyway. I always ended up feeling like I was taking one step forward and three steps back. I chose what I wanted and maybe what I thought was best, but eventually it didn't work and I was back at square one. I didn't realize at the time how God was trying to use those moments of waiting to strengthen my relationship with Him.
Throughout the past few years of studying education, I've learned instructional strategies to use in a classroom, one of them being "wait-time." It's the period of time the teacher gives the students to process the question before calling on them. I couldn't help but think about this and relate it to the amount of time God gives us before He reveals and confirms answers. I scanned through my old notes and noticed the intended outcome for using this strategy in the classroom is focus. The teacher doesn't demand an answer immediately, but allows the students time to focus and process through the question. I believe God has us wait for His answers sometimes because it's in those times when we can focus intently on Him, seeking His will and patiently relying on Him to lead the way.
I found myself in a situation recently where I didn't have an answer; I knew I couldn't figure it out own my own and realized it wouldn't be something I figured out immediately. I chose to give it over to God and continue to do so everyday. In all honesty, I still don't know what the outcome will be, but I am amazed at how much peace God's given me as He uses this time of uncertainty to bring me closer to Him. He's been showing me just how much better it is to wait on Him and then move forward in the direction He leads.
Part of waiting on God includes accepting whatever answer He gives us and then opening our hearts and minds to following His lead. When students in a classroom give their answer, the teacher typically reassures and praises them with words like "yes," "you're right," or "very good." What happens when the student gives the wrong answer? The teacher has to correct and redirect them - not because they don't love them and not because they want to reject their idea, but because they know it's in the student's best interest to give them the right answer. The teacher knows what the students will need to learn in order to succeed and they correct them because they care for them. God does the same for us. He already knows the outcomes of the choices we have yet to make. He sees beyond what we are capable of seeing ourselves and because of this, He knows what's best for us. It's up to us to trust in Him and in His timing. If we follow him wholeheartedly, He will always guide our journey and lead us to the answers we need.
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary..." - Isaiah 40:31, KJV
I can recall times in my life when I made decisions without feeling like God was with me. I might have prayed about it and asked for guidance, but when I didn't hear His answer, I went ahead with what I thought was best anyway. I always ended up feeling like I was taking one step forward and three steps back. I chose what I wanted and maybe what I thought was best, but eventually it didn't work and I was back at square one. I didn't realize at the time how God was trying to use those moments of waiting to strengthen my relationship with Him.
Throughout the past few years of studying education, I've learned instructional strategies to use in a classroom, one of them being "wait-time." It's the period of time the teacher gives the students to process the question before calling on them. I couldn't help but think about this and relate it to the amount of time God gives us before He reveals and confirms answers. I scanned through my old notes and noticed the intended outcome for using this strategy in the classroom is focus. The teacher doesn't demand an answer immediately, but allows the students time to focus and process through the question. I believe God has us wait for His answers sometimes because it's in those times when we can focus intently on Him, seeking His will and patiently relying on Him to lead the way.
I found myself in a situation recently where I didn't have an answer; I knew I couldn't figure it out own my own and realized it wouldn't be something I figured out immediately. I chose to give it over to God and continue to do so everyday. In all honesty, I still don't know what the outcome will be, but I am amazed at how much peace God's given me as He uses this time of uncertainty to bring me closer to Him. He's been showing me just how much better it is to wait on Him and then move forward in the direction He leads.
Part of waiting on God includes accepting whatever answer He gives us and then opening our hearts and minds to following His lead. When students in a classroom give their answer, the teacher typically reassures and praises them with words like "yes," "you're right," or "very good." What happens when the student gives the wrong answer? The teacher has to correct and redirect them - not because they don't love them and not because they want to reject their idea, but because they know it's in the student's best interest to give them the right answer. The teacher knows what the students will need to learn in order to succeed and they correct them because they care for them. God does the same for us. He already knows the outcomes of the choices we have yet to make. He sees beyond what we are capable of seeing ourselves and because of this, He knows what's best for us. It's up to us to trust in Him and in His timing. If we follow him wholeheartedly, He will always guide our journey and lead us to the answers we need.
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary..." - Isaiah 40:31, KJV
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Blessed Beyond Belief
At some point, we all go through dry phases of life. We aren't necessarily depressed, but aren't thriving or fueled by anything either. It's in these moments where we tend to grumble and complain. We are less proactive, we care less about important things, and our problems seem worse than they really are. We forget how much we have to be thankful for.
