I'm not going to lie... the past couple of weeks of my life have been pretty crazy. And I'm not just talking about the busyness of my life. I'm talking spiritually and emotionally.
I've been in a place where I've let the enemy beat me up. I don't even bother trying to fight back. I just sit there and take the punches. Let him beat me to a pulp. Clearly, in our walk with Christ, there's a lot more to it than just sitting and getting beaten up.
It took prayer during lunch today for things to start realigning. Getting back to how they should be. I'm beginning to get back into that place where I have victory, where I walk in that victory, and I'm beginning to see God move in my life again. I love being in this place.
It's amazing how we can hold onto pain, to grief, to emotions, and make them a part of who we are. Even though it hurts, and we don't like being in that place, it's almost as if we do like to be in that place. We try to justify our ignorance and rebellion against God. "My father died, so I have a reason to be depressed," some of us might say. It's true that our feelings are valid, and in many instances, it's not wrong to feel the way we do. But as we grow in maturity and grow closer to Christ, we get more responsibility. Is this to be a burden? Nope. Jesus says in Matthew 11:30 that His "burden is light" and His "yoke is easy." It's such a joy to carry the calling that God's put on our life. When we sit around and do nothing about it, and make His promises the least of our priorities, things may go well for a while, but they won't go well forever. We start getting depressed, angry, frustrated, hurting others, and the list goes on and on. Romans 2:4 says that it's God's goodness--the very being of who He is--which leads us to repentance. It's time we begin to walk in that place of repentance daily--emotions, worries, and everything else set aside. If life was a bunch of ups and downs, no moving forward, and being depressed all the time despite knowing that He is Lord, then we wouldn't have much to live for. It's when our knowing that He is God overrules everything else, that's when we truly live. I once heard it said on a TV show that "Surviving isn't fighting. Thriving is fighting." We're not meant to merely survive, and to get by in life. We're meant to thrive. To grow. To see God move. To see the world changed by Him.
This is what we live for.
This... is what we love for.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Flip Side, Two Sides - A Change in Perspective
FIRST PERSPECTIVE: THE HUMAN PERSPECTIVE.
Ryan comes home from a rough day at school. He's exhausted, both mentally and physically. The kids in his English class would not quit making fun of him for his belief in God. In math class, his best friend ditched him as his partner to be with a group of popular kids, and as so many other friends had left him, he felt even more rejected. Even more lonely. With his father in prison, and his mom who-knew-where (for she'd abandoned him and his sister after their father got arrested for first-degree murder), he felt like there was no one left. No one cared. He walks into his room, and sees his Bible on the dresser beside his bed. He picks it up, flips through it, but immediately shakes his head and puts it back down. He wants to give up on God, give up on believing. Everything is falling apart; his grades are slacking, he lost his job for poor performance, and even his sister is out partying all the time, going through boyfriend after boyfriend. There's no hope left. There's no way God could bring good out of any of this. Ryan doesn't understand why God would let this all happen. Surely He didn't love him; after all, why would an all-loving God allow such horrible things to happen? Ryan sits on his bed, and pulls out a rifle from underneath his bed. He considers taking his own life, and after a few thoughts, he makes his final decision.
SECOND PERSPECTIVE: GOD'S PERSPECTIVE.
God loves Ryan. He is His son, and He wants the best for him. He knows everything that's going to happen; He knew it all along. He knew that his dad would go to prison, that his mom would leave, his sister would try to find love and affirmation in relationships, and that Ryan would lose every friend he had. He knew how hurt Ryan would be, how broken he would be, but he wasn't worried about it. Although God knew all the bad things that would befall Ryan, He also knew all the good things. He knew that Ryan had a future. He had called Ryan when he was 16 years old to be a youth pastor; to reach out to those that had been through what he had. To help the needy. The lost. The broken. He had called him to start a ministry that would spread throughout the entire United States, becoming one of the largest ministries anyone had ever known. He was reaching out to Ryan. Trying to talk to him, get his attention. He loved him more than anyone on earth ever could. He was desperate for him, wanted to talk to him. To spend time with him. To love him and affirm him. But Ryan wasn't listening. He was too caught up in his pain, his hurts, his brokenness. God knew that if Ryan allowed Him to, He could fix his heart. Bring healing. Restore his family. Bring friends that would support him in his spiritual walk. God saw the future. And had confidence. He knew what would become of Ryan; the man of God that he would become. God just kept calling his name... and calling... and calling... and calling...
