Scripture I'm Reflecting on: 1 Peter 1:7
"These trials will show that your faith is genuine. . . .So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."
Reflection:
Peter mentions the trials and tribulations that we will face numerous times in his Bible writings. We face these trials every day. Little ones, such as a bad day at work, argument with someone, bad grade, or our car won't start. Some of us have had to face big ones, health issues, family troubles, or financial woes. We react in different ways to these circumstances. Sadness. Anger. Depression. These reactions are certainly natural, and will happen to all of us at some point or the other, even if just for a short moment. But what we cannot do, is lose faith in these situations.
It's certainly easy to do. Someone that watches a loved one battling a horrible disease has an excuse to have doubts in their faith. Someone who loses their business and finances has an excuse to question if God is watching over them. Someone who runs into traffic and misses an important interview has an excuse to think God is working against them. The #1 answer you are likely to receive if you ask an athiest why they do not believe in God is "if there is a God, why is there suffering, pain, poverty, hunger, on and on". I can't say I never had similar thoughts in my younger days. So what is the answer to this question? Why would God create cancer? Why do corrupt and immoral people continue to reap rewards, while good people are battling poverty and hunger? Peter provides the answer to these questions...
God is looking to find out who's faith is truly genuine. I've said it before in past blogs....if all Christians were rewarded with good health, riches, and happiness, then everyone would be a Christian. Some for moral reasons, others simply for the rewards. There would be no way to distinguish between who's faith was truly genuine. But by providing us with trials and hardships, God is able to see who's faith is truly genuine. I have tried to use this verse to look at bad days, traffic jams, encounters with an unpleasnt person, bad service, or health problems as opportunities Opportunities to show off to God. Opportunities to prove to God, and myself, that my faith is genuine.
Peter says when we have strong faith through trials, it will bring us praise, glory and honor in front of Jesus. Is there anything better than that? No matter how bad things are, no matter how down we get, if we can remember this simple verse, then we will know exactly how to cope with the situation.
Final Thought:
We will not find the ultimate reward in this lifetime. The ultimate reward comes upon Jesus' return. But we can only obtain that reward through genuine faith. And Peter has told us exactly how to show that.....by showing our faith during the down times, during the trials and tribulations. This is one of those verses to read when youre feeling down, or when you feel like you were disrespected, slighted, or wronged. It serves as a great reminder to keep our faith, and will ultimately help us to deal with these down times in a healthier and happier fashion, all while pleasing God by maintaining our genuine faith.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Saturday, May 25, 2013
In God we trust.....right?
Scripture I'm Reflecting on: Psalm 20:7
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."
Reflection:
It's pretty crazy the things we put faith in these days. Anytime we get behind the wheel we are putting our trust, our faith in other things. Mechanics. Traffic lights. Other drivers. Think about when we fly. We give up all control. Our total faith is in the pilot. Our total faith is in the airplane crew. For most of us, we aren't even phased by this. We read a book, play on our iPad, fall asleep. The list of things we are willing to put our complete faith in is endless. But is God one of them? Are we willing to put our complete faith in God at all times? For many of us, that answer is no.
How is it that we find it harder to trust God than it is to trust flying 60,000 feet in the air? We're willing to trust others on the road, but not willing to trust our Lord to provide for us. I catch myself doing this all the time. Why did I not get that job? Why didn't I get the grade I feel I deserved? Why does this person or that person seem to get all the breaks? This isn't the attitude we are supposed to have as role models in the image of God. This is not the attitude Jesus had, the person we are all called to follow as the ultimate role model, when everything and everyone was turned against him. Jesus was put through trials worse than any of us can even imagine, and at the worst of it all, he never gave up his trust in God. It is time for us, to make a better effort to obtain this ultimate trust.
I'm a believer that all the "bad breaks", and all the "obstacles" and "setbacks" in life are God's way of guiding us and preparing us for our ultimate calling. But we have to do our part in this journey. Instead of losing trust and giving up on prayer when something doesn't go our way, we need to continue to thank God for what we have, and continue to ask Him for guidance....all while trusting that he is leading us in the right direction.
Final Thought:
The Bible is rich with stories of how having faith in God always pays off. I have a tendency to read these stories and forget that these are real. This stuff actually happened. The Bible is not fiction. When I reflect on that, it makes me realize that God can still do these great things in my life today, and He will do these great things in our lives as long as don't fight against Him. We fight against God when we lose trust, or go against what he puts on our heart, or give up a little faith. Fight against this. Find a scripture that reminds you of the joy and happiness that comes from keeping faith and trust in God can. Remember a time in your life when God turned a what you thought was a negative, into a positive. When we do this, and follow the path God has laid for us, we will experience our most happiest days.
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."
Reflection:
It's pretty crazy the things we put faith in these days. Anytime we get behind the wheel we are putting our trust, our faith in other things. Mechanics. Traffic lights. Other drivers. Think about when we fly. We give up all control. Our total faith is in the pilot. Our total faith is in the airplane crew. For most of us, we aren't even phased by this. We read a book, play on our iPad, fall asleep. The list of things we are willing to put our complete faith in is endless. But is God one of them? Are we willing to put our complete faith in God at all times? For many of us, that answer is no.
How is it that we find it harder to trust God than it is to trust flying 60,000 feet in the air? We're willing to trust others on the road, but not willing to trust our Lord to provide for us. I catch myself doing this all the time. Why did I not get that job? Why didn't I get the grade I feel I deserved? Why does this person or that person seem to get all the breaks? This isn't the attitude we are supposed to have as role models in the image of God. This is not the attitude Jesus had, the person we are all called to follow as the ultimate role model, when everything and everyone was turned against him. Jesus was put through trials worse than any of us can even imagine, and at the worst of it all, he never gave up his trust in God. It is time for us, to make a better effort to obtain this ultimate trust.
I'm a believer that all the "bad breaks", and all the "obstacles" and "setbacks" in life are God's way of guiding us and preparing us for our ultimate calling. But we have to do our part in this journey. Instead of losing trust and giving up on prayer when something doesn't go our way, we need to continue to thank God for what we have, and continue to ask Him for guidance....all while trusting that he is leading us in the right direction.
Final Thought:
The Bible is rich with stories of how having faith in God always pays off. I have a tendency to read these stories and forget that these are real. This stuff actually happened. The Bible is not fiction. When I reflect on that, it makes me realize that God can still do these great things in my life today, and He will do these great things in our lives as long as don't fight against Him. We fight against God when we lose trust, or go against what he puts on our heart, or give up a little faith. Fight against this. Find a scripture that reminds you of the joy and happiness that comes from keeping faith and trust in God can. Remember a time in your life when God turned a what you thought was a negative, into a positive. When we do this, and follow the path God has laid for us, we will experience our most happiest days.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Distracted from our Calling
Scripture I'm Reflecting on: Nehemiah 6:3
"I am engaged in a great work, I can't come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?"
Nehemiah was close to completing his great work....his calling... His enemies tried to get him to pause his work, and distract him from doing God's work. He stayed strong though, pushed away the distraction.... and the rest of the story is history.
Reflection:
Our culture is rich with distractions. Television. Wealth. Power. Music. Money. Advertisements. Jewelry. Sports. Opposite sex. Beauty. Love. We find ways to navigate around these distractions all the time. During exam time, I have no issues blocking out these distractions. I keep the TV off. I stay in and turn down other events, other opportunities/distractions. On the golf course I have no problem blocking out the distractions around me, and focusing in on the round. I'm sure everyone can relate to a time when they've shut off all distractions. Maybe when trying to complete a big project at school? Maybe when finishing up a big home project? Maybe on a big date? But can we say we do this when we are doing God's work? When seeking his Glory? My answer, as I'm sure many others have to honestly admit as well, is certainly that I do not do this nearly enough.
We are called to do God's work. Spread the good news. Be a positive example in society. Worship God. Love Jesus. Nowhere in this calling is there any reason for us not to enjoy the beautiful gifts we have been given in the world. Go have fun at the beach. Go to a party with family or friends. Enjoy a round of golf. Go on a date. Have a relationship. But we have to do all of these things knowing that our faith is still our #1 priority. And when it is time to go God's work, or devote time to Him, then we need to take a cue from Nehemiah, and block out all of these other distractions. If we find something in our life is distracting us from seeking God, pulling us away from the Word, or preventing us from doing God's work....then we have to find a way around this distraction.
Final Thought:
I believe the best way to fight against being distracted from God is by praying and reflecting on what are the things in our own lives that provide us the most distractions. I've recognized this same final thought in several of my postings, and continue to try and implement it in my own life. For some people its facebook. For some people its fantasy sports. For some people its TV....on and on. Being aware of what distracts you most from God is the first (and probably second third and fourth) step in making sure you do not let distractions stop you from seeking God.
"I am engaged in a great work, I can't come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?"
Nehemiah was close to completing his great work....his calling... His enemies tried to get him to pause his work, and distract him from doing God's work. He stayed strong though, pushed away the distraction.... and the rest of the story is history.
Reflection:
Our culture is rich with distractions. Television. Wealth. Power. Music. Money. Advertisements. Jewelry. Sports. Opposite sex. Beauty. Love. We find ways to navigate around these distractions all the time. During exam time, I have no issues blocking out these distractions. I keep the TV off. I stay in and turn down other events, other opportunities/distractions. On the golf course I have no problem blocking out the distractions around me, and focusing in on the round. I'm sure everyone can relate to a time when they've shut off all distractions. Maybe when trying to complete a big project at school? Maybe when finishing up a big home project? Maybe on a big date? But can we say we do this when we are doing God's work? When seeking his Glory? My answer, as I'm sure many others have to honestly admit as well, is certainly that I do not do this nearly enough.
We are called to do God's work. Spread the good news. Be a positive example in society. Worship God. Love Jesus. Nowhere in this calling is there any reason for us not to enjoy the beautiful gifts we have been given in the world. Go have fun at the beach. Go to a party with family or friends. Enjoy a round of golf. Go on a date. Have a relationship. But we have to do all of these things knowing that our faith is still our #1 priority. And when it is time to go God's work, or devote time to Him, then we need to take a cue from Nehemiah, and block out all of these other distractions. If we find something in our life is distracting us from seeking God, pulling us away from the Word, or preventing us from doing God's work....then we have to find a way around this distraction.
