Being a short person has its advantages and disadvantages...actually, scratch that. It only has disadvantages (unless we live in an apocalyptic world of rubble where the best hiding spots from the prying eyes of zombies tend to be deep crawl spaces and caves, then I could lend an ear to the advantage argument). I have had to find very creative ways of getting things from the top shelf in the kitchen, I get to ask people in stores for help reaching certain products on vertically challenging shelves, and I have had to find a woman who is short herself and gets to hear me whine when she wants to wear heels (sorry!).
Beyond that, I have always seen guys around me as luckier, and stronger, than me, with longer torsos and more chance for more muscle weight. I know that sounds trivial, but when your rib cage meets your hips a mere inch or two apart, all hopes for a six-pack of abs go out the window. And I've learned to be decently ok with my looks (notwithstanding the occasional woe is I moment), but I've always wished I had other guys' height and strength.
"If only I had that dude's strength, I would be so much better at hockey." Or, "if only I had that guy's arms, I could drive the golf ball further." And finally, my favorite, "I hate being this weak and short because that store's clothes are too long and I can't fill them out!" All of my complaints are centered around physical prowess and looks. Never once have I thought to myself, "if only I had that guy's self control, I wouldn't have as much a problem with lust," or "if only I had that guy's compassion, I would care more for another human's plight." But we have better than another man's strength living in us.
All of that to say this. As a follower and a child of God, I literally have the strength of the Holy Spirit inside me. Christ had strength aplenty, and he was a man like me, but the difference is that he also was God! I have that Spirit living in me, the Spirit of power over temptation and sin, a strength and an ability now to say no to the things of this world that for so long had a hold on me. I don't have to live in filth and depravity, a slave to my weakness in sin. Although that part of me will continue to battle with the new creation I am in Christ through the Spirit, something has changed.
It is when we are able to lean on Christ in that moment of temptation and despair when we are barely able to get out the words "I can't do it alone" that He is brought glory. When we look back at the moments we were at wit's end and had nothing to hold onto on the edge of the cliff of sin that His hand reached out and pulled us the rest of the way, then we'll know that He is glorified and we can hopefully point others back to the perfect strength of the Living God in us.
"'My grace is all you need. My power works best in
weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the
power of Christ can work through me." 2 Corinthians 2:19
Showing posts with label streams of consciousness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label streams of consciousness. Show all posts
Submarine
Last night, as I was driving home from Bible study late, I was playing a David Crowder CD. Everyone who knows me knows I love Crowder, so this doesn't come as a surprise. I was driving with the music cranked, letting the new music and lyrics flood over me. It was dark outside, and even though I was on a highway with cars all around me, I felt insulated, almost like I was in a submarine deep under the surface of the waves. Down there I was looking at these fish with weird lights on their heads, seeing crags and mountains that had never seen the light of day. I trekked on and heard the voice of the Lord begin to speak.
I wasn't quite sure what he was saying at first, but as I drove on, I began hearing the lyrics more clearly. I began to give them over as a sacrifice and offering to Him, to our God. I was singing at the top of my lungs, bawling, calling for Him to speak to me. Prayer has become so much more real and powerful to me in recent weeks. I'm trying to seek out God's will for my life in all things, and as my view of Him becomes more clear and my epiphany hits home, I no longer see Him as my eternal "Boss", as a manager who is just there to make sure I'm productive and on track, or will only point out my faults if they somehow affect His kingdom.
I'm seeing our God as my Father for the first time in a long time. He is the one who eternally and completely cares. I am going to Him with issues and trials and wants and desires and laying them at His feet, and He is talking back. It's a two-way conversation. I'm growing in my knowledge and intimacy of the Creator of the Universe, my Savior and Father, at such a perfect crossroads in life.
It excites me. It goes back to that urgency I spoke of earlier this week. I feel the need to make Him known in this world so overwhelmingly that things I held on to before are mere dust in my hands now. I'm beginning to be transformed by the Spirit, a renewal of my mind. Just like our church is going through the season of Epiphany, so too am I having my own Epiphany in my walk with Christ.
So, basically, as I drove home, isolated from the world for a small period in my car, but embraced by the Creator, I looked up and saw the bright and shining moon overhead and the few stars we can see in the city. I prayed to God, "Lord, make yourself known in this fallen world by what you can do through me. I'm fallen, Lord, but use me to your glory. Come with a might and power this world has never seen and wake us up! Steal back what is yours by softening hearts that will turn and see your cross as beautiful and as the only thing worth living for. I Love You. Amen."
I wasn't quite sure what he was saying at first, but as I drove on, I began hearing the lyrics more clearly. I began to give them over as a sacrifice and offering to Him, to our God. I was singing at the top of my lungs, bawling, calling for Him to speak to me. Prayer has become so much more real and powerful to me in recent weeks. I'm trying to seek out God's will for my life in all things, and as my view of Him becomes more clear and my epiphany hits home, I no longer see Him as my eternal "Boss", as a manager who is just there to make sure I'm productive and on track, or will only point out my faults if they somehow affect His kingdom.
I'm seeing our God as my Father for the first time in a long time. He is the one who eternally and completely cares. I am going to Him with issues and trials and wants and desires and laying them at His feet, and He is talking back. It's a two-way conversation. I'm growing in my knowledge and intimacy of the Creator of the Universe, my Savior and Father, at such a perfect crossroads in life.
It excites me. It goes back to that urgency I spoke of earlier this week. I feel the need to make Him known in this world so overwhelmingly that things I held on to before are mere dust in my hands now. I'm beginning to be transformed by the Spirit, a renewal of my mind. Just like our church is going through the season of Epiphany, so too am I having my own Epiphany in my walk with Christ.
So, basically, as I drove home, isolated from the world for a small period in my car, but embraced by the Creator, I looked up and saw the bright and shining moon overhead and the few stars we can see in the city. I prayed to God, "Lord, make yourself known in this fallen world by what you can do through me. I'm fallen, Lord, but use me to your glory. Come with a might and power this world has never seen and wake us up! Steal back what is yours by softening hearts that will turn and see your cross as beautiful and as the only thing worth living for. I Love You. Amen."
Passion and Light...
...these two words have been coming up a lot recently, ever since I returned from Passion. Since then I feel changed, like I'm warmer, like I can't spiritually sit still. I explained it in our small groups and on the trip back like this:
Every time we had a big, family trip to Mississippi or the beach, the night and day before were reserved for packing and preparing. Every one of us had our own responsibilities to make sure the trip went smoothly and nothing got left behind. Each of us had our specific needs and problems to face and we had to pack our own belongings, because no one else knew what was important to us or what would hurt us if left behind. But as a family, as a body, we also had to remember certain other things that would affect the car's trip as a whole (games, snacks, trash bags, our little brother, etc.)