Ryan had made his decision. He put the rifle down. Back under his bed. Something had clicked inside of him. He heard this small voice, calling his name. "God?" he asked. "Could that really be you?" He soon realized that it wasn't about him. It wasn't about his pain, his hurt, where he'd come from. God could bring healing. God could restore his family. And that was all that mattered. God was in control, and nothing was too big for Him to handle. "God," Ryan prayed. "I'm sorry for giving up on You. You deserve so much more. I want to give my life to You; to fulfill what You've called me to do, no matter what happens. I'm giving my life to You. I may stumble, but I'll get right back up, because You're worth it. You're worth it..." And with that, Ryan got up, left his room, and called his sister. "Hey Megan," he said. "There's something really important I want to talk to you about. Can you come home so we can talk?" And with that, Ryan's mission began. It was time for God to bring restoration to his family, to his friends, to everyone around him. No matter what it took... he was going to fulfill the call that God had given him.
Ryan would become one of the most well-known pastors in the United States. His ministry grew to 50,000 people by the time he turned 25. His dad had come to accept Christ as his Lord and Savior, his mom finally returned home, and his sister quit trying to find affirmation and security in relationships. His mom and sister also came to know Christ, and many of the kids he'd known in high school came to know Christ as well. God surrounded him with people who would encourage him, and restoration, healing, and freedom was brought to his family. And to thousands more. God wasn't surprised; He'd seen this coming. After all... He was in control. And always would be.
It's amazing how much God's perspective varies from ours. As we go throughout our daily lives, we usually only look at what's in front of us--what we see, what makes sense, the circumstances we are in, etc. But when it comes to God, He doesn't see things that way. When He sees a homeless man on the street, He thinks, "I love that guy so much; I want to give him a home; see him with hope again." And He could very well make that happen. Why does He let it happen? Well, He could very well ask us the same question. Why do we let it happen? God wants to use us. He doesn't have to; He doesn't need us. But He wants us. He wants to use us to accomplish His plan; not only will it strengthen our faith, but it'll strengthen the faith of others as well. Others will see His love through us. After all, that's what it's all about. God makes Himself known through love, through His creation, through miracles. What are we doing sitting around, letting life pass us by? Sure, we may have a great future, and a great eternity--but not everyone does. Let's make a difference in the world. Let's give God a shot, and see Him move. It's about way more than just us. It's about God, and it's about others. Seeing His love and power in our every day life. No matter what comes our way, no matter how horrible things may seem, He's bigger. He's stronger, He's in control. And with confidence in that promise, we can move on. Move forward. Move forward to the future He has for us... for our time on this earth, and for eternity.
Ryan comes home from a rough day at school. He's exhausted, both mentally and physically. The kids in his English class would not quit making fun of him for his belief in God. In math class, his best friend ditched him as his partner to be with a group of popular kids, and as so many other friends had left him, he felt even more rejected. Even more lonely. With his father in prison, and his mom who-knew-where (for she'd abandoned him and his sister after their father got arrested for first-degree murder), he felt like there was no one left. No one cared. He walks into his room, and sees his Bible on the dresser beside his bed. He picks it up, flips through it, but immediately shakes his head and puts it back down. He wants to give up on God, give up on believing. Everything is falling apart; his grades are slacking, he lost his job for poor performance, and even his sister is out partying all the time, going through boyfriend after boyfriend. There's no hope left. There's no way God could bring good out of any of this. Ryan doesn't understand why God would let this all happen. Surely He didn't love him; after all, why would an all-loving God allow such horrible things to happen? Ryan sits on his bed, and pulls out a rifle from underneath his bed. He considers taking his own life, and after a few thoughts, he makes his final decision.
