Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Challenges.
No matter how many times I try to do things my way, God always steps in. I'm so thankful for this, even though I don't always like the way He does it. And that's because it usually involves breaking my plans & taking me out of where I'm comfortable to help me to grow through it. There have been multiple instances, especially over the last few months, where totally unexpected things have happened. Things that I don't understand. The only thing that I know is that I have committed my life to a sovereign God who has the absolute right and ability to do whatever He wants in my life. And when He challenges me through my circumstances, I am thankful. Because it always draws me closer to Him when there is no way I can devise to do it on my own. Even though I am unfailingly surprised and at times bewildered when He first introduces these circumstances into my life, I ultimately always realize that it is His hand that brings them along. He is orchestrating all the pieces of my story to build me up to handle whatever is ahead. Even when I can't see right away how something is going to work out, I know that He knows how it will help draw me closer to Him, and trust Him more the next time. And I know that if I never struggled, I would never know what it's like to overcome struggles. If I never was without things I need, I would never know the joy of finally getting my needs met. If my way of doing things always worked, I would never follow His way. Everything works together for my good, and I trust in that every day. Because of the less desirable parts of life, we are more able to appreciate the really great things. If every day was sunny, we would take it for granted. But when we have to face things that aren't what we want or expect, the "rainy days" in life, we learn to appreciate it when they are what we want. And we learn to look for the ways that even the bad things are good, and can be used in our lives to ultimately benefit us, even when there seems to be no possible way. Whatever you might be facing today, know that it's for your good. God is on your side, and He loves you so much. Whatever your circumstances are, pray that God will show you the good side, and how they can help you grow closer to Him and appreciate His blessings more. And if you're brave enough, pray for challenges. Especially if you're comfortable where you are. God can grow you through any circumstance of your life, but especially through the struggles, because that's when you need Him the most. Even though life is hard, every bit of it works together to write your story, and He will not waste any of it. Let Him work through yours.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Always Love.
Love is a word so frequently thrown around but so rarely actually understood and meant genuinely.
We hear it so often that I think we're in a way desensitized to its meaning. We love our families, & our friends, & those that we're closest to. But these types of love are easy.
What does it really mean in our lives to truly love those around us, our "neighbors"? What does it look like to love those who won't or can't love us back?
When we allow the Lord to open our eyes to the "least of these", we will find opportunities to share His love in many ways. Whether simply through relationships, or through providing earthly needs, we can show His love to others in hopes of leading them to their own relationship with the One who can help them more than we could ever dream.
In our American culture, we are so self focused. I am constantly fighting my own material desires that I always need more stuff. We can become so focused on what we want that we fail to realize how much we already have. And I have been so blessed. Rather than getting more things for myself that will never fill my heart, I want to make it my aim to simply focus on investing in 2 things: my relationship with God, & my relationships with other people. God wants us to love Him with all that we have & give Him the glory for all that we have, & when we focus on doing that, & realize all that we have by His grace, it is only natural to want to share that with others in hopes that they might discover the same.
I've been reading Radical in one of my classes, & if you haven't read it, I urge you to get your hands on a copy. From a girl who has read many, many Christian books, this is one of the best I have ever read. This week for my class we read a chapter on wealth & poverty. I was so thankful for that because I keep finding myself trapped in this insatiable desire to get more for myself. But if I am thinking as God wants me to, I will instead focus on being thankful for having my needs provided for, & looking to use extra money etc. to help meet needs for others when given opportunities to do so.
In a society where materialism is the norm, & we expect to have huge houses, luxury vehicles, & 100K a year salaries, I want to figure out now, early on in my life when I have very little money, to learn how to manage what I do have & to learn how to freely give to others out of the extra that God blesses me with. There was a particular quote in the chapter in Radical where a man talking to David Platt said that "I realize there is never going to come a day when I stand before God and he looks at me and says, 'I wish you would have kept more for yourself.'" This was such a powerful statement to me.