There was an urgency, which is what I remembered most. I was always so excited, looking forward to the end goal of getting to the beach, but first of getting into the car the next day. I didn't ever look at my suitcase and say "why do I need to pack you?! I just want to leave." I never once thought it would be a good idea to just up and leave without first planning out what was important to the journey.
Then, at Passion, God grabbed me, broke me, and began rebuilding me by saying, "why then do you feel the need to ignore my preparation for your heart, all the while longing for the fulfillment of my will? Shouldn't you feel just as excited about what I'm doing in your life right now, packing you up, so that when you finally get into my will, the car, the journey will be prepared and ready for you to walk into?" I was convicted. There is an urgency in my life now, and I feel it growing contagiously.
The Lord, through his light of salvation and mercy and grace, showed me my faults. I was broken and cracked and he renewed my spirit and passions. He made my desires his desires and told me "you were my enemy and I cleaned you. You were my enemy and I clothed you. You were my enemy and I loved you, and now I call you 'friend' and you are my son...LIVE LIKE IT!" Through his Light I could finally see my Passion revealed in his will. Not that is wasn't there before, it always was. It just took a week of walking up Downtown Mountain through Hurricane Blizzard Gustaf and standing in lines with 45,000 other students in Atlanta, praising and glorifying the Lord, for me to finally see it.
Thank the lord for his grace and mercy, "that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!" "We are God's masterpiece, created anew in Christ Jesus so that we can do the good things He had planned for us long ago." Amen.
Every time we had a big, family trip to Mississippi or the beach, the night and day before were reserved for packing and preparing. Every one of us had our own responsibilities to make sure the trip went smoothly and nothing got left behind. Each of us had our specific needs and problems to face and we had to pack our own belongings, because no one else knew what was important to us or what would hurt us if left behind. But as a family, as a body, we also had to remember certain other things that would affect the car's trip as a whole (games, snacks, trash bags, our little brother, etc.)
There was an urgency, which is what I remembered most. I was always so excited, looking forward to the end goal of getting to the beach, but first of getting into the car the next day. I didn't ever look at my suitcase and say "why do I need to pack you?! I just want to leave." I never once thought it would be a good idea to just up and leave without first planning out what was important to the journey.
Then, at Passion, God grabbed me, broke me, and began rebuilding me by saying, "why then do you feel the need to ignore my preparation for your heart, all the while longing for the fulfillment of my will? Shouldn't you feel just as excited about what I'm doing in your life right now, packing you up, so that when you finally get into my will, the car, the journey will be prepared and ready for you to walk into?" I was convicted. There is an urgency in my life now, and I feel it growing contagiously.
The Lord, through his light of salvation and mercy and grace, showed me my faults. I was broken and cracked and he renewed my spirit and passions. He made my desires his desires and told me "you were my enemy and I cleaned you. You were my enemy and I clothed you. You were my enemy and I loved you, and now I call you 'friend' and you are my son...LIVE LIKE IT!" Through his Light I could finally see my Passion revealed in his will. Not that is wasn't there before, it always was. It just took a week of walking up Downtown Mountain through Hurricane Blizzard Gustaf and standing in lines with 45,000 other students in Atlanta, praising and glorifying the Lord, for me to finally see it.
Thank the lord for his grace and mercy, "that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!" "We are God's masterpiece, created anew in Christ Jesus so that we can do the good things He had planned for us long ago." Amen.
Living Drums
I love rain. There, I said it. I love the smell of it. I love the sound of it. I don't really love the taste of it, but I could probably learn to love that too. I love the feeling of it hitting my hair and face and arms and shoulders and neck, the soft tapping and dripping, almost like the sky is using my body as a living drum. I think of the times when I was a kid and my dad and I would go out on our front deck, eat an orange, and play in the rain. I would run through the puddles like I could walk or glide across the water, until I landed ankle-deep in what was probably Salmonella-ridden water. But I didn't care. The splash alone was a pay-off greater than getting a deadly infection.
The splash would come up and hit my legs and shins like a snare drum. Pop pop pop. Like a machine gun round, all the drops hit in rapid succession and my previously dry legs became streaked with mud and dirt and rain water. It was magic.
The water from below, though, was nowhere as awe-inspiring as the rain falling from the sky. As a kid I didn't care that the clouds I loved to watch on a sunny day were at this time emptying themselves on the Earth because the gaseous form they were in was too much to hold and therefore needed to be converted to water and fall on me. I had no clue. All I knew was what I saw, and what I saw was water from above coming down so I could play in it. It didn't matter how much rain was falling, heavy or light I played and laughed with all my might, because that was all I knew.
The rain praises the Lord as it falls from the sky. Each strike or fall or drip or tap on a person, on us living drums, is a sound of the natural worship the Creation offers back to the Creator. The splashes of children playing in rain puddles is pleasing to the Lord. It is His Creation calling back to Him in thanks and praise for showing His might and love and playfulness. Imagine Christ as a child, running through the streets of Bethlehem or Jerusalem after a rain storm, playing with the other children, dancing in rain puddles, playing with His own creation! That is amazing!! Our Creator played with His Creation, and it praised Him for it. At least I like to think so.
The splash would come up and hit my legs and shins like a snare drum. Pop pop pop. Like a machine gun round, all the drops hit in rapid succession and my previously dry legs became streaked with mud and dirt and rain water. It was magic.
The water from below, though, was nowhere as awe-inspiring as the rain falling from the sky. As a kid I didn't care that the clouds I loved to watch on a sunny day were at this time emptying themselves on the Earth because the gaseous form they were in was too much to hold and therefore needed to be converted to water and fall on me. I had no clue. All I knew was what I saw, and what I saw was water from above coming down so I could play in it. It didn't matter how much rain was falling, heavy or light I played and laughed with all my might, because that was all I knew.
The rain praises the Lord as it falls from the sky. Each strike or fall or drip or tap on a person, on us living drums, is a sound of the natural worship the Creation offers back to the Creator. The splashes of children playing in rain puddles is pleasing to the Lord. It is His Creation calling back to Him in thanks and praise for showing His might and love and playfulness. Imagine Christ as a child, running through the streets of Bethlehem or Jerusalem after a rain storm, playing with the other children, dancing in rain puddles, playing with His own creation! That is amazing!! Our Creator played with His Creation, and it praised Him for it. At least I like to think so.
Playful Wind
It's on days like this that I begin to get a grasp and feel of the majesty of my Lord around me. The blue sky above me shines bright, deep, and thoughtful with a mind of its own. The wispy white clouds that streak the sky flow along with the gusts of wind that blow past my face, playing with me like an excited child and saying "Watch what I can do! Look, look!" I can't help but laugh. The warmth of the sun is so obvious as I walk from the shade to the sunlight streaming through the atmosphere. It heats up the skin that was previously so cold and dark and lightens it up, giving life and light.
