Scripture I'm reflecting on: Acts 27:15
"The sailors couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale"
Most of us find having faith in God, and believing God is watching over and guiding our lives, to be a pretty easy thing to do when things are going well. But how about when they aren't? Do we find it as easy when we are stuck in dark times, stuck in a "storm" so to speak?
Reflection:
I find myself coming back to a common theme almost everytime I write lately; which is encouraging myself and all of us to find ways to maintain our faith, continue living the proper Christian life, in all times of our lives, good and bad. Everyone will experience highs and lows in their life. Some may experience more highs then others, some more lows; and this is often out of our control. But what is in our control is staying strong in our faith, most notably in the bad times, when we are "stuck in a storm". Truly believing God is in control when we are struggling with something, just the same as when we are thriving, is something that is always a challenging task.
No where in the Bible does God promise to prevent all difficulties in our lives. But there are promises that God will use the difficulties in our lives as stepping stones to greater things in our lives... when we are faithful to Him. God doesn't put things in our lives that we cannot overcome, that we cannot handle, that would close the path He has for us. God wouldn't put us in a financial situation that would completely prevent our ultimate destiny. God wouldn't put tragedy in our lives if we were incapable of overcoming the dark times and contributing something great to His kingdom.
I catch myself doing little things when I've had a bad day that push me away from God. My prayers are shorter. My reading gets cut off a few pages earlier than usual. I heard someone say once that when you had a bad day, to pray for the happiness of others who may have experienced a similar day. Finding something like this to keep us faithful, to show God we believe in Him, "to give up the reigns and let him lead us out of the storm", are crucial tools to getting us through the low points in our life.
Final Thought:
I remember as a kid always wondering why, when it was windy, I would see certain birds just floating against the wind. Not flying, not even moving anywhere really, just opening their wings and staying in the same general area. I later looked this up and found out that these birds, instead of fighting against a menacing wind to get somewhere, could just open up their wings and let the wind raise them up until eventually they were above the storm. I am reminded of this as I write this as an analogy to what we need to do in our bad times, when we are "fighting a storm." There's no point in fighting with God, asking "why is this happening" or "how do i fix this." We just need to ride out the storm, and believe that God has placed this difficulty in our lives in order to push us closer to the great destiny He has planned for us. I can say from experience, that by remembering and believing that God is in control during a bad day,
The Bible says that God hardened pharoah's heart all the times Moses went to plead his case. Instead of making things easy for Moses, God presented him with difficulty, that he ultimately used to obtain a great and heavenly result. God will do the same for us, as long as we do not fight against him and keep our faith.
I am at a point in my life where I am starting to see God turn some of the low points from earler in my life, low points that I never could have imagined would turn into anything good, into stepping stones for my life now. Always know that no matter how low things are right now, that God knows what He is doing, and will use that difficulty in your life to produce something great for you if you keep the faith in Him. God is in control of the storm. Sometimes we just have to let him steer our ship, our life, and have faith that He is with us, in the best and worst of times.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
The Christian example
Scripture I'm reflecting on: Matthew 5:41
"If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles"
There are many different messages and reflections that come from Jesus' words in this verse. I will focus this brief reflection on one specific message, one specific thing I believe Jesus is calling us to do; be great in representing God.
Reflection:
Mediocrity has become the standard of our world these days. Doing the minimum to get by is the general norm in our country. Fit in, blend in, go with the flow is the way American's minds are trained. This is not however, how Christians should be....
College athletes entering into the professional ranks are often given the following advice: "When deciding whether to do something, ask yourself whether you would be ok with the newspaper printing out the story of what you are about to do." Imagine someone is watching you. How many of us act differently when our boss is there, our wife is with us, "someone prominent" is watching, vs. when no one is around? It's easy to slack off when we are not being watched. It's easy to leave a piece of trash on the ground we drop when no one is looking. It's easy to walk past a mess in the store when no one is watching. But the reality is, we are being watched. Not always by our boss, wife, friends, pastors....but by somone of infinitely more importance...God.
