You know, I have learned a lot in the past little bit. And God has been teaching me a lot of things, sometimes in the most unexpected times and places.
For example, at work yesterday, God taught me something.
I had decided I was going to strive to work for Him, rather than for people. Which meant I would strive to do my job with excellence, and really care about what I was doing, not just go through the motions.
As I was at work, a thought came into my mind... "If I (Jesus) were coming to inspect the store, what would you be doing right now?" I responded with another thought... "Well I would be working a lot harder and faster and doing a lot of cleaning to make it spotless."
Then this is where it all got real.
I got a response...
"You would do that if I were coming to visit the store, but I am in your heart and life every day, and you don't keep that spotless."
Ouch.
Living a holy and perfect life is difficult. Many would say impossible. I know that we all strive to be perfect (on/in our own power).... but what if we gave the controls to God, and asked Him to teach us how to live pure and holy lives before Him? I think we would see a big change...
Just something to think about.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Decisions, Decisions
Have you ever wondered why life is so hard? And for those of you who have reached the stage between teenager and young adult, have you been amazed at how many decisions you have to make on a daily basis? For some of you, you did not decide anything before you went off to school; your parents decided everything for you, right down to what you were eating. Some of us (like me) had more control over some of the decisions we had to make, and a say in others.
Decisions are not always easy to make. Decisions like what you are having for supper are relatively simple ones. Start thinking about harder decisions. Like where to go to college. What to do with your life. Who to be in a relationship with, or whether to have a relationship at all. Who to have friendships with. You have to decide what influences you want in your life. You need to decide who you want to follow; the world, or Jesus.
Let me be super honest with you. I like to listen to me. I like to do what I want. I want to have control over myself and my life. And I have tried to live my life that way.
Let me tell you something... It has not been working well for me. It isn't easy.
And living for Jesus isn't easy either.
In fact, it is tough. You have to give up your own wills and desires to live for Him. Sometimes, you will have to make super tough choices, and give up the things that you want every single day. I'm learning all over again how to do that. And it is tough. Every day is a struggle. But living for Jesus will give you such peace in your life, and will help make a lot of the tough decisions easier. PLEASE NOTE: I did not say it will make tough decisions EASY. I said EASIER.
When I left school, I had high expectations for this summer. I knew God was going to do something awesome. And I had that in mind, plus the things I wanted. I wanted to combine the two. However, God threw some obstacles in the way. And I don't know if I am completely correct in saying this, but maybe this is what God had me excited for. Who says awesome things happen in only good times? Sometimes we have to go through some tough things to see amazing things happen. And I know God is working on me. I know in the end it is going to be amazing, even if right now it hurts and is uncomfortable. How do I know all this? Well, I don't have concrete evidence. I try to operate on faith. Many times faith has helped me more than concrete evidence. (If you don't know what I mean by this, think of someone who has been diagnosed with cancer, and given a certain amount of time to live and that time passes, they are alive, and then beat cancer. The doctor's report; the "evidence" showed one thing, but faith shows another... hopefully that made sense.)
The main thing I am trying to get to is this: The decisions you have to make in life won't be easy. Deciding whether or not to follow Jesus is one of the most pivotal and important decisions you will have to make in life. But I can promise you this; following Jesus will help you so much in your life, with decisions you have to make, and just with life in general. I invite you to join me in learning/learning over again, how to let Jesus make the decisions in our lives. It'll be a bumpy ride, but, my friends, it's gonna be worth it.
Romans 5:5-6
"Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Decisions are not always easy to make. Decisions like what you are having for supper are relatively simple ones. Start thinking about harder decisions. Like where to go to college. What to do with your life. Who to be in a relationship with, or whether to have a relationship at all. Who to have friendships with. You have to decide what influences you want in your life. You need to decide who you want to follow; the world, or Jesus.
Let me be super honest with you. I like to listen to me. I like to do what I want. I want to have control over myself and my life. And I have tried to live my life that way.
Let me tell you something... It has not been working well for me. It isn't easy.
And living for Jesus isn't easy either.
