When we do, whatever it is that we do, do we do it to the glory of God or to the disdain of mankind? Too often many of us, myself included, look at each new day begrudgingly. We look at the have tos and shoulds along with the ought tos and don't want tos totally missing the God opportunities presented each day. In fact, I'm not even sure that most of us would recognize those opportunities.
I go on, ad nauseaum perhaps, about relationships. Why? Because it is in those relationships that we have the chance to interact and show others, through ourselves, God. What I see and sometimes demonstrate is the biggest turn-off to anyone I've represented myself as a Christian to. Moodiness, rigidity, anger, possessiveness, ill-will, unforgiveness and laziness do not speak of a benevolent God in my life or in anyone else's.
Each day, we have the opportunity to start fresh, our slate has been wiped clean but are we ready to be the light bulb for God with another? About a year ago, I was checking out from a dollar store and the woman checking me out, definitely had something I wanted. Her attitude! As she thanked me for making my purchase, she then said for me to have a "blessed day." The thing is I could tell that she meant it. I walked away wondering what it was that she "had" that I didn't. Certainly I could start adding that phrase to my repetoire, but the difference in her saying it and my saying it would be light years different. It goes deeper than just words!
From that point on, I have struggled with an attitude that limits God. You see, the size of our faith is equal to the size of God in our lives. Our pasts have the tendency to limit our ability to see the enormity of God. We in essence put God in a box of our own dimensions. How? Every time we come upon a situation that is bigger than we think we are capable of handling and instead of asking for God's help, we instead give up. The thought process behind that is, that if God wanted us to be able to accomplish it, He would have just stepped in and helped us. Right? Wrong! My question to you (and myself) is, "But, did you ask Him?" Many times the reason we either don't ask or won't ask, is that we are afraid of the answer. We only should ask a question that we want to be answered and we have to be willing to accept that sometimes the answer is not one we are going to want to hear! But what if the answer was better?! Well, we miss that opportunity as well!
What many people only see is that God is a God of rules and it has a name religion. The more I learn though, is that man made up the rules and is the one enforcing them. God wanted a relationship and that is why He sent His Son. God became Man for the relationship to be established. Which brings me straight back to our ability to interact with others. We interact with inanimate objects constantly, I'm doing so now via computer. Why? Because the only way I can possibly have a chance to interact with someone is now by email, blog or facebook. Otherwise, everyone is too busy. They can read this (at least I hope so) and let it go, but conversing would take time and time is something everyone is running short of both from a daily perspective AND an eternal one.
Most of us can't comprehend what we can't see. So the concept of life in heaven is something we allude to, something we say we believe but sometimes I wonder....the thing that I am learning is that we don't have to wait until we die, every day we have the opportunity, as promised by Christ to enjoy the benefits of His joy while still living here on earth, we just choose not to enjoy it. Let me just say, if you say you are enjoying it and still waking up with stress, and dread, and those other qualities I've already listed, then you are fooling yourself! That woman in the dollar store, she understands it. I would venture to guess, that the size of her faith is enormous! And when she encounters life's dilemmas, she is right in His Presence, not only asking, but receiving His answer! That's what I want!!
Each day we have the chance to be His light! We need to honor Him by the quality AND with the attitude we bring to each day, to whatever it is that we do!
Looking up!~
Barb
I go on, ad nauseaum perhaps, about relationships. Why? Because it is in those relationships that we have the chance to interact and show others, through ourselves, God. What I see and sometimes demonstrate is the biggest turn-off to anyone I've represented myself as a Christian to. Moodiness, rigidity, anger, possessiveness, ill-will, unforgiveness and laziness do not speak of a benevolent God in my life or in anyone else's.
Each day, we have the opportunity to start fresh, our slate has been wiped clean but are we ready to be the light bulb for God with another? About a year ago, I was checking out from a dollar store and the woman checking me out, definitely had something I wanted. Her attitude! As she thanked me for making my purchase, she then said for me to have a "blessed day." The thing is I could tell that she meant it. I walked away wondering what it was that she "had" that I didn't. Certainly I could start adding that phrase to my repetoire, but the difference in her saying it and my saying it would be light years different. It goes deeper than just words!
From that point on, I have struggled with an attitude that limits God. You see, the size of our faith is equal to the size of God in our lives. Our pasts have the tendency to limit our ability to see the enormity of God. We in essence put God in a box of our own dimensions. How? Every time we come upon a situation that is bigger than we think we are capable of handling and instead of asking for God's help, we instead give up. The thought process behind that is, that if God wanted us to be able to accomplish it, He would have just stepped in and helped us. Right? Wrong! My question to you (and myself) is, "But, did you ask Him?" Many times the reason we either don't ask or won't ask, is that we are afraid of the answer. We only should ask a question that we want to be answered and we have to be willing to accept that sometimes the answer is not one we are going to want to hear! But what if the answer was better?! Well, we miss that opportunity as well!
What many people only see is that God is a God of rules and it has a name religion. The more I learn though, is that man made up the rules and is the one enforcing them. God wanted a relationship and that is why He sent His Son. God became Man for the relationship to be established. Which brings me straight back to our ability to interact with others. We interact with inanimate objects constantly, I'm doing so now via computer. Why? Because the only way I can possibly have a chance to interact with someone is now by email, blog or facebook. Otherwise, everyone is too busy. They can read this (at least I hope so) and let it go, but conversing would take time and time is something everyone is running short of both from a daily perspective AND an eternal one.
Most of us can't comprehend what we can't see. So the concept of life in heaven is something we allude to, something we say we believe but sometimes I wonder....the thing that I am learning is that we don't have to wait until we die, every day we have the opportunity, as promised by Christ to enjoy the benefits of His joy while still living here on earth, we just choose not to enjoy it. Let me just say, if you say you are enjoying it and still waking up with stress, and dread, and those other qualities I've already listed, then you are fooling yourself! That woman in the dollar store, she understands it. I would venture to guess, that the size of her faith is enormous! And when she encounters life's dilemmas, she is right in His Presence, not only asking, but receiving His answer! That's what I want!!
Each day we have the chance to be His light! We need to honor Him by the quality AND with the attitude we bring to each day, to whatever it is that we do!
Looking up!~
Barb
As usual, Barb, you are a gem!
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