All of these things I see around me in creation, each seemingly with it's own personality, flows from the breath and hands of the Creator. They are in place in perfect harmony by a Heavenly Composer, and the beautiful thing is: they know it!
They know they are here on Earth because of a Creator. They don't say to themselves, "I'm an amazing sky, look at my color," or "I am warming up this world with my light, and I'm proud of it." No! They simply say, "Look! Look at who made me! Isn't he amazing!" They know their proper place. They understand that they are here for His glory, reflecting His majesty, and pointing back to His grace. Wow! I hope I can learn from the blue sky and white clouds and playful wind and warm sun to praise my Creator that well. I want to glorify Him, because without Him, I am nothing.
D
All of these things I see around me in creation, each seemingly with it's own personality, flows from the breath and hands of the Creator. They are in place in perfect harmony by a Heavenly Composer, and the beautiful thing is: they know it!
They know they are here on Earth because of a Creator. They don't say to themselves, "I'm an amazing sky, look at my color," or "I am warming up this world with my light, and I'm proud of it." No! They simply say, "Look! Look at who made me! Isn't he amazing!" They know their proper place. They understand that they are here for His glory, reflecting His majesty, and pointing back to His grace. Wow! I hope I can learn from the blue sky and white clouds and playful wind and warm sun to praise my Creator that well. I want to glorify Him, because without Him, I am nothing.
D
Flesh-Heart
Recently, I've been wrestling with what true, biblical worship is. What does it look like? What does it entail? What are we supposed to do or say or sing or play? How important is it? So many questions, so there's an equal need for answers. It's a subject that I feel responsible to have at least a decent grasp on, seeing as I am a worship leader. How can I be a proficient leader in worship if I don't understand what it is I'm leading people in? So, here's what I've come up with so far, with help from worship leaders before me.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." -Romans 12:1
We were created for God's glory out of his unconditional, never-ending love. He didn't need us, but He desired us. He is perfect, holy, and complete without imperfect humans, but because of His love, he desired to show love to another. If we can grasp that off the bat, that's at least half of worship as I see it: we need God infinitely more than He needs us.
This may sound somewhat pessimistic and degrading to humanity, but in reality it is a beautiful thing. We are loved by the Creator of the universe, by the Alpha and Omega, by the Heavenly Father. It's not a love out of requirement, or a love expecting anything in return. It's a love beyond our grasp and comprehension because there is no perfect love that has ever existed here on Earth beyond that of Christ dying in our place. But it stands as a model, an example, which we are called to follow.
As we begin to see God's perfect love more clearly, we equally grow in our grasp on grace. We are depraved, evil-to-the-core, ugly beings who deserve every form of punishment and death available because of the rebellion we have headed against God, "for the wages of sin is death." God cannot stand the sight of sin, and we are stained with it. If it were of our own accord and strength to be made right in God's eyes, we would all fall flat on our faces "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." But there is beauty in our depravity.
Out of that perfect, unconditional love that God is made of, He sent His son for us, His only son, His perfect son, to cover us in grace. He died in our place. He took the punishment for sin, the wrath of God, the separation that we deserved to the grave. And after three days, he rose in victory, forever conquering death and sin. He is our atonement. He is our living sacrifice. His blood covers our sins and allows us to be accepted into God's family. And when we call on Him and give ourselves over to His calling for our lives, we begin our journey of worship. That salvation, the beginning of sanctification, is also our first act of worship.
We stand in victory with Christ over death, and it's not of our own accord or strength, it is through Christ's sacrifice this happens. When we point back to Him, we are worshiping. We are dying to our old selves and taking the new, flesh-heart Christ bought for us, and through that we are glorifying him. When we understand the first half of worship ("we need God infinitely more than He needs us"), the second part falls into place: because of the love-laced grace through which Christ saved us, the least we can do is give ourselves over fully and with nothing held back to God so that the world can see His glorious work in action.
That brings us full circle: ...in view of God’s mercy...offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. We do this for His glory, not our own. We praise and sing and read and pray and dance and breathe and cry and scream and laugh and live for His glory. The more we point back to Him through the gifts He has given us, the better we are fulfilling our purpose here on Earth: to love Him because He loved us, to pursue Him because He pursued us, to woo Him because he wooed us, to surrender ourselves to Him because His son surrendered himself, and to glorify Him because we were made in the image of His glorious self. That is worship in a nutshell. Hope that helps. :-)
D
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." -Romans 12:1
We were created for God's glory out of his unconditional, never-ending love. He didn't need us, but He desired us. He is perfect, holy, and complete without imperfect humans, but because of His love, he desired to show love to another. If we can grasp that off the bat, that's at least half of worship as I see it: we need God infinitely more than He needs us.
This may sound somewhat pessimistic and degrading to humanity, but in reality it is a beautiful thing. We are loved by the Creator of the universe, by the Alpha and Omega, by the Heavenly Father. It's not a love out of requirement, or a love expecting anything in return. It's a love beyond our grasp and comprehension because there is no perfect love that has ever existed here on Earth beyond that of Christ dying in our place. But it stands as a model, an example, which we are called to follow.
As we begin to see God's perfect love more clearly, we equally grow in our grasp on grace. We are depraved, evil-to-the-core, ugly beings who deserve every form of punishment and death available because of the rebellion we have headed against God, "for the wages of sin is death." God cannot stand the sight of sin, and we are stained with it. If it were of our own accord and strength to be made right in God's eyes, we would all fall flat on our faces "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." But there is beauty in our depravity.
Out of that perfect, unconditional love that God is made of, He sent His son for us, His only son, His perfect son, to cover us in grace. He died in our place. He took the punishment for sin, the wrath of God, the separation that we deserved to the grave. And after three days, he rose in victory, forever conquering death and sin. He is our atonement. He is our living sacrifice. His blood covers our sins and allows us to be accepted into God's family. And when we call on Him and give ourselves over to His calling for our lives, we begin our journey of worship. That salvation, the beginning of sanctification, is also our first act of worship.
We stand in victory with Christ over death, and it's not of our own accord or strength, it is through Christ's sacrifice this happens. When we point back to Him, we are worshiping. We are dying to our old selves and taking the new, flesh-heart Christ bought for us, and through that we are glorifying him. When we understand the first half of worship ("we need God infinitely more than He needs us"), the second part falls into place: because of the love-laced grace through which Christ saved us, the least we can do is give ourselves over fully and with nothing held back to God so that the world can see His glorious work in action.