I was praying this morning as I was cleaning and I began to thank God for whatever came to my mind; I was reminded of something that I already knew - I am so incredibly blessed! Yet sometimes in my selfishness, I forget that.
I've been trying to read up on the news more consistently and it's hit me recently how much hurt exists in the world. The stories are so tragic that it makes my little problems seem so insignificant and I feel guilty for my lack of thankfulness. The beautiful thing about Christ is that He cares about all our struggles, no matter how small. He wants to pull us out of those low places and draw us closer to Him, yet we can be so distracted by the problem itself that we forget to look up.
It's easy to become dissatisfied and stuck in a place we don't want to be, but it's also easier than we think to escape it. One of the most effective ways is to simply focus our energy and our thoughts on Christ, praying not only for ourselves, but for those who don't have all the blessings we do.
Have you ever had the opportunity to meet someone who has so little in this world, yet is so incredibly thankful for what they do have? I want to share a story that really touched me. My brother and the rest of the guys in his band went to Africa a couple years ago. They visited a shelter/trama center in the Congo that housed women and children; most of the women had gone there in order to escape their villages. The LRA, which is the militia led by Joseph Kony, would take over their villages - killing people, raping women, and abducting children to train for the militia. Essentially, the women at the trauma centers had run away to save their lives. Here's the interesting thing: they were filled with joy and thankfulness because they found hope in God. Can you imagine going through that and still praising the name of the Lord? If you are interested in hearing more of their stories, visit the link at the bottom of this post.
Here's a challenge: take a few minutes each day to fill a page in a journal of what you are thankful for. My sister shared this idea with me several months ago and at first I wondered how I would fill an entire page. It wasn't long before I realized that when I really thought about all the blessings in my life, it was hard to keep it to only one page. Life is too short to miss out on living a joyful life because we don't recognize the blessings we already have.
Psalm 106:1 - Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.
http://sister.americanbible.org/
I was praying this morning as I was cleaning and I began to thank God for whatever came to my mind; I was reminded of something that I already knew - I am so incredibly blessed! Yet sometimes in my selfishness, I forget that.
I've been trying to read up on the news more consistently and it's hit me recently how much hurt exists in the world. The stories are so tragic that it makes my little problems seem so insignificant and I feel guilty for my lack of thankfulness. The beautiful thing about Christ is that He cares about all our struggles, no matter how small. He wants to pull us out of those low places and draw us closer to Him, yet we can be so distracted by the problem itself that we forget to look up.
It's easy to become dissatisfied and stuck in a place we don't want to be, but it's also easier than we think to escape it. One of the most effective ways is to simply focus our energy and our thoughts on Christ, praying not only for ourselves, but for those who don't have all the blessings we do.
Have you ever had the opportunity to meet someone who has so little in this world, yet is so incredibly thankful for what they do have? I want to share a story that really touched me. My brother and the rest of the guys in his band went to Africa a couple years ago. They visited a shelter/trama center in the Congo that housed women and children; most of the women had gone there in order to escape their villages. The LRA, which is the militia led by Joseph Kony, would take over their villages - killing people, raping women, and abducting children to train for the militia. Essentially, the women at the trauma centers had run away to save their lives. Here's the interesting thing: they were filled with joy and thankfulness because they found hope in God. Can you imagine going through that and still praising the name of the Lord? If you are interested in hearing more of their stories, visit the link at the bottom of this post.
Here's a challenge: take a few minutes each day to fill a page in a journal of what you are thankful for. My sister shared this idea with me several months ago and at first I wondered how I would fill an entire page. It wasn't long before I realized that when I really thought about all the blessings in my life, it was hard to keep it to only one page. Life is too short to miss out on living a joyful life because we don't recognize the blessings we already have.
Psalm 106:1 - Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.
http://sister.americanbible.org/
Friday, June 29, 2012
Loving Others
There are people we come in contact with who we don't go out of our way to love - maybe it's a boss who's unappreciative, a controlling family member, the person who pushes their opinions, the loner who no one else talks to. We all know someone whose differences make it hard to show them love.
It's not always in us to love certain people. We can't make ourselves feel a love that's not there, but the good news for us is love really isn't a feeling, but rather a choice. Love is an action - it's what we do.
