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.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
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.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Have faith and ride out the storms
Scripture I'm reflecting on: Acts 27:15
"The sailors couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale"
Most of us find having faith in God, and believing God is watching over and guiding our lives, to be a pretty easy thing to do when things are going well. But how about when they aren't? Do we find it as easy when we are stuck in dark times, stuck in a "storm" so to speak?
Reflection:
I find myself coming back to a common theme almost everytime I write lately; which is encouraging myself and all of us to find ways to maintain our faith, continue living the proper Christian life, in all times of our lives, good and bad. Everyone will experience highs and lows in their life. Some may experience more highs then others, some more lows; and this is often out of our control. But what is in our control is staying strong in our faith, most notably in the bad times, when we are "stuck in a storm". Truly believing God is in control when we are struggling with something, just the same as when we are thriving, is something that is always a challenging task.
No where in the Bible does God promise to prevent all difficulties in our lives. But there are promises that God will use the difficulties in our lives as stepping stones to greater things in our lives... when we are faithful to Him. God doesn't put things in our lives that we cannot overcome, that we cannot handle, that would close the path He has for us. God wouldn't put us in a financial situation that would completely prevent our ultimate destiny. God wouldn't put tragedy in our lives if we were incapable of overcoming the dark times and contributing something great to His kingdom.
I catch myself doing little things when I've had a bad day that push me away from God. My prayers are shorter. My reading gets cut off a few pages earlier than usual. I heard someone say once that when you had a bad day, to pray for the happiness of others who may have experienced a similar day. Finding something like this to keep us faithful, to show God we believe in Him, "to give up the reigns and let him lead us out of the storm", are crucial tools to getting us through the low points in our life.
Final Thought:
I remember as a kid always wondering why, when it was windy, I would see certain birds just floating against the wind. Not flying, not even moving anywhere really, just opening their wings and staying in the same general area. I later looked this up and found out that these birds, instead of fighting against a menacing wind to get somewhere, could just open up their wings and let the wind raise them up until eventually they were above the storm. I am reminded of this as I write this as an analogy to what we need to do in our bad times, when we are "fighting a storm." There's no point in fighting with God, asking "why is this happening" or "how do i fix this." We just need to ride out the storm, and believe that God has placed this difficulty in our lives in order to push us closer to the great destiny He has planned for us. I can say from experience, that by remembering and believing that God is in control during a bad day,
The Bible says that God hardened pharoah's heart all the times Moses went to plead his case. Instead of making things easy for Moses, God presented him with difficulty, that he ultimately used to obtain a great and heavenly result. God will do the same for us, as long as we do not fight against him and keep our faith.
I am at a point in my life where I am starting to see God turn some of the low points from earler in my life, low points that I never could have imagined would turn into anything good, into stepping stones for my life now. Always know that no matter how low things are right now, that God knows what He is doing, and will use that difficulty in your life to produce something great for you if you keep the faith in Him. God is in control of the storm. Sometimes we just have to let him steer our ship, our life, and have faith that He is with us, in the best and worst of times.
"The sailors couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale"
Most of us find having faith in God, and believing God is watching over and guiding our lives, to be a pretty easy thing to do when things are going well. But how about when they aren't? Do we find it as easy when we are stuck in dark times, stuck in a "storm" so to speak?
Reflection:
I find myself coming back to a common theme almost everytime I write lately; which is encouraging myself and all of us to find ways to maintain our faith, continue living the proper Christian life, in all times of our lives, good and bad. Everyone will experience highs and lows in their life. Some may experience more highs then others, some more lows; and this is often out of our control. But what is in our control is staying strong in our faith, most notably in the bad times, when we are "stuck in a storm". Truly believing God is in control when we are struggling with something, just the same as when we are thriving, is something that is always a challenging task.
No where in the Bible does God promise to prevent all difficulties in our lives. But there are promises that God will use the difficulties in our lives as stepping stones to greater things in our lives... when we are faithful to Him. God doesn't put things in our lives that we cannot overcome, that we cannot handle, that would close the path He has for us. God wouldn't put us in a financial situation that would completely prevent our ultimate destiny. God wouldn't put tragedy in our lives if we were incapable of overcoming the dark times and contributing something great to His kingdom.
I catch myself doing little things when I've had a bad day that push me away from God. My prayers are shorter. My reading gets cut off a few pages earlier than usual. I heard someone say once that when you had a bad day, to pray for the happiness of others who may have experienced a similar day. Finding something like this to keep us faithful, to show God we believe in Him, "to give up the reigns and let him lead us out of the storm", are crucial tools to getting us through the low points in our life.