Jesus has called us all to be great. The easiest way for us to continue to do this is to remember that we are representing God at all times. God sees us when we put the cereal back on the shelf in the wrong place. God sees us when avoid talking to our friends and family because we are tired or busy. God sees us when we avoid someone so we don't have to expend energy helping them with something. We are always representing God.
As I write this I am reminded of the story of Rebekah. When Abraham sent his servant out to find Issac a wife, his servant found Rebekah and asked for some water after a long journey. Rebekah could have easily satisfied him, and done her part, by giving him water. This would have been admirable in itself. But she went above and beyond. She decided to be great. She not only supplied the servant with water, but all of his camels as well. Anyone who knows how much water camels need after a long journey knows how much Rebekah went above and beyond to do this task. God enjoyed this. And at the end of the day, God's grace blessed Rebekah with many glorius gifts.
We are called to be an example. Believe me, whether you realize it or not, you are being watched as a Christian in this country. People want reasons to discredit us, people want to find flaws in us. Don't give them these reasons. Whether its something as big as committing a crime, or something as small as picking up a candy wrapper, make sure God sees you being great, and representing him as He has called us to do.
Final Thought:
I was the person who would throw something back on a shelf in the wrong place just so I didn't have to inconveniance myself. I would complain about a mess someone made, or walk past something on the ground, to avoid having to do something about it myself. I was the person who did the minimum amount to complete my work, then spent the rest of the work day slacking off. I've been able to change this attitude through my faith, and its been one of the most rewarding decisions of my life. Little things like my sister making a mess don't bother me as much anymore. There's no stress involved with avoiding situations that I think will "inconvenience" me. And since I have made this "attitude adjustment", I have noticed so many more blessings coming into my life on a regular basis.
Honor God with your day to day life. Don't just go to church. Don't just say a nightly prayer. But honor Him in everything that we do. Not only will you please God, but you will find yourself living a happier life. And whether its right away or down the road, you will see opportunities, blessings, and rewards appear in your life from honoring God.
"If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles"
There are many different messages and reflections that come from Jesus' words in this verse. I will focus this brief reflection on one specific message, one specific thing I believe Jesus is calling us to do; be great in representing God.
Reflection:
Mediocrity has become the standard of our world these days. Doing the minimum to get by is the general norm in our country. Fit in, blend in, go with the flow is the way American's minds are trained. This is not however, how Christians should be....
College athletes entering into the professional ranks are often given the following advice: "When deciding whether to do something, ask yourself whether you would be ok with the newspaper printing out the story of what you are about to do." Imagine someone is watching you. How many of us act differently when our boss is there, our wife is with us, "someone prominent" is watching, vs. when no one is around? It's easy to slack off when we are not being watched. It's easy to leave a piece of trash on the ground we drop when no one is looking. It's easy to walk past a mess in the store when no one is watching. But the reality is, we are being watched. Not always by our boss, wife, friends, pastors....but by somone of infinitely more importance...God.
Jesus has called us all to be great. The easiest way for us to continue to do this is to remember that we are representing God at all times. God sees us when we put the cereal back on the shelf in the wrong place. God sees us when avoid talking to our friends and family because we are tired or busy. God sees us when we avoid someone so we don't have to expend energy helping them with something. We are always representing God.
As I write this I am reminded of the story of Rebekah. When Abraham sent his servant out to find Issac a wife, his servant found Rebekah and asked for some water after a long journey. Rebekah could have easily satisfied him, and done her part, by giving him water. This would have been admirable in itself. But she went above and beyond. She decided to be great. She not only supplied the servant with water, but all of his camels as well. Anyone who knows how much water camels need after a long journey knows how much Rebekah went above and beyond to do this task. God enjoyed this. And at the end of the day, God's grace blessed Rebekah with many glorius gifts.
We are called to be an example. Believe me, whether you realize it or not, you are being watched as a Christian in this country. People want reasons to discredit us, people want to find flaws in us. Don't give them these reasons. Whether its something as big as committing a crime, or something as small as picking up a candy wrapper, make sure God sees you being great, and representing him as He has called us to do.