That brings us full circle: ...in view of God’s mercy...offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. We do this for His glory, not our own. We praise and sing and read and pray and dance and breathe and cry and scream and laugh and live for His glory. The more we point back to Him through the gifts He has given us, the better we are fulfilling our purpose here on Earth: to love Him because He loved us, to pursue Him because He pursued us, to woo Him because he wooed us, to surrender ourselves to Him because His son surrendered himself, and to glorify Him because we were made in the image of His glorious self. That is worship in a nutshell. Hope that helps. :-)
D
Songs With Edges
I like songs with edges...
I like the song that starts as a whisper up in the brooks of a mountain, bubbling and swirling slowly into a melody and the foundation of what flows into a stream. It flows over rocks, like snare hits in a sporadic spread. Then, as it begins reaching the base of the mountain and into the fullness of a green, lush valley, it's become a river. It's wide, deep, and keeps you guessing what's happening under the surface. And near it's climax, the song becomes a waterfall, thunderous, massive, and inescapable. It launches you over the edge into a free fall of emotions. And once you hit rock bottom, wet and worn, you look back up at the mountain-top from whence you started, thinking through all the emotions and twists and turns the music put you through, and say to yourself, "What a beautiful thing I just experienced."
I like the song that starts as a whisper up in the brooks of a mountain, bubbling and swirling slowly into a melody and the foundation of what flows into a stream. It flows over rocks, like snare hits in a sporadic spread. Then, as it begins reaching the base of the mountain and into the fullness of a green, lush valley, it's become a river. It's wide, deep, and keeps you guessing what's happening under the surface. And near it's climax, the song becomes a waterfall, thunderous, massive, and inescapable. It launches you over the edge into a free fall of emotions. And once you hit rock bottom, wet and worn, you look back up at the mountain-top from whence you started, thinking through all the emotions and twists and turns the music put you through, and say to yourself, "What a beautiful thing I just experienced."
Blue Jays Dancing
It's been about two weeks now since I moved out and am facing this brave, new world on my own. Two weeks of multiple Wal-Mart stops for random household objects I took for granted all these years; two weeks of sitting in front of my TV with no remote, wracking my brain as to what comes next; two weeks of forcing myself to do the few dishes I have that are dirty, and finally realizing, "that's what paper plates are there for!" It's a transition. It's a time of change in every aspect of my life.
My relationships are changing, the way I see finances is changing, my attitude towards hard work is changing, but there is one area of change I have so longed for that is now staring me in the face and challenging me to take the next step: my spiritual life and daily sacrifice towards Christ and His church's mission.
Growing up in the youth group of a good 'ole Southern Baptist Church, the hardest decisions were, "should I go to the lock-in or not?" and "should I lift up my hands during this song?" Not saying that my time in youth wasn't positive or in no way helpful toward my walk. I'm just saying that, although there were invitations at youth camps and during retreats, the challenges were so futile and yet seemed so weighty then.
Now, however, the stakes are higher. There is an edginess about my walk and my daily life on this Earth. It's like every step I take could tip the balance of some spiritual battle I am unable to see...and knowing how I step, those battles probably wouldn't turn out too good. And terrifyingly, this isn't too far off base.
Everyday, as I've said before, is a battle. Satan is pushing and pulling and prodding us to trip up, to do something that makes us as "God-fearing people" look like failures in the world's eyes.
Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Whenever I am in this world and can emanate Christ's love, HE is winning battles. Whenever I am so in love with Him and am pointing back to HIS glory and grace, HE is winning battles. We may be foot soldiers and tools to be used by God in the grand scheme of things, but it's not our strength or our will that is being done on the battlefield...it's His.
And that is the thing that has changed the most for me. When I sit on the balcony and watch the blue jays dance or hear a sparrow sing or feel the warmth of the mid-afternoon sun, I say a prayer and it goes something like this:
"Lord, you created this all for yourself. It was for the glory of Christ that creation came to be. We are here to give back what love we can, which appears to be a mere sliver of the love you have for us. You know my thoughts, you know my emotions, and you know my passions, but help me realize they were put there by you so that I can give them back in surrendering service of your will. Wherever I am, in whatever state of mind, help me to meditate on your Spirit within me. I give myself to your will alone and not my own. I am your light and salt here in Las Colinas, from the people living around me to the patients I take care of, make me your ambassador of grace, to show others what I have discovered in You!"
Say WHAT?!?!?!
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
I was talking to a friend today who is struggling with her faith. She knows she needs that relationship God craves to share with us, but she says she just can't get to the point that she can surrender it all to Him. As we texted back and forth and I planned out each text with the perfect syntax and verbage, I began noticing that God was revealing Himself to me at the same time I was showing her what I already inherently knew.
It was a realization of things that I have been learning in the past weeks and month, something that is so totally and utterly crucial to our faith, and yet so easily overlooked or misunderstood. I told her that our walk is like an intimate relationship we share (nothing new there), and that if we want to grow closer to our Savior we have to invest time and effort into the relationship (also very unoriginal). But the next statement that flowed from my fingers shocked even me...
When we die to sin, when we admit our fault and our guilt and the fact that our depravity goes so deep to our core that we cannot escape it of our own accord, we are giving up a life we never owned, and gaining a life that is a gift. Our new lives, our new purity is nothing that we accomplished. It's not some new white robe we picked up at the "Simply Heavenly Robes" store. We can't buy these new lives; we can't earn these new lives: they are owned by our Savior because He bought them with His blood!!!!
This in and of itself is no new concept, yet in my mind it flooded every synapse and made me step back and just say, "WHAT?!?!?" This is what I'm living: a life purchased and owned by Christ because he paid in full (TETELESTA) for my sins and my life.
This changes everything! We have a free, non-sinbound life that has been given to us to live and to use to glorify Him who bought it for us. So what are we doing to show our gratitude for grace? What are we doing to point back to our Dad and say, "This isn't me that you are seeing...it's Him!"
Just a thought...or maybe a challenge?
I was talking to a friend today who is struggling with her faith. She knows she needs that relationship God craves to share with us, but she says she just can't get to the point that she can surrender it all to Him. As we texted back and forth and I planned out each text with the perfect syntax and verbage, I began noticing that God was revealing Himself to me at the same time I was showing her what I already inherently knew.
It was a realization of things that I have been learning in the past weeks and month, something that is so totally and utterly crucial to our faith, and yet so easily overlooked or misunderstood. I told her that our walk is like an intimate relationship we share (nothing new there), and that if we want to grow closer to our Savior we have to invest time and effort into the relationship (also very unoriginal). But the next statement that flowed from my fingers shocked even me...
