All in Faith
I fail in a certain regard almost every day. It is so hard for me not to judge the actions of those around me, and in this, if it were not for the Atonement of Christ, I would be lost. Seeing, and turning our noses up at sinners is just too natural for us.
There comes a point in our faith when we have given ourselves over to God, and we trust so completely in Christ, that the struggle for righteousness ends and our faith becomes as natural as taking our next breath. Is this what you seek, or do you fight daily with your nature in an attempt to walk the fine line between your earthly life and heaven... not becoming a resident in either place.
Who have we prayed for today? Does the heart of an intercessor live within us? Are we hoarding the atonement of Christ, or sharing its realization with others? These are the questions to ask ourselves this morning.
Do you follow Jesus without second thought? Do you give your faith free and unquestioned rein to rule your life? These are the questions that face us all and the crux of my morning contemplation.
Does our judgement of others convict our own souls? Don't we ourselves feel unclean in our judgement of those around us? I can't help but think of the separation from God I have felt after judging another's righteousness. Have you ever felt removed in this manner?
June is the Month that most weddings occur, and since Ann and I just celebrated our anniversary I thought this would be a good time to talk about what is required to stay married. Will a marriage last, or is there a black cloud hanging over it? How do we approach conflicts between husband and wife? What happens when the world collapses on us?
It's colossal, it's stupendous, it's amazing, but just not what the Lord wants you to do. Do you think you are a million dollar man of God who is too good to be doing the minimum wage work of the kingdom? Maybe you need to think twice.
Do I have the serenity in my life that Jesus had in His? Is my life spent settled into constant comfort and peace, and if not... why isn't it? Perhaps I am not truly abiding in Christ. These thoughts were provoked in me by my reading this morning.
Have I truly abandoned myself to Jesus? Is He the source of my life's energies, or do I simply vocalize His name so that I can feel good about my faith, and appear righteous before others?
Where do I make my abode? Where is my place of residence? This morning I am trying to determine whether I claim my earthly home as my permanent residence, or whether I list my heavenly home as such. Then there are the times, in my travels, thathome becomes the place where I lay my head.
Coming to Jesus; this is my contemplation this morning. Is this the physical act of circumcision, baptism, and communion, or something far deeper and more spiritual? What does Jesus mean by these three simple words... "Come unto me."
Am I seeking the Lord as I should? Am I asking Jesus for the things that are right in the eyes of God? This morning I am asking myself these questions and seek to place Him foremost in my life as I pray and walk this world.
Am I ashamed to ask of God? Am I too embarrassed by my condition or tooashamed of my sin to reach out to Him for help? When should we bring our needs or our contrition before Him in prayer?
Am I running the race that God has laid out before me, or am I like the horse that never left the gate when the gun sounded? Is the call of the Lord fading into the distance, or am I following His call into an exciting adventure? These are the questions to ponder today.
Jesus said that He would do anything we ask in His name. What do you think that means? Are we the type people who gets an offer of a free dinner and orders the most expensive thing on the menu? Is it an open invitation to ask for the moon, or something quite different? Why is Jesus making this offer?