Final Thought:
I was the person who would throw something back on a shelf in the wrong place just so I didn't have to inconveniance myself. I would complain about a mess someone made, or walk past something on the ground, to avoid having to do something about it myself. I was the person who did the minimum amount to complete my work, then spent the rest of the work day slacking off. I've been able to change this attitude through my faith, and its been one of the most rewarding decisions of my life. Little things like my sister making a mess don't bother me as much anymore. There's no stress involved with avoiding situations that I think will "inconvenience" me. And since I have made this "attitude adjustment", I have noticed so many more blessings coming into my life on a regular basis.
Honor God with your day to day life. Don't just go to church. Don't just say a nightly prayer. But honor Him in everything that we do. Not only will you please God, but you will find yourself living a happier life. And whether its right away or down the road, you will see opportunities, blessings, and rewards appear in your life from honoring God.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
God's gift of time
Scripture I'm reflecting on: Psalm 71:20-21
"You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,
but you will restore me to life again
and life me up from the depths of the earth."
"You will restore me to even greater honor
and comform me once again"
I was listening to a pastor speaking on the book of Job today, and as I reflected on it afterward I began thinking of all the stories in the Bible where God restores His people who have been wronged. But not by the human definition of restore. When we restore someone, we simply get them "back to even." Give them what they lost, and nothing more. God's definition of restore however, is a little different, and a lot better for us. The stories where God restores people not just with what they lost, but with so much more, are plentiful throughout the Bible. Job received double what he had. Numerous stories in the earlier Old Testament where the Isrealites received all they had lost and so much more. The woman who abanoned her crop for seven years and had it all and more returned.
Reflection:
This reflection of how God can restore us, restore us after we are wronged, restore us for time we have lost, has been a very comforting thought for me today. I struggle with time to time when I think about years that I've wasted away in the past. A couple of years in a job I hated. A couple of years in a bad relationship. Many years in my younger days that could have been better spent. But I'm learning that by having faith, that trusting God with your time, that I can have all these years restored. Time we spend with God, is time He gives us back, with so much more.
A quote I have had written down for some time now from a service I attended went like this, "Thinking about what you "should have done", keeps you from God's best." I can personally attest to this being 100% accurate. Nothing good ultimately comes out of looking back at what you "should've done." Whether its something small like missing a shot in a sport, or something major like making a poor life decision, sulking in what "could have been" will get you nowhere fast. The same goes for when you are wronged. Somone may have treated you poorly, wasting a bunch of your time. Someone may have tricked you, and took a job you deserved. When these times come, don't lay in a pool of self-pity. Stay faithful. Ask God for restoration. And continue to live in God's glory. The stories are endless of how God takes care of his people, and always restores us when we are wronged; as long as we stay faithful to Him.
Our minds seem to be trained to worry, sulk, and fill with anger when things don't go right. We have to find a way to shut off our minds in these situations, and just receive God. God will lead us in the right direction. And if we follow His lead, not only will we be restored, but we will have more joy than we had before we were wronged, before we made a mistake, or before we wasted away time.
Final Thought:
Nowhere in the Bible will you find a promise that we will have a perfect life, and never experience loss. But there are promises of restoration for those who are faithful. "Expect better when wronged." Feel like you wasted away years in a job where you were disrespected? Stay faithful, and God will accelerate years and provide you with even greater opportunites than you could've ever imagined. Feel like you wasted away years in a bad relationship. Stay faithful, and God will put somone in your life more beautiful than you could've ever imagined. Feel like someone has consistently wronged you? Stay faithful, and God will give you happiness that this other person will never be able to experience. Fallen under financial hardship through no fault of your own? Stay faithful, and God will not only restore what you lost, but give you so much more.
God takes care of those who are faithful to Him. You may feel you are "due" for some restoration. Stay faithful. And dont think you might be restored, that maybe God will take care of you, but KNOW that He will.
"You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,
but you will restore me to life again
and life me up from the depths of the earth."
"You will restore me to even greater honor
and comform me once again"
I was listening to a pastor speaking on the book of Job today, and as I reflected on it afterward I began thinking of all the stories in the Bible where God restores His people who have been wronged. But not by the human definition of restore. When we restore someone, we simply get them "back to even." Give them what they lost, and nothing more. God's definition of restore however, is a little different, and a lot better for us. The stories where God restores people not just with what they lost, but with so much more, are plentiful throughout the Bible. Job received double what he had. Numerous stories in the earlier Old Testament where the Isrealites received all they had lost and so much more. The woman who abanoned her crop for seven years and had it all and more returned.
