Now what I like about this passage is that it talks about doing whatever it takes to focus our thoughts on those things that allow us to serve God successfully, all the while eliminating any thoughts that would trip us up. That's what the description in my study notes say. I like that. That makes me think about my job primarily. My boss used to be a devout Christian and he has since turned away from God.It also says in the bible somewhere that it is worse to have known God and turn from Him, than to have never known Him at all. (Kind of the "you should know better" idea.) So anyways, he was an apologetic (a term used to describe someone that specifically defends the faith as their primary function) and preached to some extent or something, i'm not sure what. But I find he tries to sway my faith, and to me that is nothing less than Satan himself. Satan is real and he sure is evident in someone if they try and sway you away from God. It gives me a bad feeling inside. And what this verse tells me is this:
Do what you gotta do to be closer to God. Do whatever job it is or whatever hobby it is, or how ever many bible studies it is, to be closer. I've got this "devotional" type of feeling that I long for, like a calling of some sort, and it's getting stronger by the day. I'm not sure what's going on, but it scares me on one hand, and yet it feels like I'm right on the edge of something super fantastic.
So the verse continues on to talk about "resting our hope" in God, and that we need to "exhibit confidence that God will accomplish all that He promised he would do". We should not conform ourselves to our old ways, our old behaviours (prior to being a Christian), and that we should strive to be holy as God Himself is Holy, and we are made in His image. I love the fact that God is Holy. It warms me inside. It makes me feel comforted and restful. I seriously want to dedicate my life to Him, but i'm not sure how I can go about that ,really. I still need a job and the world is such a terrible place and extremely hard to be in. We continually sin, and it feels so wrong to be and think in my old patterns. I want something new. I want something so much better. The desires in my heart are so much stronger than before. All I want is to absorb God into every part of me, into all of my being, and I don't know how to make that happen fast enough, and so deep inside of me, that when I go out to the world, "they" wouldn't have an affect on me. I think mission work is something I really want to do. I just don't know how I would support myself.
You know what? I've just figured out that that is my very first problem. "I" is the problem. "I" can't do anything, nor do "I" need to do anything. "God" is the answer. "Trusting" God is the way. I will ask, and He shall provide. He promises us that. So all "I" need to do, is trust in Him, follow Him and what it says to do in the bible, and He will lay everything out infront of me. He will allow opportunities to come, situations and people to flow. When it feels twisted and wrong? It's because "I" took over again. And "I" don't have the power to set everything up like He does. It's the surrendering part of things, and letting God handle it.
It is just extremely hard to do that every single day. But I suppose that is why daily devotionals are so important. To renew our faith each and every single day. To renew our committment to Him every day again. To allow Him to make the decisions for us every day. All I need to do is listen to His word (the bible) and to obey what it says in there. It's as simple as that.
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