When we die to sin, when we admit our fault and our guilt and the fact that our depravity goes so deep to our core that we cannot escape it of our own accord, we are giving up a life we never owned, and gaining a life that is a gift. Our new lives, our new purity is nothing that we accomplished. It's not some new white robe we picked up at the "Simply Heavenly Robes" store. We can't buy these new lives; we can't earn these new lives: they are owned by our Savior because He bought them with His blood!!!!
This in and of itself is no new concept, yet in my mind it flooded every synapse and made me step back and just say, "WHAT?!?!?" This is what I'm living: a life purchased and owned by Christ because he paid in full (TETELESTA) for my sins and my life.
This changes everything! We have a free, non-sinbound life that has been given to us to live and to use to glorify Him who bought it for us. So what are we doing to show our gratitude for grace? What are we doing to point back to our Dad and say, "This isn't me that you are seeing...it's Him!"
Just a thought...or maybe a challenge?
Oh, the Gravity!
We don't realize the importance of what we are living. Our daily lives, all of our choices, every interaction we maintain with another human being holds much weight in the grand scheme of things. And yet we go about our days never really seeing that we are warriors. Yes! Warriors! Fighters in an eternal, unseen battle that is waging around us every day. A battle which is bigger than every one of us, and yet every one of us plays a big part. It has raged among us since before each of our lives, even before all of humanity was ever given breath. A battle between good and evil.
This isn't a metaphorical struggle spoken and written of in great works of fiction, although those metaphors hold a bit of truth in them and allow us to comprehend what we usually cannot see. No, this is a literal struggle. A battle as real as our own flesh and blood. Fights are being won and lost by both sides avery second around the world. And whether we choose to believe it or not, the warriors are among us at all times...US!
Every choice we make, every word we speak tips the balance in one way or another. If one man goes behind the back of another and speaks ill of him, evil wins out. If a man sees a woman and looks upon her with lust, a battle has been won by evil. And although no physical death occurs, those men's hearts have died a bit, and they are one step closer to becoming the hardened, weathered warriors the side of evil longs to possess. It is so much easier to allow those demons around us to infiltrate our minds and souls, and yet we hardly notice it until it's too late.
It seems almost as if there is no hope for the "good" side. If all sins win another battle for evil, how will good ever win out? It turns out that even though the supreme commander of the dark forces holds tremendous sway over the hearts and bodies of man, there is a power much greater in play: Love. "Love conquers all," it has been said, and what a true statement that is. The comfort a woman can give to her hurting child, the compassion a man can show to a stranger in need, the selfless love a martyr exhibits when dying for a movement much bigger than himself are just a few examples of a selfless love that conquers all evil. If lust and hatred and anger can tip the scales towards evil, selfless love tips it tenfold in the other direction.
But although love wins battles, it stems from a much deeper, far more important source than just doing good among the world. A man, the King of Kings and Righteous Warrior, won out against death and defeated sin forever by giving his perfect life to save us all. It was a battle to rival all battles, and it tipped the scales of war forever. So, everyday we move closer to the end, to that final battle when evil is contained forever, we should fight! We must fight!!!
We are his soldiers. Warriors for Christ our ruler that fight not with physical weapons, but with love and salvation in Him who saved us. Everyday is a battle. Satan and his minions are battling to win us over to their side, to trip us up and prove that love and grace have no sway. So let's prove them and the world wrong! Take up your crosses, bear your spiritual armor, and run head-on into battle as warriors wielding Christ's love. The battle against sin has already been won, and Christ is right there with us, by our side and watching our backs. If we have Him with us, how can we lose!
Nobiscum Deus!
This isn't a metaphorical struggle spoken and written of in great works of fiction, although those metaphors hold a bit of truth in them and allow us to comprehend what we usually cannot see. No, this is a literal struggle. A battle as real as our own flesh and blood. Fights are being won and lost by both sides avery second around the world. And whether we choose to believe it or not, the warriors are among us at all times...US!
Every choice we make, every word we speak tips the balance in one way or another. If one man goes behind the back of another and speaks ill of him, evil wins out. If a man sees a woman and looks upon her with lust, a battle has been won by evil. And although no physical death occurs, those men's hearts have died a bit, and they are one step closer to becoming the hardened, weathered warriors the side of evil longs to possess. It is so much easier to allow those demons around us to infiltrate our minds and souls, and yet we hardly notice it until it's too late.
It seems almost as if there is no hope for the "good" side. If all sins win another battle for evil, how will good ever win out? It turns out that even though the supreme commander of the dark forces holds tremendous sway over the hearts and bodies of man, there is a power much greater in play: Love. "Love conquers all," it has been said, and what a true statement that is. The comfort a woman can give to her hurting child, the compassion a man can show to a stranger in need, the selfless love a martyr exhibits when dying for a movement much bigger than himself are just a few examples of a selfless love that conquers all evil. If lust and hatred and anger can tip the scales towards evil, selfless love tips it tenfold in the other direction.
But although love wins battles, it stems from a much deeper, far more important source than just doing good among the world. A man, the King of Kings and Righteous Warrior, won out against death and defeated sin forever by giving his perfect life to save us all. It was a battle to rival all battles, and it tipped the scales of war forever. So, everyday we move closer to the end, to that final battle when evil is contained forever, we should fight! We must fight!!!
We are his soldiers. Warriors for Christ our ruler that fight not with physical weapons, but with love and salvation in Him who saved us. Everyday is a battle. Satan and his minions are battling to win us over to their side, to trip us up and prove that love and grace have no sway. So let's prove them and the world wrong! Take up your crosses, bear your spiritual armor, and run head-on into battle as warriors wielding Christ's love. The battle against sin has already been won, and Christ is right there with us, by our side and watching our backs. If we have Him with us, how can we lose!
Nobiscum Deus!
2 Corinthians 5:15-21
15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
I can see myself looking through one of those overlooking binoculars. You know, the ones you pay like fifty cents to look through, just so you can magnify and see something so far away in a clearer view? I’m standing on a ledge, looking out over a crystal blue lake, trying to see a lone island, green as an emerald, standing in the middle of the vast body of water. As I put my coins in to look I focus the binoculars to the point I believe will allow me the greatest view of the island. I put my eyes to the holes and peak through, adjusting the lenses until I get it to what I feel is the perfect view.
As I’m bending over admiring this island from afar, a man approaches me and chuckles. I look up and see him staring off at the tiny spot of land I was ogling with a slight grin on his face.
“You can see it better up close,” he says.
“I know, but I have no way of getting there.” I reply, a slight tinge of annoyance in my voice as I can feel the seconds slipping away on my paid binocular time. “I can see it fine over here.”
“Yeah, sure.” He says sarcastically, chuckling again. “I know a better way.”
“You do?” I ask excitedly.