Final Thought:
I remember as a kid always wondering why, when it was windy, I would see certain birds just floating against the wind. Not flying, not even moving anywhere really, just opening their wings and staying in the same general area. I later looked this up and found out that these birds, instead of fighting against a menacing wind to get somewhere, could just open up their wings and let the wind raise them up until eventually they were above the storm. I am reminded of this as I write this as an analogy to what we need to do in our bad times, when we are "fighting a storm." There's no point in fighting with God, asking "why is this happening" or "how do i fix this." We just need to ride out the storm, and believe that God has placed this difficulty in our lives in order to push us closer to the great destiny He has planned for us. I can say from experience, that by remembering and believing that God is in control during a bad day,
The Bible says that God hardened pharoah's heart all the times Moses went to plead his case. Instead of making things easy for Moses, God presented him with difficulty, that he ultimately used to obtain a great and heavenly result. God will do the same for us, as long as we do not fight against him and keep our faith.
I am at a point in my life where I am starting to see God turn some of the low points from earler in my life, low points that I never could have imagined would turn into anything good, into stepping stones for my life now. Always know that no matter how low things are right now, that God knows what He is doing, and will use that difficulty in your life to produce something great for you if you keep the faith in Him. God is in control of the storm. Sometimes we just have to let him steer our ship, our life, and have faith that He is with us, in the best and worst of times.
Friday, December 21, 2012
The Christian example
Scripture I'm reflecting on: Matthew 5:41
"If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles"
There are many different messages and reflections that come from Jesus' words in this verse. I will focus this brief reflection on one specific message, one specific thing I believe Jesus is calling us to do; be great in representing God.
Reflection:
Mediocrity has become the standard of our world these days. Doing the minimum to get by is the general norm in our country. Fit in, blend in, go with the flow is the way American's minds are trained. This is not however, how Christians should be....
College athletes entering into the professional ranks are often given the following advice: "When deciding whether to do something, ask yourself whether you would be ok with the newspaper printing out the story of what you are about to do." Imagine someone is watching you. How many of us act differently when our boss is there, our wife is with us, "someone prominent" is watching, vs. when no one is around? It's easy to slack off when we are not being watched. It's easy to leave a piece of trash on the ground we drop when no one is looking. It's easy to walk past a mess in the store when no one is watching. But the reality is, we are being watched. Not always by our boss, wife, friends, pastors....but by somone of infinitely more importance...God.
Jesus has called us all to be great. The easiest way for us to continue to do this is to remember that we are representing God at all times. God sees us when we put the cereal back on the shelf in the wrong place. God sees us when avoid talking to our friends and family because we are tired or busy. God sees us when we avoid someone so we don't have to expend energy helping them with something. We are always representing God.
As I write this I am reminded of the story of Rebekah. When Abraham sent his servant out to find Issac a wife, his servant found Rebekah and asked for some water after a long journey. Rebekah could have easily satisfied him, and done her part, by giving him water. This would have been admirable in itself. But she went above and beyond. She decided to be great. She not only supplied the servant with water, but all of his camels as well. Anyone who knows how much water camels need after a long journey knows how much Rebekah went above and beyond to do this task. God enjoyed this. And at the end of the day, God's grace blessed Rebekah with many glorius gifts.
We are called to be an example. Believe me, whether you realize it or not, you are being watched as a Christian in this country. People want reasons to discredit us, people want to find flaws in us. Don't give them these reasons. Whether its something as big as committing a crime, or something as small as picking up a candy wrapper, make sure God sees you being great, and representing him as He has called us to do.
Final Thought:
I was the person who would throw something back on a shelf in the wrong place just so I didn't have to inconveniance myself. I would complain about a mess someone made, or walk past something on the ground, to avoid having to do something about it myself. I was the person who did the minimum amount to complete my work, then spent the rest of the work day slacking off. I've been able to change this attitude through my faith, and its been one of the most rewarding decisions of my life. Little things like my sister making a mess don't bother me as much anymore. There's no stress involved with avoiding situations that I think will "inconvenience" me. And since I have made this "attitude adjustment", I have noticed so many more blessings coming into my life on a regular basis.
Honor God with your day to day life. Don't just go to church. Don't just say a nightly prayer. But honor Him in everything that we do. Not only will you please God, but you will find yourself living a happier life. And whether its right away or down the road, you will see opportunities, blessings, and rewards appear in your life from honoring God.