Reflection:
This reflection of how God can restore us, restore us after we are wronged, restore us for time we have lost, has been a very comforting thought for me today. I struggle with time to time when I think about years that I've wasted away in the past. A couple of years in a job I hated. A couple of years in a bad relationship. Many years in my younger days that could have been better spent. But I'm learning that by having faith, that trusting God with your time, that I can have all these years restored. Time we spend with God, is time He gives us back, with so much more.
A quote I have had written down for some time now from a service I attended went like this, "Thinking about what you "should have done", keeps you from God's best." I can personally attest to this being 100% accurate. Nothing good ultimately comes out of looking back at what you "should've done." Whether its something small like missing a shot in a sport, or something major like making a poor life decision, sulking in what "could have been" will get you nowhere fast. The same goes for when you are wronged. Somone may have treated you poorly, wasting a bunch of your time. Someone may have tricked you, and took a job you deserved. When these times come, don't lay in a pool of self-pity. Stay faithful. Ask God for restoration. And continue to live in God's glory. The stories are endless of how God takes care of his people, and always restores us when we are wronged; as long as we stay faithful to Him.
Our minds seem to be trained to worry, sulk, and fill with anger when things don't go right. We have to find a way to shut off our minds in these situations, and just receive God. God will lead us in the right direction. And if we follow His lead, not only will we be restored, but we will have more joy than we had before we were wronged, before we made a mistake, or before we wasted away time.
Final Thought:
Nowhere in the Bible will you find a promise that we will have a perfect life, and never experience loss. But there are promises of restoration for those who are faithful. "Expect better when wronged." Feel like you wasted away years in a job where you were disrespected? Stay faithful, and God will accelerate years and provide you with even greater opportunites than you could've ever imagined. Feel like you wasted away years in a bad relationship. Stay faithful, and God will put somone in your life more beautiful than you could've ever imagined. Feel like someone has consistently wronged you? Stay faithful, and God will give you happiness that this other person will never be able to experience. Fallen under financial hardship through no fault of your own? Stay faithful, and God will not only restore what you lost, but give you so much more.
God takes care of those who are faithful to Him. You may feel you are "due" for some restoration. Stay faithful. And dont think you might be restored, that maybe God will take care of you, but KNOW that He will.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Prayers for Newtown
Scripture I'm reflecting on: Psalm 34:18
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
he rescues those whose spirits are crushed."
I've searched through notes I've made through my Scripture readings to find something appropriate to offer after the tragedy of today. This verse is one of many that offers hope. Hope for healing. Hope for restoration. No words, not even from the Bible, can offer instant healing for something like this. But it can give hope, hope that we need to enhance through prayer.
There is no refletion here. Only one more prayer for the families, the victims, and the community. I am at an age where I have seen a fair number of these horrific tragedies. I remember spending a whole school day watching the 9/11 coverage, I remember waiting by my phone to find out if my friends at Virginia Tech were ok, Columbine, Movie theatre shooting. As horrific as these were, I can't remember any of these hitting my heart like watching the coverage of this tragedy. Watching footage of our nation's youth, 5-8 year olds, being interviewed about a gumnan in their school, made my eyes, and I'm sure so many of yours, well up instantaneously.
Through watching the "coverage" of this event, I've seen news media outlets looking for "answers", seeking "expert opinions" on what caused this, what could have prevented this, and so on. Some stations went as far as bringing up gun control, others brought up our need to increase care for the mentally ill. And I guess this is our natural reaction to bad situations. But the bottom line is that this act was simply an act of pure evil. A human being, who loaded up an arsenal, and put on a bullet proof vest, to go into an elementary school and execute 27+ people, 20 of them under the age of 10, and one being his own mother... cannot be described as anything but pure evil. The only way to respond to this is through prayer. Through looking up to Him. There's no law, there's no preventative action, that couldve prevent an evil of this kind. God is the only one who can respond to this type of evil, to restore good, and to prevent further evil.