When everyone else is gossiping, we can choose not to engage in it.
When everyone else walks past the homeless person, we can choose to stop.
When everyone else is complaining, we can choose to give thanks.
When everyone else is speaking out of anger, we can choose to speak words of kindness.
True love doesn't blend in with the norm--it stands out. God never intended for us to live a normal life, but rather an extraordinary one that brings glory to His name. When we are loving others, we are ultimately loving Christ.
Jesus says in Matthew 25:40 - "...Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
Likewise, He says in verse 45 - "whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."
Francis Chan writes about this passage in his book "Crazy Love." Here's what he says about it:
"How would my life change if I actually thought of each person I came into contact with as Christ--the person driving painfully slow in front of me, the checker at the grocery store who seems more interested in chatting than ringing up my items, the member of my own family with whom I can't seem to have a conversation and not get annoyed?
If we believe that, as Jesus said, the two greatest commandments are to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind' and to 'love your neighbor as yourself,' then this passage has a lot to teach us. Basically, Christ is connecting the command to 'love God' with the command to 'love your neighbor.' By loving the 'least of these,' we are loving God Himself."
It's not always in us to love certain people. We can't make ourselves feel a love that's not there, but the good news for us is love really isn't a feeling, but rather a choice. Love is an action - it's what we do.
When everyone else is gossiping, we can choose not to engage in it.
When everyone else walks past the homeless person, we can choose to stop.
When everyone else is complaining, we can choose to give thanks.
When everyone else is speaking out of anger, we can choose to speak words of kindness.
True love doesn't blend in with the norm--it stands out. God never intended for us to live a normal life, but rather an extraordinary one that brings glory to His name. When we are loving others, we are ultimately loving Christ.
Jesus says in Matthew 25:40 - "...Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
Likewise, He says in verse 45 - "whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."
Francis Chan writes about this passage in his book "Crazy Love." Here's what he says about it:
"How would my life change if I actually thought of each person I came into contact with as Christ--the person driving painfully slow in front of me, the checker at the grocery store who seems more interested in chatting than ringing up my items, the member of my own family with whom I can't seem to have a conversation and not get annoyed?
If we believe that, as Jesus said, the two greatest commandments are to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind' and to 'love your neighbor as yourself,' then this passage has a lot to teach us. Basically, Christ is connecting the command to 'love God' with the command to 'love your neighbor.' By loving the 'least of these,' we are loving God Himself."
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Confession
I don't know of anyone who would say they like to fail. I myself tend to be a perfectionist; failure (at anything) has always been a fear of mine. We all know we experience failure occasionally and if we are honest with ourselves, we can probably agree that we don't like admitting our failures. To me, that's what confession has always meant - putting our faults on the table for others to see. A few days ago, I heard someone say that confession should not be seen as a contemptible admission of failure, but rather an honorable act of faith. This was so encouraging for me and it allowed me to see confession in a new light.
There is so much freedom in confessing our sins not only to God, but to others that we trust. Unfortunately, many things keep us from being vulnerable enough to admit our faults. The fear of being rejected, embarrassed, or feeling inferior all get in the way, forcing us to store everything inside. I've realized though, that it's more attractive to acknowledge our humanity and admit to being far from perfect, rather than putting on a face because we are too afraid to show our flaws.
I've been fortunate to be a part of Penn State's Cru community (Campus Crusade for Christ) this past year. The director of Cru has made the following quote several times this year and it has become one of my favorites: "It's better to look bad on the outside and get better on the inside, than to look good on the outside and get worse on the inside." The same idea can be found in God's Word; James 5:16 says "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
When we focus on praying for others, we don't even think about judging them. When we are truly caring for someone instead of rejecting them based on their faults, we build our trust and deepen our relationship with that person.
Christ is the greatest example for us to follow - He extends His mercy to us because He loves us. When we confess our sins to Him, he never rejects us, but pours his love and grace onto us despite our failures. God is good even when we are not. The first phrase of lyrics to the song "Forever Reign" by Hillsong is this: "You are good, You are good, when there's nothing good in me." When we begin to feel discouraged by our sins, we can remember the truth in those words.