Final Thought:
I believe the best way to fight against being distracted from God is by praying and reflecting on what are the things in our own lives that provide us the most distractions. I've recognized this same final thought in several of my postings, and continue to try and implement it in my own life. For some people its facebook. For some people its fantasy sports. For some people its TV....on and on. Being aware of what distracts you most from God is the first (and probably second third and fourth) step in making sure you do not let distractions stop you from seeking God.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Obey God by obeying your heart
Scripture I'm Reflecton On: John 9:6-7
"Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man's eyes. He told him, 'Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.' So the man went and washed and came back seeing"
Reflection:
Anyone that knows me can attest to the fact I have a tendency to notice and key in on small things, like noticing something random in the corner of a picture or remebering something completely random and inconsequential months later. This verse is another time I find myself doing that..
I find myself wondering, what is the point of the whole mud thing? Clearly its in the Bible for a reason. Clearly Jesus did it this way for a reason. John just didn't make this up to enhance the story, this isn't a Hollywood movie script. Jesus had the power to bring the man's vision back with the snap of a finger. Surely the act of putting the mud on his eyes wasn't the "cure." So what was the point?
I did a quick google search just to see what others had said. A lot of different reasons are mentioned, for instance...using the Earth could certainly be intentionally symbolic to remind us of our creator's power. I think there is more here than just "symbolism" though. The message I take away from this act by Jesus is of a different message. I think this is a reminder for us to have faith and obey God, even on little things or things that do not make sense to us. The blind man in this case didn't ask any questions, he didn't question Jesus' method. He simply showed faith and followed Jesus commands, and he regained his sight. Compare this with other stories in the Bible. Saul disobeyed God's word when he kept a King alive along with some livestock. Result = He ended up losing the throne. Namaan became angry when Elisha commanded that he had to wash himself in the Jordan River to cure his leprocy, and initially refused to do so. Result = No cure.
One of the coolest things I found, and continue to find out as my faith grows, is how many times God gives us an order, or 'advice' on a regular, daily basis. We can usually hear Him when we are considering something big, and usually obey what He puts on our heart in these situations. But what about during the small day to day things? Ever been watching a YouTube video and just knew that it was something you shouldn't be watching? Ever started to do something and got a strong feeling that you needed to stop and do something else? These "I Knows".....I know I should do this, I know I shouldn't do this, I know going out with this person is a bad idea, I know going for a walk down that street isn't going to be good, I know I need to call my mom tonight....I firmly believe is God putting a command on our heart, and asking us to do something in faith.
It's easy to "reason" our way out of God's commands when it comes to small things he puts on our heart. "I can carry this coffee and orange juice to my car along with all my books, I'll be careful"...next thing you know your shirt is ruined. "I'm sure going out with these guys to the bar will be fine"...next thing you know youre stuck in a situation where you can't think of anything but trying to go home. These things happen everyday in our lives. Sometimes you just feel uneasy about someone. Sometimes you just feel like you need to leave a situation. Sometimes you feel like you should go talk to that person in the corner. Sometimes you just know it's time to call your family or a close friend. I guarantee if you reflect on all the times you went against "that 'I Know' feeling" you had in your heart, it always turned out to be a wrong decision. That's certainly the case in my life, and I imagine its the case for everyone.
Final Thought:
It may seem silly to write a devotion on such "small things." But is it really? Think about these small things. These are what cause most people the most problems in their life. How many times have you stressed over something that was "small" in the grand scheme of things, because you were fighting the feeling you had on your heart? How many times have you made yourself worry about something even though God clearly has put the answer on your heart?
We have to fight against confusing these "small things" with "insignificant things." The "small things" are the ones that will build up on us. When we make a habit out of fighting what God puts on our heart in terms of small day-to-day decisions, then eventually we will turn this in to fighting God's commands on bigger decisions.
Have faith in what God puts on your heart. It's not always going to make sense, especially if your someone like me who needs to hear a logical reason behind everything. But I'm slowly learning through experience that just having question-less faith is the way to go. Putting mud on a blind man's eyes makes no sense at all. But the result...is certainly one that is glorious.
"Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man's eyes. He told him, 'Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.' So the man went and washed and came back seeing"
Reflection:
Anyone that knows me can attest to the fact I have a tendency to notice and key in on small things, like noticing something random in the corner of a picture or remebering something completely random and inconsequential months later. This verse is another time I find myself doing that..
I find myself wondering, what is the point of the whole mud thing? Clearly its in the Bible for a reason. Clearly Jesus did it this way for a reason. John just didn't make this up to enhance the story, this isn't a Hollywood movie script. Jesus had the power to bring the man's vision back with the snap of a finger. Surely the act of putting the mud on his eyes wasn't the "cure." So what was the point?
I did a quick google search just to see what others had said. A lot of different reasons are mentioned, for instance...using the Earth could certainly be intentionally symbolic to remind us of our creator's power. I think there is more here than just "symbolism" though. The message I take away from this act by Jesus is of a different message. I think this is a reminder for us to have faith and obey God, even on little things or things that do not make sense to us. The blind man in this case didn't ask any questions, he didn't question Jesus' method. He simply showed faith and followed Jesus commands, and he regained his sight. Compare this with other stories in the Bible. Saul disobeyed God's word when he kept a King alive along with some livestock. Result = He ended up losing the throne. Namaan became angry when Elisha commanded that he had to wash himself in the Jordan River to cure his leprocy, and initially refused to do so. Result = No cure.
One of the coolest things I found, and continue to find out as my faith grows, is how many times God gives us an order, or 'advice' on a regular, daily basis. We can usually hear Him when we are considering something big, and usually obey what He puts on our heart in these situations. But what about during the small day to day things? Ever been watching a YouTube video and just knew that it was something you shouldn't be watching? Ever started to do something and got a strong feeling that you needed to stop and do something else? These "I Knows".....I know I should do this, I know I shouldn't do this, I know going out with this person is a bad idea, I know going for a walk down that street isn't going to be good, I know I need to call my mom tonight....I firmly believe is God putting a command on our heart, and asking us to do something in faith.
It's easy to "reason" our way out of God's commands when it comes to small things he puts on our heart. "I can carry this coffee and orange juice to my car along with all my books, I'll be careful"...next thing you know your shirt is ruined. "I'm sure going out with these guys to the bar will be fine"...next thing you know youre stuck in a situation where you can't think of anything but trying to go home. These things happen everyday in our lives. Sometimes you just feel uneasy about someone. Sometimes you just feel like you need to leave a situation. Sometimes you feel like you should go talk to that person in the corner. Sometimes you just know it's time to call your family or a close friend. I guarantee if you reflect on all the times you went against "that 'I Know' feeling" you had in your heart, it always turned out to be a wrong decision. That's certainly the case in my life, and I imagine its the case for everyone.
Final Thought:
It may seem silly to write a devotion on such "small things." But is it really? Think about these small things. These are what cause most people the most problems in their life. How many times have you stressed over something that was "small" in the grand scheme of things, because you were fighting the feeling you had on your heart? How many times have you made yourself worry about something even though God clearly has put the answer on your heart?
We have to fight against confusing these "small things" with "insignificant things." The "small things" are the ones that will build up on us. When we make a habit out of fighting what God puts on our heart in terms of small day-to-day decisions, then eventually we will turn this in to fighting God's commands on bigger decisions.
Have faith in what God puts on your heart. It's not always going to make sense, especially if your someone like me who needs to hear a logical reason behind everything. But I'm slowly learning through experience that just having question-less faith is the way to go. Putting mud on a blind man's eyes makes no sense at all. But the result...is certainly one that is glorious.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Managing your Guilt
Scripture I'm Reflecting On:
"How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults"
Reflection:
Do you ever wonder if something you just did was a "sin". Or maybe just wrong, or not pleasing to God. I do this all the time. Most of the time its something little that I never even thought about at the time I did it. Getting frustrated driving in rush hour. Doing something subtle to avoid someone or some situation. Laughing at questionably immoral humor. Engaging in certain conversations. I often find myself reflecting after the fact, and feeling guilty about something I've done and wondering if it was displeasing to God.
As David reflects in this verse, we all have hidden faults, which is probably a reason we cannot live a life completely free of sin, no matter how hard we try. No matter how pure we set out to be, none of us can ever claim we have never had a selfish thought, admired someone we found attractive, skipped an opportunity to thank or worship God, or given an uninspired effort in performing a task. Acknowledging these moments, and even feeling a little guilt, I think is a good thing, as it keeps us turning to God and keeping a close relationship. But letting guilt take over our minds if the work of the enemy, and will only pull us away from God.
If there's one thing to take away from the Bible, its how amazing and forgiving God is towards our fautls. Don't lose faith in that. God forgives all of our faults, from the smallest bad attitude moment, to the seemingly unforgiveable sin, as long as we turn to him and ask for this. It's easy to skip a prayer time because you think God is mad with you, or doesnt want to hear from you after something you did. I've had this thought on more than one occasion. But this is line of thinking is not written anywhere in the Bible, and there is no reason to even consider that is a possibility. "We are the apples of God's eyes", and as long as we lift our sins up to him, He will continue to forgive and bless our faults and shortcomings.
At my lowest spiritual point, I remember telling God something along the lines of "if youre even up there, stay out of my life as you certainly arent doing me any favors." And that is a rated G version. It took me a long.....long................long time, even after restoring my faith to where it is now, to realize and understand that God would forgive me as long as I asked and believes, even after such a horrible comment. Just as nothing is too big for God to accomplish, equally so, there is nothing too big for God to forgive.
Final Thought:
I am someone who over-analyzes everything, and will find something to be guilty about even when nothing is there. This is particularly true when hanging out with those I care about, I have a tendency to always think I did something wrong. Did I end the conversation correctly? Was that joke in bad taste (or maybe just dumb)? Was I friendly? Should I have offered to buy a coffee? These mostly irrational "guilty" questions I have occasionly creep their way into my prayer life as well, and when they do, I find myself pulled away from reading the Bible and engulfed with worry.
The Bible has always been my answer to these problems, and can be your answer if you find yourself feeling guilty, or wondering if you displeased God. Without fail, everytime I have truly and fully given my worry to the Lord, things have worked out for the best. I have no doubt, that when we do this, the result will always be the same.
"How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults"
Reflection:
Do you ever wonder if something you just did was a "sin". Or maybe just wrong, or not pleasing to God. I do this all the time. Most of the time its something little that I never even thought about at the time I did it. Getting frustrated driving in rush hour. Doing something subtle to avoid someone or some situation. Laughing at questionably immoral humor. Engaging in certain conversations. I often find myself reflecting after the fact, and feeling guilty about something I've done and wondering if it was displeasing to God.