“Yes, I do! Just follow me…”
This story reminds me of how we are so enamored and focused on our views and ideas of the world that we decide to watch God’s plans from afar. We stand on the ledge called Commitment and stare off at the little piece of God’s will He has allowed us to see and say, “Wow, God! You really are amazing. I love your plans, but I can see them just as well right here.” We choose to stand on the sidelines instead of getting into the nitty-gritty of spiritual warfare.
Paul called us Christ’s ambassadors (in some versions it says “friends”), and ambassadors are people that go out into the world on behalf of someone. They don’t sit idly and watch it all unfold; they are part of the action. As Christ saves each one of us, He ferries us past the waters of sin and doubt and into a world where believing is seeing and death is merely a doorway into new life, at least that’s the way He wanted it to be.
But sometimes our vision becomes cloudy again. We can’t always see the nest step on God’s path for us, but we can at least see the path and its boundaries. But when we become complacent we lose sight of the path itself. And even more dangerous is shifting our gaze from Christ to the screw-ups other people commit. We were called out of that when we were born again. We no longer have to see other people through our eyes (the binoculars you pay for), we can see them the way Christ does, as beings created in His image, people to shower with the love Christ has so graciously poured on us.
Christ did the hard work. We just have to plant and water his fields. He is the one who is going to harvest it all. We are called to go out in love. He has the full plan; we just have to follow it. So let’s stop looking through our binoculars; let’s stop seeing a small piece of the big picture. Instead, let’s run towards Christ to get a better view of His plan. That way, when trials come around, we won’t lose sight of Him through the storm. We will be on the same boat, ready to take on anything head on together.
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
I can see myself looking through one of those overlooking binoculars. You know, the ones you pay like fifty cents to look through, just so you can magnify and see something so far away in a clearer view? I’m standing on a ledge, looking out over a crystal blue lake, trying to see a lone island, green as an emerald, standing in the middle of the vast body of water. As I put my coins in to look I focus the binoculars to the point I believe will allow me the greatest view of the island. I put my eyes to the holes and peak through, adjusting the lenses until I get it to what I feel is the perfect view.
As I’m bending over admiring this island from afar, a man approaches me and chuckles. I look up and see him staring off at the tiny spot of land I was ogling with a slight grin on his face.
“You can see it better up close,” he says.
“I know, but I have no way of getting there.” I reply, a slight tinge of annoyance in my voice as I can feel the seconds slipping away on my paid binocular time. “I can see it fine over here.”
“Yeah, sure.” He says sarcastically, chuckling again. “I know a better way.”
“You do?” I ask excitedly.
“Yes, I do! Just follow me…”
This story reminds me of how we are so enamored and focused on our views and ideas of the world that we decide to watch God’s plans from afar. We stand on the ledge called Commitment and stare off at the little piece of God’s will He has allowed us to see and say, “Wow, God! You really are amazing. I love your plans, but I can see them just as well right here.” We choose to stand on the sidelines instead of getting into the nitty-gritty of spiritual warfare.
Paul called us Christ’s ambassadors (in some versions it says “friends”), and ambassadors are people that go out into the world on behalf of someone. They don’t sit idly and watch it all unfold; they are part of the action. As Christ saves each one of us, He ferries us past the waters of sin and doubt and into a world where believing is seeing and death is merely a doorway into new life, at least that’s the way He wanted it to be.
But sometimes our vision becomes cloudy again. We can’t always see the nest step on God’s path for us, but we can at least see the path and its boundaries. But when we become complacent we lose sight of the path itself. And even more dangerous is shifting our gaze from Christ to the screw-ups other people commit. We were called out of that when we were born again. We no longer have to see other people through our eyes (the binoculars you pay for), we can see them the way Christ does, as beings created in His image, people to shower with the love Christ has so graciously poured on us.
Christ did the hard work. We just have to plant and water his fields. He is the one who is going to harvest it all. We are called to go out in love. He has the full plan; we just have to follow it. So let’s stop looking through our binoculars; let’s stop seeing a small piece of the big picture. Instead, let’s run towards Christ to get a better view of His plan. That way, when trials come around, we won’t lose sight of Him through the storm. We will be on the same boat, ready to take on anything head on together.
Sleep
1 Samuel 3:3, It was well before dawn; the sanctuary lamp was still burning. Samuel was still in bed in the Temple of GOD, where the Chest of God rested.
As I read this chapter during my morning quiet time, a passage I had heard on occasions before, this verse hit me. I could just as easily have skimmed right over it and thought nothing of it unless I had taken the time I did to actually read it and understand it's meaning. In my Bible, it says that Samuel was asleep near the Ark. In order to truly get the full meaning out of this verse we have to remember that the Ark of the Covenant was God's throne on Earth, where His presence dwelled. It was actually the spirit of God here among us humans on Earth.
I don't know how this would sound to anyone else, but I got excited when I read this. Samuel, still a young boy, was sleeping in God's house, within God's presence. How awesome! I continually wish to be in God's will, but Samuel got to sleep in His presence. To fall asleep and be able to hear God waking you every morning must be such an amazing experience. Later in the chapter it says that Samuel grew up in the Lord and was a great prophet. I wonder how much influence Samuel's early experience with God had upon his later years, and how much the fact that Samuel lived in God's presence had to do with him being a great prophet. I guess it goes to show that the more time we spend with God (either physically or mentally) the more we live within his will.
It reminds me of our parents. As we grow up with them we begin to pick up there little nuances, their likes and dislikes, even their personalities. They have such an influence on the way we think and act that our actions sometimes directly point back to their own lives. It can be said the same way about God's influence on us. As long as we're being the stupid, rebellious children of God that comes as our default attitude, we won't pick up God's personality, likes, dislikes, or ideas. But, once we put down our foolish childish ways and pick up a more mature outlook, we begin to respect God and His hold on our lives and we pick up on His will for us. Therefore, more people can see us and say, "Oh, they are Yahweh's children...that's obvious."
So let's act like Samuel and live, eat, breath, sleep in God's presence. Let's learn about our Father who has so graciously adopted us into His eternal family. Until we begin to live in a way our Dad wants, we won't be able to point others to His gracious salvation and gain more brothers and sisters in Christ...
As I read this chapter during my morning quiet time, a passage I had heard on occasions before, this verse hit me. I could just as easily have skimmed right over it and thought nothing of it unless I had taken the time I did to actually read it and understand it's meaning. In my Bible, it says that Samuel was asleep near the Ark. In order to truly get the full meaning out of this verse we have to remember that the Ark of the Covenant was God's throne on Earth, where His presence dwelled. It was actually the spirit of God here among us humans on Earth.