Pray for these families. Pray for this community. And don't lose faith in light of these tragic times. It is so easy, and so natural, to start preaching "Why God?" and "How could You let this happen" in times like this. Don't. Have faith that God will restore. Believe that God will make things right. And support His efforts through prayer and faith.
Your prayer for these families matter. Your prayer for these victims matter. And your prayers, our prayers collectively, are what will get this country through tragedies of this nature. Your prayer matters. Make sure it is heard.
"Father, I pray for all of those impacted by today's horrible tragedy. Blanket those in mourning with your mercy, compassion, hope, and peace."
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
he rescues those whose spirits are crushed."
I've searched through notes I've made through my Scripture readings to find something appropriate to offer after the tragedy of today. This verse is one of many that offers hope. Hope for healing. Hope for restoration. No words, not even from the Bible, can offer instant healing for something like this. But it can give hope, hope that we need to enhance through prayer.
There is no refletion here. Only one more prayer for the families, the victims, and the community. I am at an age where I have seen a fair number of these horrific tragedies. I remember spending a whole school day watching the 9/11 coverage, I remember waiting by my phone to find out if my friends at Virginia Tech were ok, Columbine, Movie theatre shooting. As horrific as these were, I can't remember any of these hitting my heart like watching the coverage of this tragedy. Watching footage of our nation's youth, 5-8 year olds, being interviewed about a gumnan in their school, made my eyes, and I'm sure so many of yours, well up instantaneously.
Through watching the "coverage" of this event, I've seen news media outlets looking for "answers", seeking "expert opinions" on what caused this, what could have prevented this, and so on. Some stations went as far as bringing up gun control, others brought up our need to increase care for the mentally ill. And I guess this is our natural reaction to bad situations. But the bottom line is that this act was simply an act of pure evil. A human being, who loaded up an arsenal, and put on a bullet proof vest, to go into an elementary school and execute 27+ people, 20 of them under the age of 10, and one being his own mother... cannot be described as anything but pure evil. The only way to respond to this is through prayer. Through looking up to Him. There's no law, there's no preventative action, that couldve prevent an evil of this kind. God is the only one who can respond to this type of evil, to restore good, and to prevent further evil.
Pray for these families. Pray for this community. And don't lose faith in light of these tragic times. It is so easy, and so natural, to start preaching "Why God?" and "How could You let this happen" in times like this. Don't. Have faith that God will restore. Believe that God will make things right. And support His efforts through prayer and faith.
Your prayer for these families matter. Your prayer for these victims matter. And your prayers, our prayers collectively, are what will get this country through tragedies of this nature. Your prayer matters. Make sure it is heard.
"Father, I pray for all of those impacted by today's horrible tragedy. Blanket those in mourning with your mercy, compassion, hope, and peace."
Friday, December 7, 2012
Pray with confidence
Scripture I'm reflecting on: Matthew 9:29
"When he touched their eyes and said, "because of your faith, it will happen."
Two blind men just had seen Jesus' wonderful healing power. They asked for their own healing. They followed Jesus, even walked into the house he was staying at. Jesus asked a simple question... "Do you believe I can make you see"....
Reflection:
Jesus could have healed these men when he first saw them with the snap of his fingers. But he didn't. They had to follow him for a while. They had to be persistent by entering into the house. And they have to believe he would heal them.
Do you ever think feel like its taking too long for your prayers to be answered? I'm sure we've all been there at some point, I know I have. In fact I find myself fighting that thought out of my head almost daily. When you get that feeling, do you give up on the prayer? Do you tell yourself that prayer won't be answered. This story is a perfect way to reflect when those thoughts start creeping into your heart. Don't stop following God, following your prayer, just because it didn't happen right away. Don't give up on a prayer, keep the faith. And with that faith, don't hope that your prayer will be answered, but know it will be answered.
One of my biggest struggles is this concept of knowing my prayer will be answered. I still find myself asking and hoping for things in prayer, instead of merely just praying and knowing God will take care of it. It seems so easy to get into this mindset. Prayers don't always get answered exactly how we want, but they are all answered, and answered in the right way regardless of whether we can see it.