As David reflects in this verse, we all have hidden faults, which is probably a reason we cannot live a life completely free of sin, no matter how hard we try. No matter how pure we set out to be, none of us can ever claim we have never had a selfish thought, admired someone we found attractive, skipped an opportunity to thank or worship God, or given an uninspired effort in performing a task. Acknowledging these moments, and even feeling a little guilt, I think is a good thing, as it keeps us turning to God and keeping a close relationship. But letting guilt take over our minds if the work of the enemy, and will only pull us away from God.
If there's one thing to take away from the Bible, its how amazing and forgiving God is towards our fautls. Don't lose faith in that. God forgives all of our faults, from the smallest bad attitude moment, to the seemingly unforgiveable sin, as long as we turn to him and ask for this. It's easy to skip a prayer time because you think God is mad with you, or doesnt want to hear from you after something you did. I've had this thought on more than one occasion. But this is line of thinking is not written anywhere in the Bible, and there is no reason to even consider that is a possibility. "We are the apples of God's eyes", and as long as we lift our sins up to him, He will continue to forgive and bless our faults and shortcomings.
At my lowest spiritual point, I remember telling God something along the lines of "if youre even up there, stay out of my life as you certainly arent doing me any favors." And that is a rated G version. It took me a long.....long................long time, even after restoring my faith to where it is now, to realize and understand that God would forgive me as long as I asked and believes, even after such a horrible comment. Just as nothing is too big for God to accomplish, equally so, there is nothing too big for God to forgive.
Final Thought:
I am someone who over-analyzes everything, and will find something to be guilty about even when nothing is there. This is particularly true when hanging out with those I care about, I have a tendency to always think I did something wrong. Did I end the conversation correctly? Was that joke in bad taste (or maybe just dumb)? Was I friendly? Should I have offered to buy a coffee? These mostly irrational "guilty" questions I have occasionly creep their way into my prayer life as well, and when they do, I find myself pulled away from reading the Bible and engulfed with worry.
The Bible has always been my answer to these problems, and can be your answer if you find yourself feeling guilty, or wondering if you displeased God. Without fail, everytime I have truly and fully given my worry to the Lord, things have worked out for the best. I have no doubt, that when we do this, the result will always be the same.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Keep Your Eyes on the Real Reward
Scripture I'm Reflecting on: Psalm 10:4-5
"The wicked are too proud to seek God.
They seem to think that God is dead.
Yet they succeed in everything they do."
Reflection:
I could have chosen any of the verses from Psalm 10 for this reflection, as I find this Psalm very refreshing; while also having a good message. I find myself liking this Psalm because it is a list of thoughts that I can really relate too. While the "wicked" this author (likely David) faced was certainly at a level higher than I have ever experienced or imagined, I do find myself having similar thoughts from time to time when I see certain things happening around me.
I'm sure most of us have had at least a quick thought like the ones in this verse (and entire Psalm) when we see someone "wicked" succeed. Greed, selfishness, and a cut-throat attitude seem to be the way to the top in modern times, and you don't need to look far to find a person of no faith succeeding in big ways. Many of the wealthiest people in the country have probably never even given God so much as a thank you for their fortunes. Many of the people who have been blessed with gifts of great intelligence, athletic ability, or impeccable health never give a thought to be grateful for the blessings they were given. A natural response, at least for me, is to wonder why these people are being rewarded? Why is God allowing this to happen?
But these thoughts, after a little bit of reflection, are really just silly....and worrying about other people's success is just a waste of energy. Why stress over why someone is wealthy, or why someone has a natural ability you do not have? All of this is temporary. Wealth lasts for a brief time. Our physical or mental gifts will fade away some day. Worrying about why someone has something we selfishly want is not only a waste of time, but also can have a tendency to pull us away from God. The Bible promises that the wicked will be punished in due time. That should be all the comfort we need to focus on our own faith, and live our lives in God's glory, regardless of the "material rewards" we are receiving. We can all think of times in our lives when God has taken care of us, and to think that he has stopped or forgotten us because we see god-less people around us succeeding is exactly the mindset Satan loves to see.
Final Thought:
There's too many things in our lives to be thankful about to worry and wonder whether other people's success is justified. Everyone has different beliefs on how much God inserts himself in our daily lives. I tend to think God has a plan for us, and gives us the resources and guidance to carry out that plan, without actually carrying it out for us. It's hard to say what influence God has over someones successes, say someone who has obtained great wealth, who does not acknowledge God. Maybe God still guides them to this wealth for a reason. Maybe it just happens. But we do know that God doesn't make any promises of riches and rewards for Christians, and the opposite for non-believers. If that were the case, everyone would "believe." Everyone would have "faith", but this faith for many would be in the rewards, and not God's Word.
The real reward, the only one that matters, doesn't come in the form of temporary wealth or fame. As long as we remember that, then we will realize there's no reason to worry about the successes we see those without faith obtaining. We can obtain a peace and happiness through faith that the richest, wealthiest, most athletic person on earth could never dream of without God. We are after an infinetly greater reward. And we will receive it as long as we stay true to God's Word and message.
"The wicked are too proud to seek God.
They seem to think that God is dead.
Yet they succeed in everything they do."
Reflection:
I could have chosen any of the verses from Psalm 10 for this reflection, as I find this Psalm very refreshing; while also having a good message. I find myself liking this Psalm because it is a list of thoughts that I can really relate too. While the "wicked" this author (likely David) faced was certainly at a level higher than I have ever experienced or imagined, I do find myself having similar thoughts from time to time when I see certain things happening around me.
I'm sure most of us have had at least a quick thought like the ones in this verse (and entire Psalm) when we see someone "wicked" succeed. Greed, selfishness, and a cut-throat attitude seem to be the way to the top in modern times, and you don't need to look far to find a person of no faith succeeding in big ways. Many of the wealthiest people in the country have probably never even given God so much as a thank you for their fortunes. Many of the people who have been blessed with gifts of great intelligence, athletic ability, or impeccable health never give a thought to be grateful for the blessings they were given. A natural response, at least for me, is to wonder why these people are being rewarded? Why is God allowing this to happen?
But these thoughts, after a little bit of reflection, are really just silly....and worrying about other people's success is just a waste of energy. Why stress over why someone is wealthy, or why someone has a natural ability you do not have? All of this is temporary. Wealth lasts for a brief time. Our physical or mental gifts will fade away some day. Worrying about why someone has something we selfishly want is not only a waste of time, but also can have a tendency to pull us away from God. The Bible promises that the wicked will be punished in due time. That should be all the comfort we need to focus on our own faith, and live our lives in God's glory, regardless of the "material rewards" we are receiving. We can all think of times in our lives when God has taken care of us, and to think that he has stopped or forgotten us because we see god-less people around us succeeding is exactly the mindset Satan loves to see.
Final Thought:
There's too many things in our lives to be thankful about to worry and wonder whether other people's success is justified. Everyone has different beliefs on how much God inserts himself in our daily lives. I tend to think God has a plan for us, and gives us the resources and guidance to carry out that plan, without actually carrying it out for us. It's hard to say what influence God has over someones successes, say someone who has obtained great wealth, who does not acknowledge God. Maybe God still guides them to this wealth for a reason. Maybe it just happens. But we do know that God doesn't make any promises of riches and rewards for Christians, and the opposite for non-believers. If that were the case, everyone would "believe." Everyone would have "faith", but this faith for many would be in the rewards, and not God's Word.
The real reward, the only one that matters, doesn't come in the form of temporary wealth or fame. As long as we remember that, then we will realize there's no reason to worry about the successes we see those without faith obtaining. We can obtain a peace and happiness through faith that the richest, wealthiest, most athletic person on earth could never dream of without God. We are after an infinetly greater reward. And we will receive it as long as we stay true to God's Word and message.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Remembering our History - March 7
Scripture I'm Reflecting On: Esther 9:1
"So on March 7 the two decrees of the king were put into effect. On that day, the enemeies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but quite the opposite happened. It was the Jews who overpowered their enemies."
Reflection:
Posting something a little different this time, not really a reflection, but just paying tribute to one our great Bible stories on the anniversary of its most notable event. March 7th isn't a date that many (if any) of us would think of as a day to remember, like Christmas, Passover, etc. Maybe coincidentally, or maybe through grace, I actually just happened to read the story of Esther this morning in my chronolgical reading or I probably wouldn't have remembered the date in the story at all. It's easy to forget about the history in the Bible, particularly shorter stories like Esther, which is why I felt remembering this date in our history would make for a good reminder opportunity.
I'm sure everyone has read the story of Esther at some point, so I won't go through a book report style summary. But I think it's one we should all consider giving a re-read for a truly inspirational story. There are many great messages we can take from this story. It offers a great inspirational story for women, with Esther basically saving an entire race of people. There's a warning for us in the life of Haman, to not let our desire for approval and popularity drive us into immoral actions. As we find ourselves obtaining more power in life, through promotions, parenthood, age, or occupation, this becomes especially more important to remember, as the temptations only grow as we obtain more power and wealth.
I think the best reflection on the story of Esther however, is just another example of how great and loving God is, and how he can bring any of us who are faithful to do amazing things. Esther and Mordecai were ordinary people, maybe just like you and me. They were part of a group of people that were far from the most beloved race of people in the time of this story, a group that was probably mocked and persecuted regularly under the reign of Persian kings. Yet, they remained faithful to God. And God repaid them in a great way. An extraordinary way. A divine way. Esther became queen, with enough power to get King Xerxes to allow her to issue orders. When you stop and just think about that for a second, you realize how remarkable that is, especially when you consider the time period that happened. God also rewarded Mordecai's actions (stopping an assassination) and his faith, by guiding him to become the Prime Minister to the King.
Bottom Line: Esther and Mordecai kept their faith in dark times. They didn't live in fear. And God made the impossible happen. We need to remember this when we start feeling fear: fear of an illness, fear of an interview, fear about a grade, fear about a loved one. Throw away the fear and show your faith in God by believing he is going to turn it all around, maybe even make the impossible happen in your life.
Final Thought:
It's easy to read these Old Testament stories almost like were reading fiction. I battle this thought in my own head all the time. The times were so different. The actions were so long ago. But we should try to remember that this was how we got to where we are now. These stories are why we have the Word. These stories are reminders of real actual examples of God's greatness, of God's glory. Remembering stories, like this one, are not only important to demonstrate our faith, but our a great reminder and inspiration to just how great we have it living under God's grace.
