All in Praise
How far would I walk to hear the the gospel, or to see the grave of a disciple whose hand held the cloak of Jesus? How long would I travel to save the soul of one man or woman who had never heard of my Lord Jesus Christ? Would I walk on Pilgrimage over the Pyrenees and across Spain to Santiago de Compostela? Would I sail across raging seas in a wooden boat to reach one centurion?
I am thinking about what it means to turn the other cheek this morning. Is it a sign of cowardice, bravery, or something else entirely? I think it might be the latter. Although it could be construed as a sign of weakness, or that it takes courage to stand and not retreat, it also demonstrates great faith to resist being provoked, or enticed to sin.
Does God have to move something, or someone, out of the way before you will see Him? Is your attention focused somewhere other than on Him? Our God is a jealous God... He told us so, which begs the question... why do we taunt Him with our inattention? This is my concentration today. I am asking myself if there are people or things in my life that keep me from Him.
How mature am I as a Christian? Have I moved from that stage in my faith where the focus has shifted from learning who Jesus was, and how to live the life of Christ, to that of actually knowing Him and living alongside Him? Am I fully engaged and surrounded by the will of God and in close relationship with Jesus, or still battling within myself to wrest control from the sinful man that resides there?
Everything in our lives points to Jesus. The greatest and the least of our experiences lead us to Him. Saints haven't achieved some higher plane of self realization... they have simply come to the understanding that everything in life reveals God , and Jesus Christ. Then, in all of this, nothing trumps the embodiment of God's will and grace in The Son! In this realization comes a relationship of incredible closeness.
We are saved because God loves us, not because we loved Him. Grace is a one sided covenant that is given by God. We don't earn it, and yet we receive it. How wonderful is this gift of grace.
How loyal are we to our Lord Jesus Christ? I am inclined to say "absolutely!", but then I catch myself pausing the television on some terrible show filled with foul language. Am I really serving God faithfully, or do I walk a fine line between righteousness and serving my base human desires?
Am I working hard enough and practicing my faith with enough diligence and dedication to, at last, be called a son of God? Is my faith increasing, and my everyday life reflecting that increase by exhibiting the characteristics of Jesus? Life doesn't grow easier for the Christian but it does grow more certain.
Visions and God's will, His plan, for us. This is my contemplation today. God gives us glimpses, and sometimes very detailed insights into what He has planned for us, and then He goes about accomplishing His will. The question becomes this... am I totally on board with His plan for me; am I excited about the vision (where He is taking me), or am I a reluctant passenger, ready to disembark before the the final destination has been reached? Are the goals I have for my life consistent with His?
Do I include the Lord in all of my plans? Do I consider him in the most minute details of my life? Is He not only my God in the grand plans of my life, but the friend who walks beside me throughout the day, and sits with me in the evenings to talk over the smallest details that have transpired? This is my contemplation today.
This morning I am asking myself the same question that the resurrected Jesus asked Peter... Do I love Jesus? And, in so doing, I think about what love truly is. Then I measure the depths of my love and ask yet again, Do I love Jesus? Finally, I explore what Jesus desires of me and ask one more time... Do I love Jesus? Am I worshiping, obeying, and following what Jesus expects of me out of love? How about the love He asked Peter if he had?
Am I placing my focus on the eternal, or concentrating my efforts on those things that are fleeting, and that will fall away? Is my pride in the possessions of this world, at the demise of my very soul that lives forever? This is my thought today as I seek to redirect my attention towards the single most important attribute of my life.
Am I reluctant to claim the grace of God in all aspects of my Christian life? Do I attempt to walk the Christian way and only call on the grace of God when I stumble or face hardship? If so, then I am not trusting in Him, and my prayers are not without ceasing.
How many times have I experienced sorrow in my life? I would be unable to count them. Sorrow is a fact and the result of caring, loving, and regret. God uses sorrow for His purposes, and we should see His hand there. In our sorrow God teaches us of Himself.
Am I a sinner? Am I leading a life of innocence, or seeking to be pure? Will God forgive me when I sin against Him? These are the questions I am asking myself as I contemplate sin in my life, and the world around me.