"If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles"
There are many different messages and reflections that come from Jesus' words in this verse. I will focus this brief reflection on one specific message, one specific thing I believe Jesus is calling us to do; be great in representing God.
Reflection:
Mediocrity has become the standard of our world these days. Doing the minimum to get by is the general norm in our country. Fit in, blend in, go with the flow is the way American's minds are trained. This is not however, how Christians should be....
College athletes entering into the professional ranks are often given the following advice: "When deciding whether to do something, ask yourself whether you would be ok with the newspaper printing out the story of what you are about to do." Imagine someone is watching you. How many of us act differently when our boss is there, our wife is with us, "someone prominent" is watching, vs. when no one is around? It's easy to slack off when we are not being watched. It's easy to leave a piece of trash on the ground we drop when no one is looking. It's easy to walk past a mess in the store when no one is watching. But the reality is, we are being watched. Not always by our boss, wife, friends, pastors....but by somone of infinitely more importance...God.
Jesus has called us all to be great. The easiest way for us to continue to do this is to remember that we are representing God at all times. God sees us when we put the cereal back on the shelf in the wrong place. God sees us when avoid talking to our friends and family because we are tired or busy. God sees us when we avoid someone so we don't have to expend energy helping them with something. We are always representing God.
As I write this I am reminded of the story of Rebekah. When Abraham sent his servant out to find Issac a wife, his servant found Rebekah and asked for some water after a long journey. Rebekah could have easily satisfied him, and done her part, by giving him water. This would have been admirable in itself. But she went above and beyond. She decided to be great. She not only supplied the servant with water, but all of his camels as well. Anyone who knows how much water camels need after a long journey knows how much Rebekah went above and beyond to do this task. God enjoyed this. And at the end of the day, God's grace blessed Rebekah with many glorius gifts.
We are called to be an example. Believe me, whether you realize it or not, you are being watched as a Christian in this country. People want reasons to discredit us, people want to find flaws in us. Don't give them these reasons. Whether its something as big as committing a crime, or something as small as picking up a candy wrapper, make sure God sees you being great, and representing him as He has called us to do.
Final Thought:
I was the person who would throw something back on a shelf in the wrong place just so I didn't have to inconveniance myself. I would complain about a mess someone made, or walk past something on the ground, to avoid having to do something about it myself. I was the person who did the minimum amount to complete my work, then spent the rest of the work day slacking off. I've been able to change this attitude through my faith, and its been one of the most rewarding decisions of my life. Little things like my sister making a mess don't bother me as much anymore. There's no stress involved with avoiding situations that I think will "inconvenience" me. And since I have made this "attitude adjustment", I have noticed so many more blessings coming into my life on a regular basis.
Honor God with your day to day life. Don't just go to church. Don't just say a nightly prayer. But honor Him in everything that we do. Not only will you please God, but you will find yourself living a happier life. And whether its right away or down the road, you will see opportunities, blessings, and rewards appear in your life from honoring God.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
God's gift of time
Scripture I'm reflecting on: Psalm 71:20-21
"You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,
but you will restore me to life again
and life me up from the depths of the earth."
"You will restore me to even greater honor
and comform me once again"
I was listening to a pastor speaking on the book of Job today, and as I reflected on it afterward I began thinking of all the stories in the Bible where God restores His people who have been wronged. But not by the human definition of restore. When we restore someone, we simply get them "back to even." Give them what they lost, and nothing more. God's definition of restore however, is a little different, and a lot better for us. The stories where God restores people not just with what they lost, but with so much more, are plentiful throughout the Bible. Job received double what he had. Numerous stories in the earlier Old Testament where the Isrealites received all they had lost and so much more. The woman who abanoned her crop for seven years and had it all and more returned.
Reflection:
This reflection of how God can restore us, restore us after we are wronged, restore us for time we have lost, has been a very comforting thought for me today. I struggle with time to time when I think about years that I've wasted away in the past. A couple of years in a job I hated. A couple of years in a bad relationship. Many years in my younger days that could have been better spent. But I'm learning that by having faith, that trusting God with your time, that I can have all these years restored. Time we spend with God, is time He gives us back, with so much more.