SECOND PERSPECTIVE: GOD'S PERSPECTIVE.
God loves Ryan. He is His son, and He wants the best for him. He knows everything that's going to happen; He knew it all along. He knew that his dad would go to prison, that his mom would leave, his sister would try to find love and affirmation in relationships, and that Ryan would lose every friend he had. He knew how hurt Ryan would be, how broken he would be, but he wasn't worried about it. Although God knew all the bad things that would befall Ryan, He also knew all the good things. He knew that Ryan had a future. He had called Ryan when he was 16 years old to be a youth pastor; to reach out to those that had been through what he had. To help the needy. The lost. The broken. He had called him to start a ministry that would spread throughout the entire United States, becoming one of the largest ministries anyone had ever known. He was reaching out to Ryan. Trying to talk to him, get his attention. He loved him more than anyone on earth ever could. He was desperate for him, wanted to talk to him. To spend time with him. To love him and affirm him. But Ryan wasn't listening. He was too caught up in his pain, his hurts, his brokenness. God knew that if Ryan allowed Him to, He could fix his heart. Bring healing. Restore his family. Bring friends that would support him in his spiritual walk. God saw the future. And had confidence. He knew what would become of Ryan; the man of God that he would become. God just kept calling his name... and calling... and calling... and calling...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryan had made his decision. He put the rifle down. Back under his bed. Something had clicked inside of him. He heard this small voice, calling his name. "God?" he asked. "Could that really be you?" He soon realized that it wasn't about him. It wasn't about his pain, his hurt, where he'd come from. God could bring healing. God could restore his family. And that was all that mattered. God was in control, and nothing was too big for Him to handle. "God," Ryan prayed. "I'm sorry for giving up on You. You deserve so much more. I want to give my life to You; to fulfill what You've called me to do, no matter what happens. I'm giving my life to You. I may stumble, but I'll get right back up, because You're worth it. You're worth it..." And with that, Ryan got up, left his room, and called his sister. "Hey Megan," he said. "There's something really important I want to talk to you about. Can you come home so we can talk?" And with that, Ryan's mission began. It was time for God to bring restoration to his family, to his friends, to everyone around him. No matter what it took... he was going to fulfill the call that God had given him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryan would become one of the most well-known pastors in the United States. His ministry grew to 50,000 people by the time he turned 25. His dad had come to accept Christ as his Lord and Savior, his mom finally returned home, and his sister quit trying to find affirmation and security in relationships. His mom and sister also came to know Christ, and many of the kids he'd known in high school came to know Christ as well. God surrounded him with people who would encourage him, and restoration, healing, and freedom was brought to his family. And to thousands more. God wasn't surprised; He'd seen this coming. After all... He was in control. And always would be.