There is so much freedom in confessing our sins not only to God, but to others that we trust. Unfortunately, many things keep us from being vulnerable enough to admit our faults. The fear of being rejected, embarrassed, or feeling inferior all get in the way, forcing us to store everything inside. I've realized though, that it's more attractive to acknowledge our humanity and admit to being far from perfect, rather than putting on a face because we are too afraid to show our flaws.
I've been fortunate to be a part of Penn State's Cru community (Campus Crusade for Christ) this past year. The director of Cru has made the following quote several times this year and it has become one of my favorites: "It's better to look bad on the outside and get better on the inside, than to look good on the outside and get worse on the inside." The same idea can be found in God's Word; James 5:16 says "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
When we focus on praying for others, we don't even think about judging them. When we are truly caring for someone instead of rejecting them based on their faults, we build our trust and deepen our relationship with that person.
Christ is the greatest example for us to follow - He extends His mercy to us because He loves us. When we confess our sins to Him, he never rejects us, but pours his love and grace onto us despite our failures. God is good even when we are not. The first phrase of lyrics to the song "Forever Reign" by Hillsong is this: "You are good, You are good, when there's nothing good in me." When we begin to feel discouraged by our sins, we can remember the truth in those words.
Monday, June 11, 2012
God's Will
If you are anything like me, you probably find comfort in knowing what lies ahead. I tend to be so much of a planner that I will have a daily to-do list and agenda as well as one for the upcoming week and month. I like to know what's coming up so that I can plan my schedule accordingly. This works well for me sometimes, but certainly not always. I always thought I was a patient person; but when my schedule falls apart, my plans change, or I don't complete all the tasks I want to, I can easily become frustrated and disappointed.
For so long, it didn't occur to me to ask myself whether or not my plans for myself were aligned with God's plans for me. I've been reminded over the past few months that when my plans fall through, God has something else in mind for me. Who am I to cling so tightly to my "future" when I am not even guaranteed another day on earth?
James 4:13-15: "Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'"
It's difficult sometimes to give up our own will and follow God's will for us. But sometimes what's even harder is finding what God's will for us actually is. I think the answer is much more simple than we may think. We are always looking for answers, but God has already communicated much of His will for us through His Word. For example.. In Matthew 22: 37-39, Jesus says: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself."
I believe God gives us free will to make our own decisions; His will for us is simply to glorify Him in whatever we do; to love Him, love others, and abide by His Word. I heard a pastor say once that "when your energy is spent knowing God, it's impossible to miss His will." It was so encouraging to think that the more we know God and obey Him, the more He will reveal to us. It's simple! What's not so simple is when we realize that our current way of life is not in line with God's will for us. We might have to give up a lot - relationships, jobs, habits - or anything else that might be keeping us from living as we are called to. To figure out if we are following God's will for us, we can simply ask ourselves "Am I glorifying God with what I am doing?"
For so long, it didn't occur to me to ask myself whether or not my plans for myself were aligned with God's plans for me. I've been reminded over the past few months that when my plans fall through, God has something else in mind for me. Who am I to cling so tightly to my "future" when I am not even guaranteed another day on earth?
James 4:13-15: "Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'"
It's difficult sometimes to give up our own will and follow God's will for us. But sometimes what's even harder is finding what God's will for us actually is. I think the answer is much more simple than we may think. We are always looking for answers, but God has already communicated much of His will for us through His Word. For example.. In Matthew 22: 37-39, Jesus says: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself."
I believe God gives us free will to make our own decisions; His will for us is simply to glorify Him in whatever we do; to love Him, love others, and abide by His Word. I heard a pastor say once that "when your energy is spent knowing God, it's impossible to miss His will." It was so encouraging to think that the more we know God and obey Him, the more He will reveal to us. It's simple! What's not so simple is when we realize that our current way of life is not in line with God's will for us. We might have to give up a lot - relationships, jobs, habits - or anything else that might be keeping us from living as we are called to. To figure out if we are following God's will for us, we can simply ask ourselves "Am I glorifying God with what I am doing?"
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Humility
Psalm149:4 - For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.
“…He crowns the humble with victory…”
This verse alone shows how highly God views humility. This topic is mentioned all over God’s Word, but
it’s an area that I think most of us struggle with at some point. In order to humble ourselves, it's important to know what humility really means.