How is your "prayer attitude?" Do you have any sense of skepticism when you pray? Doubt? Impatience? Find a way to erase these thoughts. Finding verses like this is my attempt to work through these thoughts in my head. The Bible is filled with stories of how true faith, true persistence, and true belief in God will lead all of our prayers to be answered.
Final Thought:
Look back on all the times God has blessed you, protected you, and provided for you. No matter who you are or how bad things may be for you, you will be able to come up with an endless list to those questions if you give it enough reflection. All we are asked to give back in return for these blessings is faith. Seems like more than a fair deal to me.
Next time you pray for something, pray as if it has already been provided. Pray as if it you have already been blessed with the answer. Because in all actuality, you have been....
"When he touched their eyes and said, "because of your faith, it will happen."
Two blind men just had seen Jesus' wonderful healing power. They asked for their own healing. They followed Jesus, even walked into the house he was staying at. Jesus asked a simple question... "Do you believe I can make you see"....
Reflection:
Jesus could have healed these men when he first saw them with the snap of his fingers. But he didn't. They had to follow him for a while. They had to be persistent by entering into the house. And they have to believe he would heal them.
Do you ever think feel like its taking too long for your prayers to be answered? I'm sure we've all been there at some point, I know I have. In fact I find myself fighting that thought out of my head almost daily. When you get that feeling, do you give up on the prayer? Do you tell yourself that prayer won't be answered. This story is a perfect way to reflect when those thoughts start creeping into your heart. Don't stop following God, following your prayer, just because it didn't happen right away. Don't give up on a prayer, keep the faith. And with that faith, don't hope that your prayer will be answered, but know it will be answered.
One of my biggest struggles is this concept of knowing my prayer will be answered. I still find myself asking and hoping for things in prayer, instead of merely just praying and knowing God will take care of it. It seems so easy to get into this mindset. Prayers don't always get answered exactly how we want, but they are all answered, and answered in the right way regardless of whether we can see it.
How is your "prayer attitude?" Do you have any sense of skepticism when you pray? Doubt? Impatience? Find a way to erase these thoughts. Finding verses like this is my attempt to work through these thoughts in my head. The Bible is filled with stories of how true faith, true persistence, and true belief in God will lead all of our prayers to be answered.
Final Thought:
Look back on all the times God has blessed you, protected you, and provided for you. No matter who you are or how bad things may be for you, you will be able to come up with an endless list to those questions if you give it enough reflection. All we are asked to give back in return for these blessings is faith. Seems like more than a fair deal to me.
Next time you pray for something, pray as if it has already been provided. Pray as if it you have already been blessed with the answer. Because in all actuality, you have been....
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Be who He made you to be
Scripture I'm reflecting on: 1 Samuel 8:20
"We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle"
Samuel had brought Isreal back from many years of darnkess. But he was now old, and it was time for him to prepare for Isreal after he was no longer judge. The Isrealites however, wanted to be like the other nations around them, and requested a king, even against God's wishes.
This turned out to be a very bad decision.....
Reflection:
Do you ever find yourself changing to fit in with others? The world is full of temptation to compromise our character, our morals, our beliefs for secular life improvement. Whether it be for money, power, acceptance, friendship, or a relationship, we all will at some point in our lives face situations where we are tempted to change, compromise, or conform for these reasons.
This verse stopped me in the middle of my reading, because I knew instantly it was one I needed to focus on. I spent the majority of my life trying to fit in with people at the expense of my character, to the point where I probably couldn't even tell you who I really was. I acted one way when I was with the teammates, another way when way around people at school, another way around my family, another way around girls, another way around teachers, on and on. I was a chameleon, my colors (my character) changed with my surroundings. I said what I thought people wanted to hear, I laughed at things that weren't funny, I agreed with things that were wrong and immoral. I lied about things to make myself seem cool. I remember when my high school friends started talking about parties and drinking they did over the weekend, I would always lie and say I went to some party too, or make up stories about all the "cool" stuff I did. All I ever strived for was to be like other people. I wanted to be like the popular kids. I wanted to be like the guys who got all the girls. I wanted to be something I was not.