------------------------------------------------------------------
It's amazing how much God's perspective varies from ours. As we go throughout our daily lives, we usually only look at what's in front of us--what we see, what makes sense, the circumstances we are in, etc. But when it comes to God, He doesn't see things that way. When He sees a homeless man on the street, He thinks, "I love that guy so much; I want to give him a home; see him with hope again." And He could very well make that happen. Why does He let it happen? Well, He could very well ask us the same question. Why do we let it happen? God wants to use us. He doesn't have to; He doesn't need us. But He wants us. He wants to use us to accomplish His plan; not only will it strengthen our faith, but it'll strengthen the faith of others as well. Others will see His love through us. After all, that's what it's all about. God makes Himself known through love, through His creation, through miracles. What are we doing sitting around, letting life pass us by? Sure, we may have a great future, and a great eternity--but not everyone does. Let's make a difference in the world. Let's give God a shot, and see Him move. It's about way more than just us. It's about God, and it's about others. Seeing His love and power in our every day life. No matter what comes our way, no matter how horrible things may seem, He's bigger. He's stronger, He's in control. And with confidence in that promise, we can move on. Move forward. Move forward to the future He has for us... for our time on this earth, and for eternity.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Past and Future
Recently, I got to thinking. Thinking about my dad. For those of you that may not know, he passed away about a year and a half ago in a car accident. I thought of what things were like around that time; the hole that was torn out of my heart, the hole that was torn out of my family--things were never to be the same again. And they haven't. Then I got to thinking, "How have I made it this far? Why am I okay, when I shouldn't be okay?" The answer: God. Without Him, I wouldn't be okay. I'm afraid to know where I would be without Him. He's brought so much healing to me, to my mom, to my brother, to my family--it can't even be explained. It's amazing how far He can take you, when you allow Him to. I've also been reminded lately of God as our lover. Granted, that does sound weird. But it's true. God wants nothing more than to be intimate with us. He wants to love us, bless us, and He wants nothing more than the best for us. More than our parents, more than our best friends. How crazy is that thought--many of us having parents and friends that really care for us, so this thought is definitely mind-boggling. The fact that God loves us more is certainly a crazy thought, and it's something we shouldn't forget. We should never forget how He loves us.
"And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is." -- Ephesians 3:18
I never told you how that "week" went. All I can say is... it was great. Great because I got to see God move in mighty ways. He opened so many doors for me to talk to people, to encourage them, and to simply be there for them. I won't lie to you... it was hard. There was a lot of sacrifice being made, and I didn't think I was going to be able to endure it. Denying yourself of what you want most is definitely difficult. But by God's grace, I made it. Doors were opened, and He moved mightily. I'm forever grateful for the opportunity that I had, and that He drew me closer to Him. I knew then that it wouldn't stop after the week was over; it's continual, it's always going. With everything I have, everything I've got, no matter how difficult things get, I'm going to give God my everything. Because He's worth it. He's worth every minute, every thought, every sacrifice. And I am comforted, knowing that He's there for me. He loves me and blesses me, and He can do the same for anyone else. If He can do it for someone who's worthless, who's got nothing going for them on their own, He can do it for anyone. And He does do it for everyone. He loves every single one of you, and wants the best for you. May you constantly be reminded of His love for you, and allow it to work in and through you... He's so worth it. So, so very worth it.
"For God so loved YOU that He gave His One and Only Son that whomever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." -- John 3:16
"And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is." -- Ephesians 3:18
I never told you how that "week" went. All I can say is... it was great. Great because I got to see God move in mighty ways. He opened so many doors for me to talk to people, to encourage them, and to simply be there for them. I won't lie to you... it was hard. There was a lot of sacrifice being made, and I didn't think I was going to be able to endure it. Denying yourself of what you want most is definitely difficult. But by God's grace, I made it. Doors were opened, and He moved mightily. I'm forever grateful for the opportunity that I had, and that He drew me closer to Him. I knew then that it wouldn't stop after the week was over; it's continual, it's always going. With everything I have, everything I've got, no matter how difficult things get, I'm going to give God my everything. Because He's worth it. He's worth every minute, every thought, every sacrifice. And I am comforted, knowing that He's there for me. He loves me and blesses me, and He can do the same for anyone else. If He can do it for someone who's worthless, who's got nothing going for them on their own, He can do it for anyone. And He does do it for everyone. He loves every single one of you, and wants the best for you. May you constantly be reminded of His love for you, and allow it to work in and through you... He's so worth it. So, so very worth it.
"For God so loved YOU that He gave His One and Only Son that whomever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." -- John 3:16
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
One Week
It's pretty crazy what God's been doing in my life lately. He's definitely been throwing a lot of stuff at me (it caught me pretty off guard), but it's been good. I know that He has a plan in all of this, and as great or as tough as it may be, I know it's for my good. And the good of others'.