I don't know how this would sound to anyone else, but I got excited when I read this. Samuel, still a young boy, was sleeping in God's house, within God's presence. How awesome! I continually wish to be in God's will, but Samuel got to sleep in His presence. To fall asleep and be able to hear God waking you every morning must be such an amazing experience. Later in the chapter it says that Samuel grew up in the Lord and was a great prophet. I wonder how much influence Samuel's early experience with God had upon his later years, and how much the fact that Samuel lived in God's presence had to do with him being a great prophet. I guess it goes to show that the more time we spend with God (either physically or mentally) the more we live within his will.
It reminds me of our parents. As we grow up with them we begin to pick up there little nuances, their likes and dislikes, even their personalities. They have such an influence on the way we think and act that our actions sometimes directly point back to their own lives. It can be said the same way about God's influence on us. As long as we're being the stupid, rebellious children of God that comes as our default attitude, we won't pick up God's personality, likes, dislikes, or ideas. But, once we put down our foolish childish ways and pick up a more mature outlook, we begin to respect God and His hold on our lives and we pick up on His will for us. Therefore, more people can see us and say, "Oh, they are Yahweh's children...that's obvious."
So let's act like Samuel and live, eat, breath, sleep in God's presence. Let's learn about our Father who has so graciously adopted us into His eternal family. Until we begin to live in a way our Dad wants, we won't be able to point others to His gracious salvation and gain more brothers and sisters in Christ...
Portrait
I sat again in the Starbucks, which was beginning to feel like my home away from home. I had come there after a day of driving across Dallas and attending hospital orientation, hoping to get a little reprieve from the drizzle outside, but mainly trying to avoid the hustle and bustle that is school traffic. When I sat down with my computer and coffee I had a plan set that I was going to start right off by watching my lecture. But as always, the little voice in the back of my mind knew I would procrastinate, so I decided not to fight it as I put my headphones in and started my music.
I searched the Web for a bit, visiting my favorite sites, not really looking for anything in particular. As I exited one of the windows, my desktop came up and I gasped...my background was hideous! I had changed it many times before, searching for that one special picture that would wow me everytime I opened my laptop. Although I hadn't found it yet, I found a new vigor and passion; I was going to find that picture.
I quickly got back on the internet, knowing exactly where I was going, a database of photographs from around the world, each beautiful in its own way. But I was looking for just one, and I would know it when I found it. I imagined a picture that would transform my desktop into a frame, or a window, looking out into a beautiful portrait of creation. I just didn't know the specifics. It could've been a moonlit night on the shores of a Mediterranean beach, with lavender waves gently crashing onto a golden shore with the majestic moon controlling the continuous ebb and flow. It could've been a winding, gravel road deep within a southern wood, the green leaves creating an earthy glow, where one could just imagine the humidity of the air sticking to one's body. Or could it have been an ancient city, ruins and more modern buildings mixed together into mosaic of lost times, red rooves and chipping plaster creating a wise, regal look?
I had no idea. All the options flooded my mind and saturated my thoughts. But, after a few minutes of searching, it was no use. I just couldn't find that portrait that stuck out so much that I would know I had to have it. And then suddenly, when I was nearly to the end of my rope, I pulled up the next page and my eyes went wide. There it was: my picture.
It was so beautiful I sat there for a moment, staring at, searching the many colors and textures that made up the landscape. It looked like the sun was just beginning to rise, barely over the horizon, not really circular, but more like a spirit shining sporadically through the clouds. It was heralding in a new day over a rolling meadow, the green and gold of grass and grains dotted the ground as far as the eye could see. Two rounded hills, almost moundish, were jutting out of the land on the horizon. The sky was dotted with white, fluffy clouds. The part of the sky that hadn't been hit by the sun's rays was a deep blue, almost purple, still looking sleepily toward the rising ball of fire. And right in the forefront, with the sun creating its silhouette, was a purple flower. Other flowers surrounded the floral stranger, but this one seemed like it was the leader, standing above the rest, straight and beautiful.
This was my dream of beauty; my dream of Heaven. There were no flaws, no blemishes, just a portrait of God's creation reflecting His glory to a fallen earth. I thought about how little we deserved God to paint us a picture like this everyday, and then I realized something. Every sunrise, every sunset; every star, every cloud; every wave, every waterfall; every flower, every tree; every animal, every human has been created by a loving, powerful, majestic, perfect God who has given us a grace so undeserved that it is unfathomable. Everything in nature points back to God and how much He is in control. As I sipped my coffee, holding back tears, I heard God whisper something in my ear...
David, he said, you are my son. And you are a portrait of perfection...
I searched the Web for a bit, visiting my favorite sites, not really looking for anything in particular. As I exited one of the windows, my desktop came up and I gasped...my background was hideous! I had changed it many times before, searching for that one special picture that would wow me everytime I opened my laptop. Although I hadn't found it yet, I found a new vigor and passion; I was going to find that picture.
I quickly got back on the internet, knowing exactly where I was going, a database of photographs from around the world, each beautiful in its own way. But I was looking for just one, and I would know it when I found it. I imagined a picture that would transform my desktop into a frame, or a window, looking out into a beautiful portrait of creation. I just didn't know the specifics. It could've been a moonlit night on the shores of a Mediterranean beach, with lavender waves gently crashing onto a golden shore with the majestic moon controlling the continuous ebb and flow. It could've been a winding, gravel road deep within a southern wood, the green leaves creating an earthy glow, where one could just imagine the humidity of the air sticking to one's body. Or could it have been an ancient city, ruins and more modern buildings mixed together into mosaic of lost times, red rooves and chipping plaster creating a wise, regal look?
I had no idea. All the options flooded my mind and saturated my thoughts. But, after a few minutes of searching, it was no use. I just couldn't find that portrait that stuck out so much that I would know I had to have it. And then suddenly, when I was nearly to the end of my rope, I pulled up the next page and my eyes went wide. There it was: my picture.
It was so beautiful I sat there for a moment, staring at, searching the many colors and textures that made up the landscape. It looked like the sun was just beginning to rise, barely over the horizon, not really circular, but more like a spirit shining sporadically through the clouds. It was heralding in a new day over a rolling meadow, the green and gold of grass and grains dotted the ground as far as the eye could see. Two rounded hills, almost moundish, were jutting out of the land on the horizon. The sky was dotted with white, fluffy clouds. The part of the sky that hadn't been hit by the sun's rays was a deep blue, almost purple, still looking sleepily toward the rising ball of fire. And right in the forefront, with the sun creating its silhouette, was a purple flower. Other flowers surrounded the floral stranger, but this one seemed like it was the leader, standing above the rest, straight and beautiful.