Humility requires an understanding that we are sinners, undeserving of God’s grace. But it’s important to know that being humble doesn’t mean seeing ourselves as worthless or inadequate. We cannot be prideful, but also should not miss the fact that we have worth and value. Being humble means not seeing ourselves as more (or less) than what we are. Rather, it’s seeing ourselves as God sees us – Redeemed!
When we allow pride to get in the way, we
are hindering our ability to be thankful for the blessings God has given us.
Pride leads us to believe that we are actually something great – we compare
ourselves to others and build ourselves up in our minds. We think that we
did something right to deserve what we have, and we forget that if it weren’t
for Christ’s sacrifice, we wouldn’t even have life, let alone anything else! Pride
builds a barrier between us and God and even blinds us to the needs of those
around us.
Humility, on the other hand, opens our eyes and softens our hearts. By knowing the depths of our sin and then realizing how much God loves us anyway, we can’t help but be humbled. Rather than judging those around us and comparing ourselves to them, we begin to show them love in the same way God shows it to us. God extends his grace to all of us; the way we live should be a reflection of the grace and mercy He freely gave to us. There is no greater example of a humble man that Christ Himself: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45
When we live our
lives in humility, we’re not selfishly seeking to receive and be served, but
rather to serve and give to others. When our lives are focused on giving, God
blesses us and gives us even more to be thankful for. As a result, we become
more fulfilled, more joyful, and gain a sense of true purpose.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Joy
Until a few months ago, I never thought all that much about the concept of joy. To me, it was simple-it meant being happy. I've been challenged to think of joy in a completely different way and have learned that being joyful is comprised of so much more than our day-to-day happiness. It's easy to be happy when things are going right, when life is good and there doesn't seem to be a single "cloud in the sky." But when we're faced with trials, it's our natural tendency to worry, complain, analyze, and stress about our difficulties. Our immediate reaction is certainly not to rejoice, be thankful, and see the problems we experience as blessings. One of my favorite verses dealing with this is Romans 5:3-4, that says we are to "glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverane; perseverance, character; and character, hope." It's amazing to think that even in our sufferings, we can give glory to God, allowing Him to use those struggles to refine us and draw us closer to Him.
1 Peter 5:6-7 says: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may life you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."
How amazing is it that God loves us so much that he wants to rid us of our anxieties so that He can take care of us? He loves us more than we can imagine, so He offers Himself to us in place of the anxiety and worry that fills our hearts. He takes all of it away and gives us hope instead. Somehow, it's still so easy to block him out and I think one reason is because giving our struggles to God means giving up control of our life and placing it in His hands. But when we do this, we see Him work in our lives in ways we couldn't have imagined and begin to experience true joy-a lasting contentment that comes from Christ alone.
1 Peter 5:6-7 says: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may life you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."
How amazing is it that God loves us so much that he wants to rid us of our anxieties so that He can take care of us? He loves us more than we can imagine, so He offers Himself to us in place of the anxiety and worry that fills our hearts. He takes all of it away and gives us hope instead. Somehow, it's still so easy to block him out and I think one reason is because giving our struggles to God means giving up control of our life and placing it in His hands. But when we do this, we see Him work in our lives in ways we couldn't have imagined and begin to experience true joy-a lasting contentment that comes from Christ alone.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
A Little Welcome Note
Welcome to my blog! Since this is my first post, I'd like to share a little with you about what my hopes are for this blog and why I decided to create one.
I accepted Christ into my life at a young age and although I grew up learning about God's Word, it was this past year that I've really grown in my relationship with Him. I've learned so much about what it means to have a radical kind of love for Christ and live my life in a way that allows others to see Christ living in me. My favorite verse, the one that inspired my blog, is Hebrews 12:1 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
I want to use this blog to share what's on my heart; It's my hope that each entry can encourage you to live a Hebrews 12:1 type of life - one that throws away sin and "runs the race" with perseverance.
I accepted Christ into my life at a young age and although I grew up learning about God's Word, it was this past year that I've really grown in my relationship with Him. I've learned so much about what it means to have a radical kind of love for Christ and live my life in a way that allows others to see Christ living in me. My favorite verse, the one that inspired my blog, is Hebrews 12:1 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
I want to use this blog to share what's on my heart; It's my hope that each entry can encourage you to live a Hebrews 12:1 type of life - one that throws away sin and "runs the race" with perseverance.
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