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2
This verse has probably been a theme of my life recently. In all honesty, it's been hard to hear God's voice sometimes--and it's been easy for me to make decisions or think certain things based on my emotions, or what I think God is saying. It's times like this that the enemy likes to come in and mess with your thinking. If he can mess with your thinking, then ultimately, he can mess up all of you.
In the craziness of my life, and after much prayer and consideration, I felt like God was telling me to give Him one week. 7 days. One week to really focus on Him, put all distractions aside, and pursue Him. Go deeper with Him... see what His will is for my life. As hard as the next week will be, I know that I'll make it through it. God gives me the strength to endure anything, and He doesn't allow me to deal with more than I can handle.
So... here goes.
One week.
I have a huge feeling that God's going to speak mighty things, move in mighty ways, and really reveal himself to me, and hopefully I'm not the only one on the receiving end of His movement and blessing. Which, I'm sure I won't be.
That's something else He promised me.
I hope this encourages you. Just know that whatever you're going through, whatever situation you may be in--God is always there, always wanting the best for you, and always speaking. Always moving. We've got to get to a point where we give up our desires, our emotions, our whatever--and let Him take control. Give Him the steering wheel. Can it be tough? Yes. Can people get hurt by it? Sure. But God has all of this in mind. He's not going to let anything bad happen that you can't handle.
Remember that He's worth it. He's worth the pain, worth the sacrifice, worth the waiting.
He's worth it.
He's worth the wait.
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2
This verse has probably been a theme of my life recently. In all honesty, it's been hard to hear God's voice sometimes--and it's been easy for me to make decisions or think certain things based on my emotions, or what I think God is saying. It's times like this that the enemy likes to come in and mess with your thinking. If he can mess with your thinking, then ultimately, he can mess up all of you.
In the craziness of my life, and after much prayer and consideration, I felt like God was telling me to give Him one week. 7 days. One week to really focus on Him, put all distractions aside, and pursue Him. Go deeper with Him... see what His will is for my life. As hard as the next week will be, I know that I'll make it through it. God gives me the strength to endure anything, and He doesn't allow me to deal with more than I can handle.
So... here goes.
One week.
I have a huge feeling that God's going to speak mighty things, move in mighty ways, and really reveal himself to me, and hopefully I'm not the only one on the receiving end of His movement and blessing. Which, I'm sure I won't be.
That's something else He promised me.
I hope this encourages you. Just know that whatever you're going through, whatever situation you may be in--God is always there, always wanting the best for you, and always speaking. Always moving. We've got to get to a point where we give up our desires, our emotions, our whatever--and let Him take control. Give Him the steering wheel. Can it be tough? Yes. Can people get hurt by it? Sure. But God has all of this in mind. He's not going to let anything bad happen that you can't handle.
Remember that He's worth it. He's worth the pain, worth the sacrifice, worth the waiting.
He's worth it.
He's worth the wait.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
God Is Good
My youth group went on what we call an "Encounter" last weekend, and it's basically a youth retreat where God does some crazy stuff. People get healed, our passion and love for Him is stirred up, and overall it's a pretty awesome weekend.
I think for me, what God did in me this last weekend was that he reminded me of His calling for my life, who I am in Him, and He definitely rekindled a passion for Him. All I can really say is, I'm excited for what God's doing at my school. We had over ten kids show up for prayer at lunch yesterday, and that was definitely encouraging. To see kids getting passionate for God and not only see but live out the truth that He's worth it... it's amazing. It's something as a leader that I love to see. That's one of the things that give me joy... seeing kids getting passionate for God. More than some emotion, more than a feeling, more than any temporal thing this world can give. We'll reap so much more when we pursue God and His kingdom; this world won't last forever.