I want to live a life that is going to center on giving back to the One who gave it all for my sake. I want to give all I have to offer, in every part of my life. That includes my life as a whole, as well as my time, and most certainly my finances and possessions. I am confident that God will take care of me, because He always has. He always provides what we truly need. And another thing I've discovered is that it truly brings you closer to God in times of need. You have to fully depend on Him for everything you need in those times, & it is always so amazing how He provides for us. I am so grateful for a God who has so richly blessed my life, & my prayer is that I can use whatever He gives me to bless those around me, whether it's a great deal or just enough. Either way, He is going to take care of me & I am leaning on that promise!
All of this is to say, when we love those around us as the Lord wants us to, we can't ignore their spiritual or physical needs. If we sit in spiritual and physical affluence with a comfortable relationship with God & a rich lifestyle, we will not only fail to help those who need it, but we will miss out on seeing the hand of God work through our lives to bless the lives of others.
What are we willing to give away to share the love we have? It's time to care. It's time to get involved & help those around us in spiritual & financial poverty.
We hear it so often that I think we're in a way desensitized to its meaning. We love our families, & our friends, & those that we're closest to. But these types of love are easy.
What does it really mean in our lives to truly love those around us, our "neighbors"? What does it look like to love those who won't or can't love us back?
When we allow the Lord to open our eyes to the "least of these", we will find opportunities to share His love in many ways. Whether simply through relationships, or through providing earthly needs, we can show His love to others in hopes of leading them to their own relationship with the One who can help them more than we could ever dream.
In our American culture, we are so self focused. I am constantly fighting my own material desires that I always need more stuff. We can become so focused on what we want that we fail to realize how much we already have. And I have been so blessed. Rather than getting more things for myself that will never fill my heart, I want to make it my aim to simply focus on investing in 2 things: my relationship with God, & my relationships with other people. God wants us to love Him with all that we have & give Him the glory for all that we have, & when we focus on doing that, & realize all that we have by His grace, it is only natural to want to share that with others in hopes that they might discover the same.
I've been reading Radical in one of my classes, & if you haven't read it, I urge you to get your hands on a copy. From a girl who has read many, many Christian books, this is one of the best I have ever read. This week for my class we read a chapter on wealth & poverty. I was so thankful for that because I keep finding myself trapped in this insatiable desire to get more for myself. But if I am thinking as God wants me to, I will instead focus on being thankful for having my needs provided for, & looking to use extra money etc. to help meet needs for others when given opportunities to do so.
In a society where materialism is the norm, & we expect to have huge houses, luxury vehicles, & 100K a year salaries, I want to figure out now, early on in my life when I have very little money, to learn how to manage what I do have & to learn how to freely give to others out of the extra that God blesses me with. There was a particular quote in the chapter in Radical where a man talking to David Platt said that "I realize there is never going to come a day when I stand before God and he looks at me and says, 'I wish you would have kept more for yourself.'" This was such a powerful statement to me.
I want to live a life that is going to center on giving back to the One who gave it all for my sake. I want to give all I have to offer, in every part of my life. That includes my life as a whole, as well as my time, and most certainly my finances and possessions. I am confident that God will take care of me, because He always has. He always provides what we truly need. And another thing I've discovered is that it truly brings you closer to God in times of need. You have to fully depend on Him for everything you need in those times, & it is always so amazing how He provides for us. I am so grateful for a God who has so richly blessed my life, & my prayer is that I can use whatever He gives me to bless those around me, whether it's a great deal or just enough. Either way, He is going to take care of me & I am leaning on that promise!
All of this is to say, when we love those around us as the Lord wants us to, we can't ignore their spiritual or physical needs. If we sit in spiritual and physical affluence with a comfortable relationship with God & a rich lifestyle, we will not only fail to help those who need it, but we will miss out on seeing the hand of God work through our lives to bless the lives of others.
What are we willing to give away to share the love we have? It's time to care. It's time to get involved & help those around us in spiritual & financial poverty.
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