"So on March 7 the two decrees of the king were put into effect. On that day, the enemeies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but quite the opposite happened. It was the Jews who overpowered their enemies."
Reflection:
Posting something a little different this time, not really a reflection, but just paying tribute to one our great Bible stories on the anniversary of its most notable event. March 7th isn't a date that many (if any) of us would think of as a day to remember, like Christmas, Passover, etc. Maybe coincidentally, or maybe through grace, I actually just happened to read the story of Esther this morning in my chronolgical reading or I probably wouldn't have remembered the date in the story at all. It's easy to forget about the history in the Bible, particularly shorter stories like Esther, which is why I felt remembering this date in our history would make for a good reminder opportunity.
I'm sure everyone has read the story of Esther at some point, so I won't go through a book report style summary. But I think it's one we should all consider giving a re-read for a truly inspirational story. There are many great messages we can take from this story. It offers a great inspirational story for women, with Esther basically saving an entire race of people. There's a warning for us in the life of Haman, to not let our desire for approval and popularity drive us into immoral actions. As we find ourselves obtaining more power in life, through promotions, parenthood, age, or occupation, this becomes especially more important to remember, as the temptations only grow as we obtain more power and wealth.
I think the best reflection on the story of Esther however, is just another example of how great and loving God is, and how he can bring any of us who are faithful to do amazing things. Esther and Mordecai were ordinary people, maybe just like you and me. They were part of a group of people that were far from the most beloved race of people in the time of this story, a group that was probably mocked and persecuted regularly under the reign of Persian kings. Yet, they remained faithful to God. And God repaid them in a great way. An extraordinary way. A divine way. Esther became queen, with enough power to get King Xerxes to allow her to issue orders. When you stop and just think about that for a second, you realize how remarkable that is, especially when you consider the time period that happened. God also rewarded Mordecai's actions (stopping an assassination) and his faith, by guiding him to become the Prime Minister to the King.
Bottom Line: Esther and Mordecai kept their faith in dark times. They didn't live in fear. And God made the impossible happen. We need to remember this when we start feeling fear: fear of an illness, fear of an interview, fear about a grade, fear about a loved one. Throw away the fear and show your faith in God by believing he is going to turn it all around, maybe even make the impossible happen in your life.
Final Thought:
It's easy to read these Old Testament stories almost like were reading fiction. I battle this thought in my own head all the time. The times were so different. The actions were so long ago. But we should try to remember that this was how we got to where we are now. These stories are why we have the Word. These stories are reminders of real actual examples of God's greatness, of God's glory. Remembering stories, like this one, are not only important to demonstrate our faith, but our a great reminder and inspiration to just how great we have it living under God's grace.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Build your Foundation
Scripture I'm Reflecting on: Isaiah 28:16
"Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jersusalem,
a firm and tested stone.
It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on.
Whoever believes need never be shaken.
Reflection:
There are several passages that teach us to make our faith the foundation for our lives. Psalm 118:22, Matthew 22:42, 1 Peter 2:8. We are guaranteed security when we do this. We are guaranteed happiness when we do this. So why do we find ourselves forgetting this so often?
It's easy, especially in today's world, to find security in so many other things than the Word. Some people find it through their wealth. Some people find it through success in their job, their test scores, or on the sports field. The problems with these "securities" are pretty obvious. Those who rely on riches and fortunes for their security and happiness will never have enough. They will always want more, and never find peace. Those who rely on success will eventually run into failure, and then what? Athletes age and lose their ability. Top business executives eventually are pushed into retirement. When this happens, and our faith has not been our rock...our "foundation"...then its clear that negative things will be close behind.
Most Christians understand the dangers that come with putting money and fame on the same pedastal as God. But maybe what is more dangerous is when we put our security in someone else. Putting our security in someone else is easy to do, and doesn't even seem logically wrong. It's not wrong to rely on someone. A family member. Spouse. Boyfriend/Girlfriend. Even just a good friend. Family and friends are a much stronger foundation than money and fame. But they are not a stronger foundation than our faith in God. There's only one foundation that won't break in the face of dark times and tragedy, and that is faith in Him.
So what's the ultimate danger preventing us from this foundation? Us. Our minds. At least this is the danger that attacks me the most. Bad day, no problem I can handle it. "I'm tough"..... I don't need to pray for that, I can make it happen on my own...... I can figure out this problem, I'm a smart guy. I let what I thought were my intelligent thoughts and logic talk me out of having faith in the Bible for many years of my life. It's easier than many think to make yourself believe you can "out-think" the Bible, prove to yourself its not all real, or make yourself believe there's no logic in "prayer". Science, big bang theory, evolution, on and on, there's plenty of well thought out and researched concepts that lure our mind away from having faith. But as I found out, and anyone who puts themselves...their logic...or their preceived intelligence ahead of everything in their life will find, this does not lead to the "security" that we need in life.
Awareness of these dangers, I believe, is the key to keeping our faith as our foundation. Where do you turn when you feel vulnerable? Staying in the Word on a regular basis will help us ensure that we are turning to God first. Having that foundation, is the ONLY way to achieve all of the glory that God has planned for us.
Final Thought:
Don't misread this to say that there's anything wrong with the "dangers" I've listed. Having reliable family and friends is one of the most important things to have in life. But make sure you are surrounded with people who understand that your faith is your foundation. Everytime I read an article, or some "expert" giving reasons for why divorce rates are skyrocketing, I laugh and cringe at the same time. The answer is simple. The number of people with faith as their foundation are rapidly decreasing. Because of this the number of relationships formed with God as a foundation are decreasing. What does that =? Divorce rates up. As easy as 1+1.
There's nothing wrong with money, career goals, or increasing your intelligence. Earning a lot of money is not at all a bad thing...that is....as long as it doesn't pull you away from Him. I know career success is a big part of my goals for the future. But as I work towards this, I know I have to keep verses like this in mind to make sure foundation is solid.
Place your hopes and dreams in God, in Jesus, in the Word. Once we have this foundation, the rest of our lives.....our career.....our relationships.....our happiness, will come together.
"Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jersusalem,
a firm and tested stone.
It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on.
Whoever believes need never be shaken.
Reflection:
There are several passages that teach us to make our faith the foundation for our lives. Psalm 118:22, Matthew 22:42, 1 Peter 2:8. We are guaranteed security when we do this. We are guaranteed happiness when we do this. So why do we find ourselves forgetting this so often?
It's easy, especially in today's world, to find security in so many other things than the Word. Some people find it through their wealth. Some people find it through success in their job, their test scores, or on the sports field. The problems with these "securities" are pretty obvious. Those who rely on riches and fortunes for their security and happiness will never have enough. They will always want more, and never find peace. Those who rely on success will eventually run into failure, and then what? Athletes age and lose their ability. Top business executives eventually are pushed into retirement. When this happens, and our faith has not been our rock...our "foundation"...then its clear that negative things will be close behind.
Most Christians understand the dangers that come with putting money and fame on the same pedastal as God. But maybe what is more dangerous is when we put our security in someone else. Putting our security in someone else is easy to do, and doesn't even seem logically wrong. It's not wrong to rely on someone. A family member. Spouse. Boyfriend/Girlfriend. Even just a good friend. Family and friends are a much stronger foundation than money and fame. But they are not a stronger foundation than our faith in God. There's only one foundation that won't break in the face of dark times and tragedy, and that is faith in Him.
So what's the ultimate danger preventing us from this foundation? Us. Our minds. At least this is the danger that attacks me the most. Bad day, no problem I can handle it. "I'm tough"..... I don't need to pray for that, I can make it happen on my own...... I can figure out this problem, I'm a smart guy. I let what I thought were my intelligent thoughts and logic talk me out of having faith in the Bible for many years of my life. It's easier than many think to make yourself believe you can "out-think" the Bible, prove to yourself its not all real, or make yourself believe there's no logic in "prayer". Science, big bang theory, evolution, on and on, there's plenty of well thought out and researched concepts that lure our mind away from having faith. But as I found out, and anyone who puts themselves...their logic...or their preceived intelligence ahead of everything in their life will find, this does not lead to the "security" that we need in life.
Awareness of these dangers, I believe, is the key to keeping our faith as our foundation. Where do you turn when you feel vulnerable? Staying in the Word on a regular basis will help us ensure that we are turning to God first. Having that foundation, is the ONLY way to achieve all of the glory that God has planned for us.
Final Thought:
Don't misread this to say that there's anything wrong with the "dangers" I've listed. Having reliable family and friends is one of the most important things to have in life. But make sure you are surrounded with people who understand that your faith is your foundation. Everytime I read an article, or some "expert" giving reasons for why divorce rates are skyrocketing, I laugh and cringe at the same time. The answer is simple. The number of people with faith as their foundation are rapidly decreasing. Because of this the number of relationships formed with God as a foundation are decreasing. What does that =? Divorce rates up. As easy as 1+1.
There's nothing wrong with money, career goals, or increasing your intelligence. Earning a lot of money is not at all a bad thing...that is....as long as it doesn't pull you away from Him. I know career success is a big part of my goals for the future. But as I work towards this, I know I have to keep verses like this in mind to make sure foundation is solid.
Place your hopes and dreams in God, in Jesus, in the Word. Once we have this foundation, the rest of our lives.....our career.....our relationships.....our happiness, will come together.
Friday, February 22, 2013
The argument you cannot win.....
Scripture I'm Reflecting on: Isaiah 45:9
"What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator.
Does a clay pot argue with its maker?
Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying,
'Stop, you're doing it wrong!'
Does the pot exclaim,
'How clumsy can you be?'
Reflection:
This has quickly become one of my favorite verses. A witty and humorous way to make a very simple yet powerful point.
I would doubt any of us can say we don't find ourselves arguing with God on rare occasion from time to time. It might be in a subtle way of just questioning why something isn't going your way, or where the answer to a prayer is. Or if you're like me you might actually find yourself arguining with God in prayer from time to time. Regardless of when and how, I think after reflecting on it, and by reading this verse, we see how truly silly that is.
This verse doesn't just speak to our thoughts however. Technically I think we are "arguing" with God anytime we resist what the Holy Spirit puts on our heart. This past fall I accepted a position that after I interviewed for I knew it was something I wasn't called to take. I even voiced this to a couple of close friends. But I took it anyway, because it made sense to me. It was a good internship in a position that I wanted some experience, and would also look great on my resume. Since it didn't make sense to me, I took the position, despite the fact I knew so clearly that the Holy Spirit had put on my heart not too. Long story short, I didn't enjoy the internship, and it was a virtual waste of a semester in that department. This is a very minor instance of the "sorrow" this verse speaks of.