It's amazing how far God's taken me, just in the past couple of weeks. Give Him a chance to do something in you... cause you never know what He'll do, and how great of an impact He can make on you. Not only to change you, but to change others. Change the world.
I think for me, what God did in me this last weekend was that he reminded me of His calling for my life, who I am in Him, and He definitely rekindled a passion for Him. All I can really say is, I'm excited for what God's doing at my school. We had over ten kids show up for prayer at lunch yesterday, and that was definitely encouraging. To see kids getting passionate for God and not only see but live out the truth that He's worth it... it's amazing. It's something as a leader that I love to see. That's one of the things that give me joy... seeing kids getting passionate for God. More than some emotion, more than a feeling, more than any temporal thing this world can give. We'll reap so much more when we pursue God and His kingdom; this world won't last forever.
It's amazing how far God's taken me, just in the past couple of weeks. Give Him a chance to do something in you... cause you never know what He'll do, and how great of an impact He can make on you. Not only to change you, but to change others. Change the world.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Ready for Revival
Do you ever have those times were you "randomly" get excited about what God's doing, and you can feel the Holy Spirit beginning to fill you up? I definitely love those moments; in fact, I'm having one of those moments right now.
I like how God is so faithful to us, He's there to meet us wherever we're at, and He, above anything else, loves us. Being a few weeks into my senior year I've gotten caught up in homework, work, and sports, among other things, and to be honest, my prayer life and time in the Word hasn't been that great for the past couple of months. I think it's easy for us to lose the vision that God's given us; lose sight of what He spoke to us and has planned for us. My prayer for myself and for you is that you hold onto the visions and promises that God has given you. Just as He is faithful, we need to be faithful. Faithfulness brings forth fruit.
I know for me personally, I'm more than ready to see revival at my school. With "nothing" happening (in a natural perception), it's easy sometimes to think, "Okay, God, where are you?" But I think we need to quit trying to "find" God, because He's there. It all comes down to His timing, and our obedience and patience, and waiting on Him. I'm not sure when things will start "booming" at my school, but I know by faith that things will get there. People are going to be saved, people are going to be healed, and God's glory will be shown. That's a prophetic statement, and also a promise from God that I know I can hold onto. It just takes one step of obedience at a time... and waiting on Him.
I like how God is so faithful to us, He's there to meet us wherever we're at, and He, above anything else, loves us. Being a few weeks into my senior year I've gotten caught up in homework, work, and sports, among other things, and to be honest, my prayer life and time in the Word hasn't been that great for the past couple of months. I think it's easy for us to lose the vision that God's given us; lose sight of what He spoke to us and has planned for us. My prayer for myself and for you is that you hold onto the visions and promises that God has given you. Just as He is faithful, we need to be faithful. Faithfulness brings forth fruit.
I know for me personally, I'm more than ready to see revival at my school. With "nothing" happening (in a natural perception), it's easy sometimes to think, "Okay, God, where are you?" But I think we need to quit trying to "find" God, because He's there. It all comes down to His timing, and our obedience and patience, and waiting on Him. I'm not sure when things will start "booming" at my school, but I know by faith that things will get there. People are going to be saved, people are going to be healed, and God's glory will be shown. That's a prophetic statement, and also a promise from God that I know I can hold onto. It just takes one step of obedience at a time... and waiting on Him.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
God, Grace, & So Much More
I wasn't quite sure what to title this blog, but God's been speaking a lot to me, and definitely doing a lot in me, and with the new school year having started, I figured it was time to write a new blog. So here goes...
Looking back on this summer, it's crazy to be out on "the other side" of all the difficulties, challenges, and victories I went through, and to see now why God allowed to happen what happened, and to see the drastic changes He did in me. I know one of the biggest things He did in me was teach me to be more dependent on Him. I know how easy it can be to become dependent ourselves, another person, or the world--many of us are financially stable, have both our parents, and are pretty well off. Know my heart when I say this, but some of us don't "need" God.
