All tagged god
Are we someone who prides ourselves on common sense and morality? Do we believe it to be a substitute for faith in God? Throughout our lives we have most certainly heard people say, “that man is a good person and he does good things.” about someone who is of good character and is morally sound. But is being a good and moral person enough to satisfy God? Is it enough to earn us eternal life?
Are we in search of the “things” of our lives; you know, the thrill of our life, the job of our life, the experience of our life, and if we are so fortunate, the love of our life? These are all examples of the “things” that we seek after every day. These are the “things” that we believe will make us happy, and let’s be honest with ourselves... we all do this to some degree, and once we think we have found them are we ever completely happy? Have we found the true and full joy of our lives in them? No, I’m afraid not… our only hope for true joy and life is in Jesus Christ.
Where do we hide when we are frightened, and why? Are we afraid of failure, of displeasing God, of our sin, or the everyday pain of living? Why do we feel inclined to seek out a hiding place at all? Perhaps we are fearful by nature and simply shelter ourselves from the difficult things in our lives? But even if we don’t hide we may know people who do; those who attempt to hide themselves from the world and quite possibly from God.
Here are a couple of questions for us to ponder today... do we hear Jesus calling us, and if so, are we prepared to come to Him when He beckons? As disciples we should be listening to His voice and always ready to go to Him... he gives us much more than something to do… He gives us rest.
Who is Jesus in relation to God? Is He a servant, a slave, a son, a prophet, a high priest, a tool, or all these things? If you are having trouble answering this question then perhaps you can more easily answer the same question regarding yourself and your relationship to Jesus... No? Well, Jesus is before all else the Son of God. We read the account of Mary and the birth of Jesus, but then at His baptism God Himself speaks and calls Him Son in proclamation to all in attendance...
When we pray the Lord's Prayer and say the words "lead us not into temptation", what do we think that means? Do we think we are asking God to keep us from experiencing temptation? Do we understand it to mean that we are asking God Himself not to tempt us? Do we think it literally means that God should not purposely lead us into tempting situations? Or do we feel we are asking God to lead us away from our natural inclination to be tempted by sin?
Have you prepared yourself for the challenges of faith ahead? Are you ready for the trials that lie before you, or are you totally out of spiritual shape? Be as Jesus was... ready for the moment of God's calling... be ready to join the Father in the race of your life.
Do we claim the glory of God for ourselves? Have we done this while doing great things that He has called and gifted us to do? Have we puffed out our chests and swaggered as if they were all about us? We are tempted by our nature as men and women of the world to claim personal responsibility for God's work when it moves through us to be performed in the physical world, but we must defeat that temptation lest we be humbled.
Do we wake up in the morning to a life of freedom, or have we given control of ourselves to something or someone else? Are we independently ruling our lives, or have we given ourselves over to a grand idea or something else such as our family, job, perhaps drugs, or some other thing… how about God? Is being free really a choice we can make, or are we owned, and just being rebellious by considering ourselves free? Let's explore our freedom as it relates to God, Jesus Christ, and faith.
Has Jesus given you a joy like His, or do you anticipate that one day you will have a joy like that of Jesus? Well, I am going to burst your bubble and then give you a new hope regarding joy. Our anticipation should never be to have a joy like Jesus because we won't have one like His! I apologize for having done this, but I have toyed with you a bit. You are truly not going to have a joy "like" Jesus... no you are going to have “the joy” of Jesus. Not similar, not an imitation, not even an exact replica, but the actual joy that fills Jesus Christ; "my joy may be in you."
How is your life in Christ? Before you answer this question I would like you to answer another... "How often do I pray?" If we think that our life with Christ is robust because of the things we do, and yet we have not humbled ourselves before Him in prayer; then our relationship with the Lord isn’t robust at all… it is starving.
Have you experienced the peace of Jesus Christ? When your life is being torn apart by calamity do you find rest and peace in Him? In Jesus we find a peace like none other; I am not talking about the carefree blue sky feeling of someone who is trouble free and having a good day, but the deep and abiding peace that can exist and comfort us in the midst of calamity and chaos. A sense of peace that defies all understanding.
Would you recognize the voice of Jesus if you heard it? If He called your name, would you know from the sound of His voice that it was Him who was calling you? Probably not, but if, in an instant He were to reveal every moment in which He had spoken to you and come to you in your life, perhaps then you would know His voice… don’t you think? Wouldn’t you? Maybe?
Are we ready to step forward in our faith and enter into a new role of servitude? Our inclination as new Christians is to go only so far and then fall dutifully behind a spiritual mentor, allowing them to teach and lead us on from there. However, God would have use step through that spiritual season, move beyond being mentored, and cross into a larger life with Him. This is an inevitable event.
What do we do when our memory fails us? Are there repercussions to forgetting? What are the certain things that Jesus has asked us to remember, and are there particular things that God asks us to remember as well? Does God remember everything, or does He actually forget some things? Is it good when we forget? Do we?