I wasted A LOT of my life doing this.
Faith is the answer to this temptation. I know now that there is one person I want to conform my character to, and that is God. I don't need acceptance from anyone but Him. Don't get me wrong, I still battle with these temptations. But through faith, I have been able to get to a point where I am not concerned with what other people think. Sure, I want people to like me. But I want them to like me for who I am, not who they want me to be.
Final Thought:
I hope to relay two main points from this devotion. The first is that living the way I did, that is, living solely to please other people, is miserable. It's no way to live. You will never be truly happy. Sure you may get temporary pleasure from having friends. Having money. Having power. But it won't last if you are lying about who you are to get there.
The second point is that if you find yourself doing this, or realize you have changed your core character and turned into something you dislike, it is not too late to change. I spent all of my high school and college days being a chameleon. But I managed to change through faith, and it is a great feeling. And it will be a great feeling for you too.
I've seen people sacrifice their morals for money. I've seen people compromise their character to get a promotion. I've seen guys lie about girls they have slept with to seem cool. I have seen girls date guys they don't even like just to be accepted in the "clique". Not only will this lead to your own unhappiness, but it will lead to bad things in your life as well. You can't hide who you are forever, and you certainly can't hide who you are from God.
Be who God made you to be. I can promise you, being that person is infinitely better than the person you try to change yourself into!
"We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle"
Samuel had brought Isreal back from many years of darnkess. But he was now old, and it was time for him to prepare for Isreal after he was no longer judge. The Isrealites however, wanted to be like the other nations around them, and requested a king, even against God's wishes.
This turned out to be a very bad decision.....
Reflection:
Do you ever find yourself changing to fit in with others? The world is full of temptation to compromise our character, our morals, our beliefs for secular life improvement. Whether it be for money, power, acceptance, friendship, or a relationship, we all will at some point in our lives face situations where we are tempted to change, compromise, or conform for these reasons.
This verse stopped me in the middle of my reading, because I knew instantly it was one I needed to focus on. I spent the majority of my life trying to fit in with people at the expense of my character, to the point where I probably couldn't even tell you who I really was. I acted one way when I was with the teammates, another way when way around people at school, another way around my family, another way around girls, another way around teachers, on and on. I was a chameleon, my colors (my character) changed with my surroundings. I said what I thought people wanted to hear, I laughed at things that weren't funny, I agreed with things that were wrong and immoral. I lied about things to make myself seem cool. I remember when my high school friends started talking about parties and drinking they did over the weekend, I would always lie and say I went to some party too, or make up stories about all the "cool" stuff I did. All I ever strived for was to be like other people. I wanted to be like the popular kids. I wanted to be like the guys who got all the girls. I wanted to be something I was not.
I wasted A LOT of my life doing this.
Faith is the answer to this temptation. I know now that there is one person I want to conform my character to, and that is God. I don't need acceptance from anyone but Him. Don't get me wrong, I still battle with these temptations. But through faith, I have been able to get to a point where I am not concerned with what other people think. Sure, I want people to like me. But I want them to like me for who I am, not who they want me to be.
Final Thought:
I hope to relay two main points from this devotion. The first is that living the way I did, that is, living solely to please other people, is miserable. It's no way to live. You will never be truly happy. Sure you may get temporary pleasure from having friends. Having money. Having power. But it won't last if you are lying about who you are to get there.
The second point is that if you find yourself doing this, or realize you have changed your core character and turned into something you dislike, it is not too late to change. I spent all of my high school and college days being a chameleon. But I managed to change through faith, and it is a great feeling. And it will be a great feeling for you too.
I've seen people sacrifice their morals for money. I've seen people compromise their character to get a promotion. I've seen guys lie about girls they have slept with to seem cool. I have seen girls date guys they don't even like just to be accepted in the "clique". Not only will this lead to your own unhappiness, but it will lead to bad things in your life as well. You can't hide who you are forever, and you certainly can't hide who you are from God.
Be who God made you to be. I can promise you, being that person is infinitely better than the person you try to change yourself into!
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