Crazy thing is... we do need Him. No matter how blessed, provided for, wealthy, taken care of, we are, we need Him. Everything isn't always going to be okay, and some day, we very easily could lose everything to our name: our family, our house, our possessions, our wealth, and so on. We need Him. And despite His not needing us, He wants us. Crazy, eh?
God's been showing me lately what it means to be in a relationship with Him. What it truly means. I read in a workbook called "Expericing God," that "Our relationship with God doesn't come from a quiet time with Him, but our quiet time with God comes from a relationship with Him." I didn't quite understand that until tonight... I spent some quiet time with God, in worship and in prayer, and you know what? I haven't had a decent "quiet time" in weeks--but when I took the time to spend some time with Him, He was faithful to be there. I spent time with Him because I knew that we had that kind of relationship. God doesn't come to us with an agenda, a set of rules, an expectation-- "Well, you have to read your Bible every day, and you need to pray for at least 60 minutes every night..."-- no. God's not like that. He loves us and appreciates any time He can get with us. And since He's always with us, well, aren't we always spending time with Him? Think about it. When you spend time with your brother or sister, for instance, you aren't always doing the same thing. Sometimes you watch TV, sometimes you go out for dinner, sometimes you play catch, whatever--you're not always doing the same thing, and it's not that way with God either. Sometimes you're praying, sometimes you're reading your Word, sometimes you're praying for someone, sometimes you're simply watching TV--and God's right there with you.
So let this be a challenge for you. Spend time with God--bring Him into everything that you do: sports, work, school, homework (yes, it is possible), working out... He's always there. And if you happen to not read your Bible one night, or spend time in prayer, don't beat yourself up. God doesn't. He doesn't put pressure or condemnation on us, so why should we?
Looking back on this summer, it's crazy to be out on "the other side" of all the difficulties, challenges, and victories I went through, and to see now why God allowed to happen what happened, and to see the drastic changes He did in me. I know one of the biggest things He did in me was teach me to be more dependent on Him. I know how easy it can be to become dependent ourselves, another person, or the world--many of us are financially stable, have both our parents, and are pretty well off. Know my heart when I say this, but some of us don't "need" God.
Crazy thing is... we do need Him. No matter how blessed, provided for, wealthy, taken care of, we are, we need Him. Everything isn't always going to be okay, and some day, we very easily could lose everything to our name: our family, our house, our possessions, our wealth, and so on. We need Him. And despite His not needing us, He wants us. Crazy, eh?
God's been showing me lately what it means to be in a relationship with Him. What it truly means. I read in a workbook called "Expericing God," that "Our relationship with God doesn't come from a quiet time with Him, but our quiet time with God comes from a relationship with Him." I didn't quite understand that until tonight... I spent some quiet time with God, in worship and in prayer, and you know what? I haven't had a decent "quiet time" in weeks--but when I took the time to spend some time with Him, He was faithful to be there. I spent time with Him because I knew that we had that kind of relationship. God doesn't come to us with an agenda, a set of rules, an expectation-- "Well, you have to read your Bible every day, and you need to pray for at least 60 minutes every night..."-- no. God's not like that. He loves us and appreciates any time He can get with us. And since He's always with us, well, aren't we always spending time with Him? Think about it. When you spend time with your brother or sister, for instance, you aren't always doing the same thing. Sometimes you watch TV, sometimes you go out for dinner, sometimes you play catch, whatever--you're not always doing the same thing, and it's not that way with God either. Sometimes you're praying, sometimes you're reading your Word, sometimes you're praying for someone, sometimes you're simply watching TV--and God's right there with you.
So let this be a challenge for you. Spend time with God--bring Him into everything that you do: sports, work, school, homework (yes, it is possible), working out... He's always there. And if you happen to not read your Bible one night, or spend time in prayer, don't beat yourself up. God doesn't. He doesn't put pressure or condemnation on us, so why should we?
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