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Humble Check
It’s funny how when you start thinking “Hey, I’m doing pretty good,” that you start noticing sins you thought you’ve conquered start popping back up. It’s just that really, its because we’ve forgotten through whom we are made good, we’ve forgotten who it was that conquered those sins.
Lately, I’ve really felt that I’ve been lacking patience, whether it comes to my expectations for others, expectations for myself, or the realization of my various goals, actually, especially for the realization of my goals. I’ve been struggling with this and seeking God, “Why now, Lord? Haven’t I been faithful?”
The other leaders and I as well as a handful of youth watched the movie “To Save a Life” this week. In it, the main character begins to face several trials and testings just as he is really beginning to serve God. “Why is my life falling apart now?” he asks.
“Maybe it always was and you’re just now starting to care.”
God doesn’t cause or tempt us into sinning, rather he draws out the deepest sin in our heart, things we’ve yet to submit, and brings them to the surface. God wants to work in our lives, that we may be presented holy before Him in our entirety through His son, Jesus Christ. There is no room for these things.
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
1 John 1:5-7
As I said before though, we can’t begin by thinking that there is anything in and of ourselves that makes us holy. We must humble ourselves and realize it’s only through Christ that we are complete. John continues,
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
1 John 1:8-10
No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong, and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let the Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
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| — | The Lord God to Joshua after Moses’ death |
Focus
Man, it’s really been a while since I’ve had time to sit down and post something. Anyhow, first and foremost, I want to just apologize for my last post, it was a poor example of who I am and the calling I have in Christ.
For those of you who did see it, I’m not trying to say that desires for a relationship are a bad thing, its when you allow these thoughts to supersede your love and devotion for Christ that it becomes idolatry in your heart. I got caught up in the swells of emotion and I allowed myself to be tossed back and forth by the waves of my desires.
Yet when the things of this world fade, God remains true.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.Psalms 40:2
I’m reminded of the words a godly friend once said to me. It was back when we were working at Jamba Juice and once night as we were closing I was complaining about whatever girl issues I had at the time. He looked up at me and very simply just said:
God didn’t give you this life to spend it worrying about girls, Jimmy.
It was something that he just said, most likely due to my incessant whining, but I knew it was from God. We were called to for greatness and yet today, our generation has traded our inheritance for things that will someday fade.
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
John 14:12
Never forget that we have a high calling in Him who sent us. God sees the desires of our hearts yes, but He will answer those in His timing. Use what time you have for His kingdom, so that He may be glorified.
Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one’s life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down. Perhaps it crept to one’s side like an old friend through quiet ways. Perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music. Perhaps… perhaps… love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slippping from its green sheath.
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| — | Anne of Avonlea, by L. M. Montgomery as excerpted from Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris. |
Terrible
“26Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’” -1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Honestly, I am a terrible, terrible person. In and of myself, I am easily angered, I am hostile even to those who love me, and I readily project my frustrations on whomever regardless of the reason. However, through the grace of God, I am able to find love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When I rely on my own strength, I find it so common to stumble and fall, but when I let go, God is able to work in my life in ways I never expected.
Praise God, that despite our inequities, He still desires to use us, and is constantly refining us to be used for His glory.