I continue to be surprised and amazed as I grow in my faith by how much the Holy Spirit will guide you if you allow it to happen. I've let my logical thinking talk me out of following what's been put on my heart a few times. It's always been a bad move. Giving up control is hard, probably real hard if you're someone like me who spent most of their life withouth any real faith. Once you give up control though, and follow Him no matter how illogical or irrational it may seem at the time, you will find happiness and success that you never could have obtained without Him.
Final Thought:
I was drawn back to this verse because right now I find myself battling a cold. I used to take the word complain to new meaning everytime I was sick. I would always think God was out to get me, because it always seemed to be at the worst possible times (as if there was ever a great time to be sick). I now realize how ridiculous these complaints were. I now realize how thankful I should be for the health I have, the fact that I'm rarely sick, the fact that a cold here and there is usually he only medical battles I have in a year. There are soo many people that battle so far worse things than my puny cold, and its taken a verse like this to make me appreciate and be thankful for what God has provided me.
Arguing with God is not something anyone can win. Besides the fact you can't win, it will also do nothing but hurt yourself...bring "sorrow" to try to do so. There's always going to be a reason to question Him, to question his plan for you. Many people my age are starting to question why they aren't married yet. Some people wonder why they haven't found their dream job, why they don't have kids, etc etc etc. The answer to these questions isn't all that complicated. Give up control and let the Holy Spirit guide you. Live in His glory, and things are going to work out. This promise is prominent throughout the Bible. Have faith that it will happen, and it will.
"What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator.
Does a clay pot argue with its maker?
Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying,
'Stop, you're doing it wrong!'
Does the pot exclaim,
'How clumsy can you be?'
Reflection:
This has quickly become one of my favorite verses. A witty and humorous way to make a very simple yet powerful point.
I would doubt any of us can say we don't find ourselves arguing with God on rare occasion from time to time. It might be in a subtle way of just questioning why something isn't going your way, or where the answer to a prayer is. Or if you're like me you might actually find yourself arguining with God in prayer from time to time. Regardless of when and how, I think after reflecting on it, and by reading this verse, we see how truly silly that is.
This verse doesn't just speak to our thoughts however. Technically I think we are "arguing" with God anytime we resist what the Holy Spirit puts on our heart. This past fall I accepted a position that after I interviewed for I knew it was something I wasn't called to take. I even voiced this to a couple of close friends. But I took it anyway, because it made sense to me. It was a good internship in a position that I wanted some experience, and would also look great on my resume. Since it didn't make sense to me, I took the position, despite the fact I knew so clearly that the Holy Spirit had put on my heart not too. Long story short, I didn't enjoy the internship, and it was a virtual waste of a semester in that department. This is a very minor instance of the "sorrow" this verse speaks of.
I continue to be surprised and amazed as I grow in my faith by how much the Holy Spirit will guide you if you allow it to happen. I've let my logical thinking talk me out of following what's been put on my heart a few times. It's always been a bad move. Giving up control is hard, probably real hard if you're someone like me who spent most of their life withouth any real faith. Once you give up control though, and follow Him no matter how illogical or irrational it may seem at the time, you will find happiness and success that you never could have obtained without Him.
Final Thought:
I was drawn back to this verse because right now I find myself battling a cold. I used to take the word complain to new meaning everytime I was sick. I would always think God was out to get me, because it always seemed to be at the worst possible times (as if there was ever a great time to be sick). I now realize how ridiculous these complaints were. I now realize how thankful I should be for the health I have, the fact that I'm rarely sick, the fact that a cold here and there is usually he only medical battles I have in a year. There are soo many people that battle so far worse things than my puny cold, and its taken a verse like this to make me appreciate and be thankful for what God has provided me.
Arguing with God is not something anyone can win. Besides the fact you can't win, it will also do nothing but hurt yourself...bring "sorrow" to try to do so. There's always going to be a reason to question Him, to question his plan for you. Many people my age are starting to question why they aren't married yet. Some people wonder why they haven't found their dream job, why they don't have kids, etc etc etc. The answer to these questions isn't all that complicated. Give up control and let the Holy Spirit guide you. Live in His glory, and things are going to work out. This promise is prominent throughout the Bible. Have faith that it will happen, and it will.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Degrees of Seperation
Scripture I'm Reflecting on: Romans 8:35-37
"Can anything ever seperate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitude, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us."
Reflection:
I decided to post this verse not because it's one I have had an insightful thought or reflection about, but one in which I am struggling deeply with right now. For some time now, I've felt that every step forward I've taken, I've been met with two steps backward. Everytime I've felt like a certain prayer had been answered, it comes crashing back in my face. This has marked a worse extension of this feeling. I saw what I thought was a "step forward" to a prayer I've had for a while... that over the last day turned into not one or two steps backward, but twenty staircases worth of steps backward.
These steps backward have seperated me from Christ. Sometimes for just a few minutes of frustration, sometimes for a day sadness, sometimes for even longer. Currently, this backward fall has left me in a position where I can't even see the end. I feel myself in a state of seperation now that seems to have potential longevity. But how can this be? Paul tells us that overwhelming victory is ours...is mine...through Christ. If this is true though, where does my seperation come from?
This is an answer I will be dedicating a significant amount of time to finding for the forseeable future. I know the answer is in this verse. I know the answer is in the Word. But I know with where my heart is right now, I'm really going to have to read and pray deeper than the plain language of the Bible to find peace.
The message I guess I hope this passes along is a reminder that troubles, hardships, and our low points in life are not things meant to seperate us from God. In fact, its probably meant to be the opposite of that. God doesn't present challenges in our lives to seperate us from Him. God doesn't lose any love for us during our bad days. And these hardships do not prevent us from "victory". They don't prevent us from God's plan. I lose sight of this very frequently, and the result of losing sight of this is seperation, and a heart thats not at peace.
Final Thought:
My complaints, my faith questioning, over the last 24 hours, has been constant and frequent. I felt justified in my complaints. I feel what is happening to me is undeserved, and unfair.
A few hours ago, I received news that a family friend, and someone that helped me out during my college years, fell down his steps and is now in a coma. Here I am complaining about falling down "emotional" steps, saying "why me". The reality of how pathetic my complaints were after hearing this news has hit me quite hard.
Be thankful for all of the greatness in your life. The fact that you are reading this means you are blessed with resources that 90% of the world population does not have. I am sad that it took news like this for me to realize that my life is still so blessed despite my comparitvely tiny emotional hardships. Don't let it take someone's misfortunes to realize how blessed you are. Say prayers of thanks every chance you get. And say prayers for those around you that they receive all the blessings that you have.
"Can anything ever seperate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitude, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us."
Reflection:
I decided to post this verse not because it's one I have had an insightful thought or reflection about, but one in which I am struggling deeply with right now. For some time now, I've felt that every step forward I've taken, I've been met with two steps backward. Everytime I've felt like a certain prayer had been answered, it comes crashing back in my face. This has marked a worse extension of this feeling. I saw what I thought was a "step forward" to a prayer I've had for a while... that over the last day turned into not one or two steps backward, but twenty staircases worth of steps backward.
These steps backward have seperated me from Christ. Sometimes for just a few minutes of frustration, sometimes for a day sadness, sometimes for even longer. Currently, this backward fall has left me in a position where I can't even see the end. I feel myself in a state of seperation now that seems to have potential longevity. But how can this be? Paul tells us that overwhelming victory is ours...is mine...through Christ. If this is true though, where does my seperation come from?
This is an answer I will be dedicating a significant amount of time to finding for the forseeable future. I know the answer is in this verse. I know the answer is in the Word. But I know with where my heart is right now, I'm really going to have to read and pray deeper than the plain language of the Bible to find peace.
The message I guess I hope this passes along is a reminder that troubles, hardships, and our low points in life are not things meant to seperate us from God. In fact, its probably meant to be the opposite of that. God doesn't present challenges in our lives to seperate us from Him. God doesn't lose any love for us during our bad days. And these hardships do not prevent us from "victory". They don't prevent us from God's plan. I lose sight of this very frequently, and the result of losing sight of this is seperation, and a heart thats not at peace.
Final Thought:
My complaints, my faith questioning, over the last 24 hours, has been constant and frequent. I felt justified in my complaints. I feel what is happening to me is undeserved, and unfair.
A few hours ago, I received news that a family friend, and someone that helped me out during my college years, fell down his steps and is now in a coma. Here I am complaining about falling down "emotional" steps, saying "why me". The reality of how pathetic my complaints were after hearing this news has hit me quite hard.
Be thankful for all of the greatness in your life. The fact that you are reading this means you are blessed with resources that 90% of the world population does not have. I am sad that it took news like this for me to realize that my life is still so blessed despite my comparitvely tiny emotional hardships. Don't let it take someone's misfortunes to realize how blessed you are. Say prayers of thanks every chance you get. And say prayers for those around you that they receive all the blessings that you have.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Discouragement
Scripture I'm Reflecting on: Ezra 4:4
"Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work. They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans."
Reflection:
When is your faith at its low points? When do you find yourself neglecting prayer? I'll bet its not when you had a great day. If youre anything like me, you find yourself forgetting about God when we're discouraged. When we were reprimanded at work. Lost out on an opportunity. Turned down for a date. Mocked. Laughed at. The residents in this verse knew this, and this still stands true today.
Discouragement surrounds us in all facets of our lives. It may not be as blatant as the Early Christians faced, but it is just as prevalent. Turn on the TV for any significant period of time, and I assure you that you will find something discouraging for Christians. Try to go out to almost any public place talk about the Word, and it will not take you long to come across a discouraging or distasteful comment. The workplace. The grocery store. Maybe even among your own friends and family. The facts we must face is that discouragement is out there for Christians. And it is growing. And it is becoming more blatant.
I think the key for us is to simply recognize these moments of discouragement, and fight them with prayer. When we feel discouraged, for whatever the reason, our natural reaction is to stop. Stop doing what we're supposed. Lose motivation. Lose passion.
Studied hard for a test and didn't get the grade you want? Natural reaction = loss of motivation in studying for the next test.
Put in a year of hardwork only to get passed up for that promotion? Natural reaction = to lose your passion to perform your job at your highest level.
Build up the courage to ask a girl out only to get the dreaded "no"? Natural reaction = to lose confidence and give up on finding the right person.