A quote I have had written down for some time now from a service I attended went like this, "Thinking about what you "should have done", keeps you from God's best." I can personally attest to this being 100% accurate. Nothing good ultimately comes out of looking back at what you "should've done." Whether its something small like missing a shot in a sport, or something major like making a poor life decision, sulking in what "could have been" will get you nowhere fast. The same goes for when you are wronged. Somone may have treated you poorly, wasting a bunch of your time. Someone may have tricked you, and took a job you deserved. When these times come, don't lay in a pool of self-pity. Stay faithful. Ask God for restoration. And continue to live in God's glory. The stories are endless of how God takes care of his people, and always restores us when we are wronged; as long as we stay faithful to Him.
Our minds seem to be trained to worry, sulk, and fill with anger when things don't go right. We have to find a way to shut off our minds in these situations, and just receive God. God will lead us in the right direction. And if we follow His lead, not only will we be restored, but we will have more joy than we had before we were wronged, before we made a mistake, or before we wasted away time.
Final Thought:
Nowhere in the Bible will you find a promise that we will have a perfect life, and never experience loss. But there are promises of restoration for those who are faithful. "Expect better when wronged." Feel like you wasted away years in a job where you were disrespected? Stay faithful, and God will accelerate years and provide you with even greater opportunites than you could've ever imagined. Feel like you wasted away years in a bad relationship. Stay faithful, and God will put somone in your life more beautiful than you could've ever imagined. Feel like someone has consistently wronged you? Stay faithful, and God will give you happiness that this other person will never be able to experience. Fallen under financial hardship through no fault of your own? Stay faithful, and God will not only restore what you lost, but give you so much more.
God takes care of those who are faithful to Him. You may feel you are "due" for some restoration. Stay faithful. And dont think you might be restored, that maybe God will take care of you, but KNOW that He will.
"You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,
but you will restore me to life again
and life me up from the depths of the earth."
"You will restore me to even greater honor
and comform me once again"
I was listening to a pastor speaking on the book of Job today, and as I reflected on it afterward I began thinking of all the stories in the Bible where God restores His people who have been wronged. But not by the human definition of restore. When we restore someone, we simply get them "back to even." Give them what they lost, and nothing more. God's definition of restore however, is a little different, and a lot better for us. The stories where God restores people not just with what they lost, but with so much more, are plentiful throughout the Bible. Job received double what he had. Numerous stories in the earlier Old Testament where the Isrealites received all they had lost and so much more. The woman who abanoned her crop for seven years and had it all and more returned.
Reflection:
This reflection of how God can restore us, restore us after we are wronged, restore us for time we have lost, has been a very comforting thought for me today. I struggle with time to time when I think about years that I've wasted away in the past. A couple of years in a job I hated. A couple of years in a bad relationship. Many years in my younger days that could have been better spent. But I'm learning that by having faith, that trusting God with your time, that I can have all these years restored. Time we spend with God, is time He gives us back, with so much more.
A quote I have had written down for some time now from a service I attended went like this, "Thinking about what you "should have done", keeps you from God's best." I can personally attest to this being 100% accurate. Nothing good ultimately comes out of looking back at what you "should've done." Whether its something small like missing a shot in a sport, or something major like making a poor life decision, sulking in what "could have been" will get you nowhere fast. The same goes for when you are wronged. Somone may have treated you poorly, wasting a bunch of your time. Someone may have tricked you, and took a job you deserved. When these times come, don't lay in a pool of self-pity. Stay faithful. Ask God for restoration. And continue to live in God's glory. The stories are endless of how God takes care of his people, and always restores us when we are wronged; as long as we stay faithful to Him.
Our minds seem to be trained to worry, sulk, and fill with anger when things don't go right. We have to find a way to shut off our minds in these situations, and just receive God. God will lead us in the right direction. And if we follow His lead, not only will we be restored, but we will have more joy than we had before we were wronged, before we made a mistake, or before we wasted away time.
Final Thought:
Nowhere in the Bible will you find a promise that we will have a perfect life, and never experience loss. But there are promises of restoration for those who are faithful. "Expect better when wronged." Feel like you wasted away years in a job where you were disrespected? Stay faithful, and God will accelerate years and provide you with even greater opportunites than you could've ever imagined. Feel like you wasted away years in a bad relationship. Stay faithful, and God will put somone in your life more beautiful than you could've ever imagined. Feel like someone has consistently wronged you? Stay faithful, and God will give you happiness that this other person will never be able to experience. Fallen under financial hardship through no fault of your own? Stay faithful, and God will not only restore what you lost, but give you so much more.
God takes care of those who are faithful to Him. You may feel you are "due" for some restoration. Stay faithful. And dont think you might be restored, that maybe God will take care of you, but KNOW that He will.
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