In fact, it is tough. You have to give up your own wills and desires to live for Him. Sometimes, you will have to make super tough choices, and give up the things that you want every single day. I'm learning all over again how to do that. And it is tough. Every day is a struggle. But living for Jesus will give you such peace in your life, and will help make a lot of the tough decisions easier. PLEASE NOTE: I did not say it will make tough decisions EASY. I said EASIER.
When I left school, I had high expectations for this summer. I knew God was going to do something awesome. And I had that in mind, plus the things I wanted. I wanted to combine the two. However, God threw some obstacles in the way. And I don't know if I am completely correct in saying this, but maybe this is what God had me excited for. Who says awesome things happen in only good times? Sometimes we have to go through some tough things to see amazing things happen. And I know God is working on me. I know in the end it is going to be amazing, even if right now it hurts and is uncomfortable. How do I know all this? Well, I don't have concrete evidence. I try to operate on faith. Many times faith has helped me more than concrete evidence. (If you don't know what I mean by this, think of someone who has been diagnosed with cancer, and given a certain amount of time to live and that time passes, they are alive, and then beat cancer. The doctor's report; the "evidence" showed one thing, but faith shows another... hopefully that made sense.)
The main thing I am trying to get to is this: The decisions you have to make in life won't be easy. Deciding whether or not to follow Jesus is one of the most pivotal and important decisions you will have to make in life. But I can promise you this; following Jesus will help you so much in your life, with decisions you have to make, and just with life in general. I invite you to join me in learning/learning over again, how to let Jesus make the decisions in our lives. It'll be a bumpy ride, but, my friends, it's gonna be worth it.
Romans 5:5-6
"Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Life Like a River
So this past year has been crazy. As you know from my last post, I've finished my first year of University... which is crazy. I had a lot of ups and downs in this last year. One day, I went with some of my friends to go hiking. We went up, and when we reached the top, we were able to look down and see the fields below us, and the river running through them. As I sat there taking some time alone with God, watching the river flow, He spoke to my heart. God definitely does speak through nature, I have learned that so much over the years. This is what he spoke to me...
"Life is like a river. Sometimes it flows fast, sometimes it flows slow. Sometimes it hits a rock or two and gets redirected. Sometimes there's a choice to make; a split; and one has to decide which way to go. Go where you flow naturally. Follow and trust the leading of the river. Trust that God guides the river, and He is guiding you."
This spoke so much to me. It helped me a lot when I was going through some tough times at the end of the semester. Some of my friends were not planning on returning to the University, and were planning to switch schools, which meant I would not be able to see them as much. I was unsure if the program I am in is the right one for me. I was having a hard time accepting things, and was just tired, mentally and physically. This boosted my attitude and my spirit. It helped me to accept things better. I was able to cope with the thought of my friends not returning in the fall, and it is amazing that God worked things out so that my friends were able to come back again!
God speaks to us in our times of need. He is there to always help us through things. There are countless instances that I can recall where just this thing happened. My challenge to you is to trust God. Listen to what He is trying to tell you. Flow where He leads you. Trust me, it is better than anything you can come up with.
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (NIV)
"Life is like a river. Sometimes it flows fast, sometimes it flows slow. Sometimes it hits a rock or two and gets redirected. Sometimes there's a choice to make; a split; and one has to decide which way to go. Go where you flow naturally. Follow and trust the leading of the river. Trust that God guides the river, and He is guiding you."
This spoke so much to me. It helped me a lot when I was going through some tough times at the end of the semester. Some of my friends were not planning on returning to the University, and were planning to switch schools, which meant I would not be able to see them as much. I was unsure if the program I am in is the right one for me. I was having a hard time accepting things, and was just tired, mentally and physically. This boosted my attitude and my spirit. It helped me to accept things better. I was able to cope with the thought of my friends not returning in the fall, and it is amazing that God worked things out so that my friends were able to come back again!
God speaks to us in our times of need. He is there to always help us through things. There are countless instances that I can recall where just this thing happened. My challenge to you is to trust God. Listen to what He is trying to tell you. Flow where He leads you. Trust me, it is better than anything you can come up with.
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (NIV)
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