But if we recognize these moments of discouragement with prayer, turn to the Word, and ask God for help...we can attack these moments with the opposite reactions. Work even harder at your job, for that next test, build up even more confidence. This is our chance to not only please God, but to use these moments of discouragement to better ourselves in a way we couldn't have done before.
Final Thought:
Before I found Christ, I worked at a job where I was passed up for numerous promotions, despite being far and away the most qualified each time. Unfortunately I didn't excel in the politics of the profession I was in, and I let this discourage me. I stopped caring about my work. I spent the majority of the day reading sports articles in the office, and just did the minimum to get by. The result was I hated my job, which carried into effecting my happiness outside of work.
Fast forward to now that I have found Christ. My first year of law school was marked with results that were lower than expected. I felt the same amount of discouragement I felt in my job before. The only difference, was this time I prayed about it. The result was I came into this second year with a stronger passion than when I started. I worked harder to get the results I failed to achieve the first go-around. And through all of this, I enjoyed the work I was doing more, happiness and enjoyment that affected me outside of school.
We can all turn discouragement into something great. As I've said, its all around us. But instead of facing it with fear, face it as an opportunity. An opportunity to show God how strong your faith is. An opportunity to use it to increase your happiness.
"Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work. They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans."
Reflection:
When is your faith at its low points? When do you find yourself neglecting prayer? I'll bet its not when you had a great day. If youre anything like me, you find yourself forgetting about God when we're discouraged. When we were reprimanded at work. Lost out on an opportunity. Turned down for a date. Mocked. Laughed at. The residents in this verse knew this, and this still stands true today.
Discouragement surrounds us in all facets of our lives. It may not be as blatant as the Early Christians faced, but it is just as prevalent. Turn on the TV for any significant period of time, and I assure you that you will find something discouraging for Christians. Try to go out to almost any public place talk about the Word, and it will not take you long to come across a discouraging or distasteful comment. The workplace. The grocery store. Maybe even among your own friends and family. The facts we must face is that discouragement is out there for Christians. And it is growing. And it is becoming more blatant.
I think the key for us is to simply recognize these moments of discouragement, and fight them with prayer. When we feel discouraged, for whatever the reason, our natural reaction is to stop. Stop doing what we're supposed. Lose motivation. Lose passion.
Studied hard for a test and didn't get the grade you want? Natural reaction = loss of motivation in studying for the next test.
Put in a year of hardwork only to get passed up for that promotion? Natural reaction = to lose your passion to perform your job at your highest level.
Build up the courage to ask a girl out only to get the dreaded "no"? Natural reaction = to lose confidence and give up on finding the right person.
But if we recognize these moments of discouragement with prayer, turn to the Word, and ask God for help...we can attack these moments with the opposite reactions. Work even harder at your job, for that next test, build up even more confidence. This is our chance to not only please God, but to use these moments of discouragement to better ourselves in a way we couldn't have done before.
Final Thought:
Before I found Christ, I worked at a job where I was passed up for numerous promotions, despite being far and away the most qualified each time. Unfortunately I didn't excel in the politics of the profession I was in, and I let this discourage me. I stopped caring about my work. I spent the majority of the day reading sports articles in the office, and just did the minimum to get by. The result was I hated my job, which carried into effecting my happiness outside of work.
Fast forward to now that I have found Christ. My first year of law school was marked with results that were lower than expected. I felt the same amount of discouragement I felt in my job before. The only difference, was this time I prayed about it. The result was I came into this second year with a stronger passion than when I started. I worked harder to get the results I failed to achieve the first go-around. And through all of this, I enjoyed the work I was doing more, happiness and enjoyment that affected me outside of school.
We can all turn discouragement into something great. As I've said, its all around us. But instead of facing it with fear, face it as an opportunity. An opportunity to show God how strong your faith is. An opportunity to use it to increase your happiness.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Don't take the Word for granted
Scripture I'm reflecting on: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work."
"The whole Bible is God's inspired Word. Because it is inspired and trustworthy, we should read it and apply it to our life. The Bible is our standard for testing everything else that claims to be true. It is our safeguard against false teaching and our source of guidance for how we should live. It is our only source of knowledge about how we can be saved. God wants to show you what is true and equip you to live for him."
Reflection:
A simple message that is so easy forget at times. When we're busy, stressed, or having a bad day....its easy to "take a day off" from pulling out our Bible. This becomes even easier when you've already read through the Bible multiple times and feel you already have a complete understanding of God's Word. This verse, along with many others scattered throughout the Bible, warn us to stray away from this line of thinking.
As I find myself trying to progress to greater levels of closeness with Christ, I have found there is no substitute for keeping a strong, committed focus on the Bible. In my "chronological" reading through the Bible from start to finish, I reached Chronicles about a week ago. Chronicles also brought about my first "rut" in my reading. I found myself not looking forward to reading, not finding this particular book all that inspiring and took a "night off".... which turned into a week off. I figured subbing in some sermons on my phone and reading a few devotional pages would be good enough to stay close with Christ.
It wasn't.
It took me until reading this verse to realize why I was feeling a little off... because I was becoming distant from God. It seems crazy to say, but just from reading a couple of chapters a night, even from a less than inspirational 1 Chronicles, I can already feel my heart back in peace.
God has left us a manual. A manual of his thoughts. A manual which encourages us to experience real life and become more like Jesus. A manual of his teachings. 10 commandments - a guide to live in freedom of fear and evil. Proverbs - teachings of wisdom. His word sets us straight when we stray towards evil, restores us, and opens our eyes to ways to make our lives more happy and fulfilled.
Final Thought:
My most difficuly challenges, that I still haven't necessarily overcome, is not only remembering to read, but remembering that the Bible is God's words. No matter who the actual author of each book was, all of the words that made the Bible come from God. I have a tendency, particularly with some of the Old Testament stories that seem almost impossible nowadays, to read these stories as almost fiction. It is only when I correct this thinking and remember to read these stories for what they are, God's manual of the history and glory of our faith, that I experience the full glory of the Word and find myself the closest to God.
If you are like me, then there is rarely (if ever at all) a time when you read the Bible where you don't find a line or a teaching that speaks to you in a way you hadn't thought of before. Turn to the Bible with the troubles or worries of your day. The answer to how to put your heart at peace will assuredly find you during your reading.
"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work."
"The whole Bible is God's inspired Word. Because it is inspired and trustworthy, we should read it and apply it to our life. The Bible is our standard for testing everything else that claims to be true. It is our safeguard against false teaching and our source of guidance for how we should live. It is our only source of knowledge about how we can be saved. God wants to show you what is true and equip you to live for him."
Reflection:
A simple message that is so easy forget at times. When we're busy, stressed, or having a bad day....its easy to "take a day off" from pulling out our Bible. This becomes even easier when you've already read through the Bible multiple times and feel you already have a complete understanding of God's Word. This verse, along with many others scattered throughout the Bible, warn us to stray away from this line of thinking.
As I find myself trying to progress to greater levels of closeness with Christ, I have found there is no substitute for keeping a strong, committed focus on the Bible. In my "chronological" reading through the Bible from start to finish, I reached Chronicles about a week ago. Chronicles also brought about my first "rut" in my reading. I found myself not looking forward to reading, not finding this particular book all that inspiring and took a "night off".... which turned into a week off. I figured subbing in some sermons on my phone and reading a few devotional pages would be good enough to stay close with Christ.
It wasn't.
It took me until reading this verse to realize why I was feeling a little off... because I was becoming distant from God. It seems crazy to say, but just from reading a couple of chapters a night, even from a less than inspirational 1 Chronicles, I can already feel my heart back in peace.
God has left us a manual. A manual of his thoughts. A manual which encourages us to experience real life and become more like Jesus. A manual of his teachings. 10 commandments - a guide to live in freedom of fear and evil. Proverbs - teachings of wisdom. His word sets us straight when we stray towards evil, restores us, and opens our eyes to ways to make our lives more happy and fulfilled.
Final Thought:
My most difficuly challenges, that I still haven't necessarily overcome, is not only remembering to read, but remembering that the Bible is God's words. No matter who the actual author of each book was, all of the words that made the Bible come from God. I have a tendency, particularly with some of the Old Testament stories that seem almost impossible nowadays, to read these stories as almost fiction. It is only when I correct this thinking and remember to read these stories for what they are, God's manual of the history and glory of our faith, that I experience the full glory of the Word and find myself the closest to God.
If you are like me, then there is rarely (if ever at all) a time when you read the Bible where you don't find a line or a teaching that speaks to you in a way you hadn't thought of before. Turn to the Bible with the troubles or worries of your day. The answer to how to put your heart at peace will assuredly find you during your reading.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Remember those who fought for us
Scripture I'm Reflecting on: Acts 14:19-20
"Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe."
Paul was preaching the good news. He was doing what God was asking him to do. What did he get in return? A beating. Stoned. Nearly killed. Paul's response? He got up, and went to another location, to preach the same good news that he was just nearly killed for preaching.
Reflection:
Stop and think about how amazing this story is. Paul was nearly killed. . .solely for doing what God had asked him to do. Did his faith waiver? Did he say "forget this"? Did he even question what was happening? Nope nope and nope. Paul got up and kept going, and his faith never waivered.
Stop and think about the times in your life where you have questioned God, or even had thoughts about your faith. When I think about the times in my life, they are quite embarassing when compared to what Paul went through. Paul was nearly killed and never once wondered if God was with him. Sadly, I've found myself wonder why God rewarded someone with a better grade that I thought I was more diligent than. I've found myself question God numerous times when I've heard the "Youre a nice guy but . . ." or "Its just not the right time" lines from a girl I'm interested. I've seen my faith waiver at times when I thought my prayers weren't being answered. Maybe I never said these things outloud, but I've thought them. Most of the time these thoughts for us are just brief thoughts, and they happen in an instance. But that doesn't change the fact we should try to fight against them, and remembering this story about Paul is a great way to do so.
The bottom line is, we can't let little obstacles slow us down, or lessen our faith. There are no promises in the Bible that being a Christian comes with an easy life. There are no promises that we will get everything we pray for. But we do know God is always looking out for us. He is always providing for us. And He is always providing us with the tools to live a joyous fulfilled life.
Final Thought:
I whole-heartedly believe, like I'm sure we all believe, in Jesus Christ and the gift he gave us by giving His life on the cross. I have never been beaten up for this belief. I have never been threatened because of this belief. I've honestly never faced anything negative for this belief. Sure, many os us will face people who will laugh at our beliefs, judge us because of our beliefs, maybe even deny us opportunities based on our beliefs. But very few of us (hopefully none of us) will ever face what Paul and many other Church leaders faced because of their belief. Be thankful for this. Be inspired by this. And thank God everyday for the opportunity to follow Him free from many of the obstacles that those before us had to battle through.
"Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe."
Paul was preaching the good news. He was doing what God was asking him to do. What did he get in return? A beating. Stoned. Nearly killed. Paul's response? He got up, and went to another location, to preach the same good news that he was just nearly killed for preaching.
Reflection:
Stop and think about how amazing this story is. Paul was nearly killed. . .solely for doing what God had asked him to do. Did his faith waiver? Did he say "forget this"? Did he even question what was happening? Nope nope and nope. Paul got up and kept going, and his faith never waivered.
Stop and think about the times in your life where you have questioned God, or even had thoughts about your faith. When I think about the times in my life, they are quite embarassing when compared to what Paul went through. Paul was nearly killed and never once wondered if God was with him. Sadly, I've found myself wonder why God rewarded someone with a better grade that I thought I was more diligent than. I've found myself question God numerous times when I've heard the "Youre a nice guy but . . ." or "Its just not the right time" lines from a girl I'm interested. I've seen my faith waiver at times when I thought my prayers weren't being answered. Maybe I never said these things outloud, but I've thought them. Most of the time these thoughts for us are just brief thoughts, and they happen in an instance. But that doesn't change the fact we should try to fight against them, and remembering this story about Paul is a great way to do so.
The bottom line is, we can't let little obstacles slow us down, or lessen our faith. There are no promises in the Bible that being a Christian comes with an easy life. There are no promises that we will get everything we pray for. But we do know God is always looking out for us. He is always providing for us. And He is always providing us with the tools to live a joyous fulfilled life.
Final Thought:
I whole-heartedly believe, like I'm sure we all believe, in Jesus Christ and the gift he gave us by giving His life on the cross. I have never been beaten up for this belief. I have never been threatened because of this belief. I've honestly never faced anything negative for this belief. Sure, many os us will face people who will laugh at our beliefs, judge us because of our beliefs, maybe even deny us opportunities based on our beliefs. But very few of us (hopefully none of us) will ever face what Paul and many other Church leaders faced because of their belief. Be thankful for this. Be inspired by this. And thank God everyday for the opportunity to follow Him free from many of the obstacles that those before us had to battle through.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Remember His sacrifice
Scripture I'm reflecting on: 2 Corinthians 5:21
"For God made Christ who never sinned, to be the offering of our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ."
What a powerful verse! Paul basically sums up the foundation of our belief in one line, and what an amazing line it is.
Reflection:
It never ceases to touch and inspire me any time I think generally about the story of Jesus. Think about it in its simplest form. God took Jesus, His son, and a man who lived without a single sin, and sent him to the cross....for us. Sinful fallen us.
It takes an even greater meaning to me when I try to compare decisions in my own life, or sacrifices I would make in my life, to what Jesus did for us. It's almost comical to even compare. I'm not sure I would even be willing to take on the consequences of something small like a speeding ticket for a friend; yet Jesus gave His life for all of us, people he didn't know, and people who He owed no favors too. Forget about sacrificing your life for someone. How many people would you take a punch for? Go to jail for? Shoot, even give up some of your time and resources too? The answer for most of us, is probably far fewer than we'd like to admit.
Final Thought:
I've quoted the Shawshank Redemption several times in past blog posts, and I think I'll do so again to close this blog. "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies." How could any Christian not have hope when reflecting on what Jesus did for us? We have a God willing to give up His own son, in the manner he did, to forgive us of our sins. Remembering this gives me all the hope I need. Remembering this should inspire our faith. And remembering this should give us all of the peace of mind we need to live our lives in all of His glory.
"For God made Christ who never sinned, to be the offering of our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ."
What a powerful verse! Paul basically sums up the foundation of our belief in one line, and what an amazing line it is.
Reflection:
It never ceases to touch and inspire me any time I think generally about the story of Jesus. Think about it in its simplest form. God took Jesus, His son, and a man who lived without a single sin, and sent him to the cross....for us. Sinful fallen us.
It takes an even greater meaning to me when I try to compare decisions in my own life, or sacrifices I would make in my life, to what Jesus did for us. It's almost comical to even compare. I'm not sure I would even be willing to take on the consequences of something small like a speeding ticket for a friend; yet Jesus gave His life for all of us, people he didn't know, and people who He owed no favors too. Forget about sacrificing your life for someone. How many people would you take a punch for? Go to jail for? Shoot, even give up some of your time and resources too? The answer for most of us, is probably far fewer than we'd like to admit.
Final Thought:
I've quoted the Shawshank Redemption several times in past blog posts, and I think I'll do so again to close this blog. "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies." How could any Christian not have hope when reflecting on what Jesus did for us? We have a God willing to give up His own son, in the manner he did, to forgive us of our sins. Remembering this gives me all the hope I need. Remembering this should inspire our faith. And remembering this should give us all of the peace of mind we need to live our lives in all of His glory.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Trust Him, it shouldn't be that hard...right?
Scripture I'm Reflecting on: 2 Kings 5:11
"But Naaman became angry and stalked away, "I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!" he said. "I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me!..."
Naaman wasn't pleased with God's plan for curing his disease. He wanted it done his way. He wanted a personal appearance from Elisha. Essentially, he wanted to tell God how to cure him. Fortunately his men talked some sense into him, or he would have gone on living a life with his disease because of his ignorance and lack of faith.
Reflection:
Have you ever told God how you want your prayer answered? Have you ever thought that God should use this person to answer your prayer, give you that promotion, or fix that problem in a certain way? I have. I don't say it out loud, but I can't deny that I think it, regularly. This is a habit we all have to try and avoid. By telling God how to answer our prayers, we are limiting God. God doesn't have limits. He can answer your prayer any way He wants. And if we trust God's way, we will surely find that His way is in our best interets.
When we get this idea in our head that we know how God should answer our prayers, it only leads to negative results. It will lead us to thinking that our prayers haven't been answered, when in reality they may have already been answered, or are in the process of being answered. It will also lead us to have reasons to think we have heard God wrong. I can certainly attest to this, as I am currently seriously questioning everything I think I've heard from God. Simply trusting God to do it His way, is a cure to all of these problems, and the ticket to a happier, and more fulfilled heart. I am hopeful that by finding this trust, I can put an end to the questioning I am finding myself going through.
Final Thought:
This post almost makes me chuckle as I write it by how common sense the message is. Don't limit God. Let God do it His way, its better than our way. Despite this very simple message, I find myself fighting it, fighting against God's way, when I think He is not answering my prayers. I find myself disbelieving things I thought He has put on my heart when they don't work out the way I had envisioned. If you can relate to this, join me in trying to change your attitude. Join me in trying to just do one simple thing, Trust God's way.
The Bible is rich with stories of how God used unconventional ways and surprising people to achieve his goals. God has used prositutues, servants, and even the Pharoah's daughter to answer the prayers of His people. Don't let what seems like a closed door or an unconventional answer to a prayer cloud your faith. Trust God. All prayers will be answered when we do this.
"But Naaman became angry and stalked away, "I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!" he said. "I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me!..."
Naaman wasn't pleased with God's plan for curing his disease. He wanted it done his way. He wanted a personal appearance from Elisha. Essentially, he wanted to tell God how to cure him. Fortunately his men talked some sense into him, or he would have gone on living a life with his disease because of his ignorance and lack of faith.
Reflection:
Have you ever told God how you want your prayer answered? Have you ever thought that God should use this person to answer your prayer, give you that promotion, or fix that problem in a certain way? I have. I don't say it out loud, but I can't deny that I think it, regularly. This is a habit we all have to try and avoid. By telling God how to answer our prayers, we are limiting God. God doesn't have limits. He can answer your prayer any way He wants. And if we trust God's way, we will surely find that His way is in our best interets.
When we get this idea in our head that we know how God should answer our prayers, it only leads to negative results. It will lead us to thinking that our prayers haven't been answered, when in reality they may have already been answered, or are in the process of being answered. It will also lead us to have reasons to think we have heard God wrong. I can certainly attest to this, as I am currently seriously questioning everything I think I've heard from God. Simply trusting God to do it His way, is a cure to all of these problems, and the ticket to a happier, and more fulfilled heart. I am hopeful that by finding this trust, I can put an end to the questioning I am finding myself going through.
Final Thought:
This post almost makes me chuckle as I write it by how common sense the message is. Don't limit God. Let God do it His way, its better than our way. Despite this very simple message, I find myself fighting it, fighting against God's way, when I think He is not answering my prayers. I find myself disbelieving things I thought He has put on my heart when they don't work out the way I had envisioned. If you can relate to this, join me in trying to change your attitude. Join me in trying to just do one simple thing, Trust God's way.
The Bible is rich with stories of how God used unconventional ways and surprising people to achieve his goals. God has used prositutues, servants, and even the Pharoah's daughter to answer the prayers of His people. Don't let what seems like a closed door or an unconventional answer to a prayer cloud your faith. Trust God. All prayers will be answered when we do this.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Find your passion on a daily basis
Scripture I'm reflecting on: Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
As the start of my spring semester came closer and closer, I've prayed for tinspiration and passion for the work that is upcoming. After finishing off the best semester of my educational career, a semester I was extremely excited to perform well on and put a lot of effort into, I am finding myself now in somewhat of a lull. The excitement for this semester isn't there like it was before. The passion has faded a little.
Thankfully, He shot me to this page of the Word recently, which was what I was looking for.
Reflection:
Possibly my favorite movie quote of all time comes from the Shawshank Redemption: "I guess it comes down to a simple choice really, get busy living, or get busy dying." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tkzc983aE0). Our society has become, for lack of a better word, more and more robotic. More people each day are just "going through the motions", "following a routine" to get them through the day. Wake up, watch tv, go to work, come home, fire up a microwave meal, surf the net, sleep, repeat. More and more marriages become stale, with one or either spouse showing any passion, any spntaneity in the relationship (to the point a movie has even been made about it...see Hope Springs). These routines, this idea of "getting through the day", is us making a choice to get busy dying, rather then getting busy living....the way God intended.
God doesn't give us all of the blessings in our life to "go through the motions." We have to find joy in the blessings we have. We have to find passion in the things we do on a daily basis, whether it be something really exciting, or something we do everyday. All of us have a tendency to let things become ordinary. Seeing your wife. Seeing your kids. Seeing your girlfriend. Being healthy. Having a job. Going to school. Taking a shower. Eating. Breathing clean air. On and on....When these things become ordinary to us, we start "going through the motions". We start, not "doing well", as we are told to do in this verse.
Everyday is a blessing, and everyday there is something to be thankful. Show God your thankful with your passion that day. When you see your girlfriend that day, show God your thankful by being excited to see her, passionate, and do everything in your power to make her smile and keep the relationship fun and exciting. When you go to work that day, show God your thankful by doing all of your work as if the company depends on you doing every single task to perfection, whether it actually be something important or just doing your "ordinary" day to day work. When you go to class that day, show God your thankful with your passion to learn and desire to perform at a high level. There is no doubt in my mind, that if we do these things, we will not only please God, but we will see great rewards in our own lives as well.
Final Thought:
I spent an embarrasing amount of years taking things in my life for granted. Family, education, athletics, you name it, I took it for granted. Attending family functions was something I dreaded doing, and my attitude certainly reflected it. My effort from high school through most of my undergraduate years was pitiful. I gave up on numerous athletic gifts I had due to a bad attitude. Through renewed faith I have been able to change this attitude, and I can personally attest to the rewards that come with it. I do my best to make every second count at family functions, and I can assure you my "happiness" meter is way up. I put forth my best effort in school, and the results (as well as just general enjoyment in going to school) are way up. I promise these results will happen to anyone who can make this attitude change.
The challenge for all of us is to find passion in our lives. The verse says Whatever you do, do well. Whatever you do = everything you do. By finding passion in whatever we do, we will ultimately do it well. Spouses who are passionate about seeing each other and passionate about being married are almost certainly going to be among the happiest couples. Employees who are passionate about the work they are doing are almost certainly going to be the top performers, and the workers who receive the greatest rewards and promotions. And people who are passionate throughout the day, passionate when taking in God's blessings, are absolutely certain to be the ones who receive the ultimate gifts from God in the long run.
Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
As the start of my spring semester came closer and closer, I've prayed for tinspiration and passion for the work that is upcoming. After finishing off the best semester of my educational career, a semester I was extremely excited to perform well on and put a lot of effort into, I am finding myself now in somewhat of a lull. The excitement for this semester isn't there like it was before. The passion has faded a little.
Thankfully, He shot me to this page of the Word recently, which was what I was looking for.
Reflection:
Possibly my favorite movie quote of all time comes from the Shawshank Redemption: "I guess it comes down to a simple choice really, get busy living, or get busy dying." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tkzc983aE0). Our society has become, for lack of a better word, more and more robotic. More people each day are just "going through the motions", "following a routine" to get them through the day. Wake up, watch tv, go to work, come home, fire up a microwave meal, surf the net, sleep, repeat. More and more marriages become stale, with one or either spouse showing any passion, any spntaneity in the relationship (to the point a movie has even been made about it...see Hope Springs). These routines, this idea of "getting through the day", is us making a choice to get busy dying, rather then getting busy living....the way God intended.
God doesn't give us all of the blessings in our life to "go through the motions." We have to find joy in the blessings we have. We have to find passion in the things we do on a daily basis, whether it be something really exciting, or something we do everyday. All of us have a tendency to let things become ordinary. Seeing your wife. Seeing your kids. Seeing your girlfriend. Being healthy. Having a job. Going to school. Taking a shower. Eating. Breathing clean air. On and on....When these things become ordinary to us, we start "going through the motions". We start, not "doing well", as we are told to do in this verse.
Everyday is a blessing, and everyday there is something to be thankful. Show God your thankful with your passion that day. When you see your girlfriend that day, show God your thankful by being excited to see her, passionate, and do everything in your power to make her smile and keep the relationship fun and exciting. When you go to work that day, show God your thankful by doing all of your work as if the company depends on you doing every single task to perfection, whether it actually be something important or just doing your "ordinary" day to day work. When you go to class that day, show God your thankful with your passion to learn and desire to perform at a high level. There is no doubt in my mind, that if we do these things, we will not only please God, but we will see great rewards in our own lives as well.
Final Thought:
I spent an embarrasing amount of years taking things in my life for granted. Family, education, athletics, you name it, I took it for granted. Attending family functions was something I dreaded doing, and my attitude certainly reflected it. My effort from high school through most of my undergraduate years was pitiful. I gave up on numerous athletic gifts I had due to a bad attitude. Through renewed faith I have been able to change this attitude, and I can personally attest to the rewards that come with it. I do my best to make every second count at family functions, and I can assure you my "happiness" meter is way up. I put forth my best effort in school, and the results (as well as just general enjoyment in going to school) are way up. I promise these results will happen to anyone who can make this attitude change.
The challenge for all of us is to find passion in our lives. The verse says Whatever you do, do well. Whatever you do = everything you do. By finding passion in whatever we do, we will ultimately do it well. Spouses who are passionate about seeing each other and passionate about being married are almost certainly going to be among the happiest couples. Employees who are passionate about the work they are doing are almost certainly going to be the top performers, and the workers who receive the greatest rewards and promotions. And people who are passionate throughout the day, passionate when taking in God's blessings, are absolutely certain to be the ones who receive the ultimate gifts from God in the long run.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Humble Pie
Scripture I'm reflecting on: Matthew 6:1
"Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admited by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven."
Reflection:
This is a shorter writing than usual, as Jesus' command here is self-explanatory. I however find this to be one of the hardest tasks we face as Christians, at least for myself personally, so I make sure to re-read this section as much as I can remember to do so.
When we do something good, it is natural to want to tell people about it. It's natural to be proud. It's even natural to want to impress those important to you by telling them of your act. And I don't think doing any of those things is a grave wrong. But it is something we should try to avoid. The Bible is ripe with teachings of humbleness and humility, and this verse is as clear a teaching on this principle as it gets.
While humbleness is very difficult, it is also a great opportunity. This is our chance to take one step closer to living as Jesus lived. How easily could Jesus have impressed the masses by showing off his miracles and prophecies. But He didn't, and we should strive to do the same in our own lives. It feels great to be recognized for the good things we do. Whether its a good deed, charity donation, or something of the like, no one can claim that they don't get a warm feeling when their good acts are recognized by others. But Jesus warns us against tooting our own horn and broadcasting our deeds to those around us....and not without good reason. By tooting our own horn, our motives for doing the good deed come into question. Did we do a good deed because we are walking in the God's glory, or did we do so (even if just partially), for acknowledgement, or to impress someone?
I always come back to a question I heard in a sermon to remind myself of this principle. Of the two scenarios, who do you think God is more impressed by? Someone donating a million dollars to charity to lower their tax bracket, or someone giving their last dollar to someone in need on the street corner?
Final Thought:
I spent a good majority of my life making sure people knew anytime I did something good. This went as far as including little things like making sure people knew I cleaned the dishes or picked up a piece of garbage. I realize now however that there was no real gratification in doing this. Doing things just to impress someone doesn't provide you with any "reward" in the long run.
I have done a few things over the last month that I would love to broadcast to certain people in my life, certain people I would so desperately like to impress, and who I believe would be impressed if they knew. It's been a difficult thing not to revert back to my old ways of "slipping into conversation" these acts I've done. But reading this verse makes it easier for me to remain humble, as we are commanded to do and keep my acts to myself. And by doing so, I've proven to myself that my motives were good and pure, which I have found far more rewarding than announcing my good deeds to others.
Jesus closes this teaching by saying by saying "Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you." This alone should be enough for us. God's reward is what we all seek. And I have found through changing my own behavior that this reward is so much more gratifying than any "reward" I would've gotten from trying to impress people in my life.
By following this verse, we ensure that our motives for doing things... whether it be charity work, helping out others, sacrificing something for the benefit of the other, or something similar... are the right motives that God expects and rewards. And knowing that God rewards humbleness should be all the motivation we need to be inspried to keep our motives for doing good pure, and to not feel the need to announce our deeds for our own gratification.
"Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admited by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven."
Reflection:
This is a shorter writing than usual, as Jesus' command here is self-explanatory. I however find this to be one of the hardest tasks we face as Christians, at least for myself personally, so I make sure to re-read this section as much as I can remember to do so.
When we do something good, it is natural to want to tell people about it. It's natural to be proud. It's even natural to want to impress those important to you by telling them of your act. And I don't think doing any of those things is a grave wrong. But it is something we should try to avoid. The Bible is ripe with teachings of humbleness and humility, and this verse is as clear a teaching on this principle as it gets.
While humbleness is very difficult, it is also a great opportunity. This is our chance to take one step closer to living as Jesus lived. How easily could Jesus have impressed the masses by showing off his miracles and prophecies. But He didn't, and we should strive to do the same in our own lives. It feels great to be recognized for the good things we do. Whether its a good deed, charity donation, or something of the like, no one can claim that they don't get a warm feeling when their good acts are recognized by others. But Jesus warns us against tooting our own horn and broadcasting our deeds to those around us....and not without good reason. By tooting our own horn, our motives for doing the good deed come into question. Did we do a good deed because we are walking in the God's glory, or did we do so (even if just partially), for acknowledgement, or to impress someone?
I always come back to a question I heard in a sermon to remind myself of this principle. Of the two scenarios, who do you think God is more impressed by? Someone donating a million dollars to charity to lower their tax bracket, or someone giving their last dollar to someone in need on the street corner?
Final Thought:
I spent a good majority of my life making sure people knew anytime I did something good. This went as far as including little things like making sure people knew I cleaned the dishes or picked up a piece of garbage. I realize now however that there was no real gratification in doing this. Doing things just to impress someone doesn't provide you with any "reward" in the long run.
I have done a few things over the last month that I would love to broadcast to certain people in my life, certain people I would so desperately like to impress, and who I believe would be impressed if they knew. It's been a difficult thing not to revert back to my old ways of "slipping into conversation" these acts I've done. But reading this verse makes it easier for me to remain humble, as we are commanded to do and keep my acts to myself. And by doing so, I've proven to myself that my motives were good and pure, which I have found far more rewarding than announcing my good deeds to others.
Jesus closes this teaching by saying by saying "Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you." This alone should be enough for us. God's reward is what we all seek. And I have found through changing my own behavior that this reward is so much more gratifying than any "reward" I would've gotten from trying to impress people in my life.
By following this verse, we ensure that our motives for doing things... whether it be charity work, helping out others, sacrificing something for the benefit of the other, or something similar... are the right motives that God expects and rewards. And knowing that God rewards humbleness should be all the motivation we need to be inspried to keep our motives for doing good pure, and to not feel the need to announce our deeds for our own gratification.
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