This was my dream of beauty; my dream of Heaven. There were no flaws, no blemishes, just a portrait of God's creation reflecting His glory to a fallen earth. I thought about how little we deserved God to paint us a picture like this everyday, and then I realized something. Every sunrise, every sunset; every star, every cloud; every wave, every waterfall; every flower, every tree; every animal, every human has been created by a loving, powerful, majestic, perfect God who has given us a grace so undeserved that it is unfathomable. Everything in nature points back to God and how much He is in control. As I sipped my coffee, holding back tears, I heard God whisper something in my ear...
David, he said, you are my son. And you are a portrait of perfection...
God, Our Personal Trainer
I did something today I had been meaning to do for a while...I went to the gym. For the past week I had been so busy with school, work, and school (yes, I meant to mention it twice), that I had no time to myself to do the things I so love doing. Working out happens to be one of those things. I love feeling my muscles tighten up as I think about the future of my washboard abs (oh wait, that was my dream). I love running on the machines and feeling all my problems and Twinkies sweat away. But most of all, I love the feeling of getting to the gym, because getting there is the hardest part. Walking into the building is a chore all its own.
Your brain is telling you to run, and I don't mean on a treadmill. It says "turn around now or else you'll regret it." And yes, sometimes you do. Your body feels fatigued and broken after a workout, but that's a good thing. It allows your body to build itself back up. I'm not sure if you know this, but when you do a physical activity, your muscles are using and "eating up" all the extra food and energy reserves you have. If you work out hard enough you begin to burn off so much that it outweighs how much you put into your body, and therein lies the beauty of weight loss.
Well, as your muscles literally break themselves down, there is more room to build them back up to a level greater than before. You take in protein, which adds strength to previously weak areas of your body. As time progresses, you usually see an outward difference in appearance and performance.
I gave you this long health lesson to portray an idea. Sometimes, in life, we go through rough spots. A lot of times these rough spots look like they are impossible to bypass or even trudge through. We see the impossibility of our circumstances, and like so many infants do, we plop onto our bums and start crying. We complain that this or that isn't fair, or this or that is too hard. We decide to stay put instead of going to the gym. The less we face our problems, just like the less we go to the gym, the less fit we get emotionally and spiritually.
God, being the loving Father he is, puts us through times in order to strengthen us, to build our spiritual muscles. Our circumstances break us down to the point that we have to go to him and say, "well, um, I kind of can't do this alone...can you help?" And again, as the loving Father, God comes in and shows us (trains us) in the ways to spiritual strength. As that happens people will see an outward change in us, not like bigger biceps and tighter glutes (although I welcome both). We will produce good fruit, a healthy relationship with Christ, and a love for others that overwhelms those who aren't saved.
It takes time, there is no doubt. And there are days when we just want to stay where we are and indulge in the delicious and fun ways of this world. But as God strengthens us spiritually, it gets a little easier. We will never be perfect (we all miss our days at the gym), but with God as our trainer, we can become great spiritual athletes and run the race well...all the way to the finish.
Your brain is telling you to run, and I don't mean on a treadmill. It says "turn around now or else you'll regret it." And yes, sometimes you do. Your body feels fatigued and broken after a workout, but that's a good thing. It allows your body to build itself back up. I'm not sure if you know this, but when you do a physical activity, your muscles are using and "eating up" all the extra food and energy reserves you have. If you work out hard enough you begin to burn off so much that it outweighs how much you put into your body, and therein lies the beauty of weight loss.
Well, as your muscles literally break themselves down, there is more room to build them back up to a level greater than before. You take in protein, which adds strength to previously weak areas of your body. As time progresses, you usually see an outward difference in appearance and performance.
I gave you this long health lesson to portray an idea. Sometimes, in life, we go through rough spots. A lot of times these rough spots look like they are impossible to bypass or even trudge through. We see the impossibility of our circumstances, and like so many infants do, we plop onto our bums and start crying. We complain that this or that isn't fair, or this or that is too hard. We decide to stay put instead of going to the gym. The less we face our problems, just like the less we go to the gym, the less fit we get emotionally and spiritually.
God, being the loving Father he is, puts us through times in order to strengthen us, to build our spiritual muscles. Our circumstances break us down to the point that we have to go to him and say, "well, um, I kind of can't do this alone...can you help?" And again, as the loving Father, God comes in and shows us (trains us) in the ways to spiritual strength. As that happens people will see an outward change in us, not like bigger biceps and tighter glutes (although I welcome both). We will produce good fruit, a healthy relationship with Christ, and a love for others that overwhelms those who aren't saved.
It takes time, there is no doubt. And there are days when we just want to stay where we are and indulge in the delicious and fun ways of this world. But as God strengthens us spiritually, it gets a little easier. We will never be perfect (we all miss our days at the gym), but with God as our trainer, we can become great spiritual athletes and run the race well...all the way to the finish.
Life 4.0
So, I've been so busy you don't understand. First was camp...amazing. So much stuff went down it's hard to remember every detail, but I'll try. A lot of things changed, our schedule got busier, and they tired us out a lot more quickly. I think I probably took like a nap everyday, like an old person. But hey, I understand why they do it now! Anyways, Kevin came back to preach and he was intense. I mean like cry every sermon, passion overflowing from every one of his veins. He hit us fast and hard and it was by far a no holds barred match up between us and God (in a good way).
The band was also amazing. It was their first time leading a camp, but they were amazing. I remember it was like the second day (maybe third) and they were playing through their set like normal. Before camp, I had been really apprehensive of letting God take a hold of me. I was convinced I didn't need help, that I had it going on...boy was I wrong.
You let your guard down at all when the Spirit is moving and BAM...it hits you hard. I can't explain it in a way to do it justice, and unless you are a Christian and have felt the Spirit moving you probably wouldn't understand, but this feeling was scary and happy and sad and exhilarating and tiring and everything you want in a personal experience with the Lord, the Creator of the universe.
As I listened to the band play on and stood in the midst of a hundred other students, all sound drowned out. It was like one of those sleeps when you are both aware and unaware of your surroundings. Even the music seemed dulled in comparison to the Lord's presence. I was performing for an audience of one, and even if everyone else sat down, I would have been standing. It was amazing to just stand in the Lord's presence, in awe of all the things He has done, is doing, and will do.
So, camp wrapped up and we all went our separate ways...that meant that Paul, JP, my dad, and I all headed out on our road trip. Again, so many things happened, but I really wanted to say one thing.
The Lord is good! Those words are really not enough (good Relient K song by the way) to explain how glorious and majestic our Father truly is. We got the chance to watch the sun set over the Grand Canyon, an oh what a sight to see! We sat on the edge as I read Job 38 and Psalm 104, fearing for the lives of my more courageous brothers, completely in awe of the Lord and His creation. I remember thinking "how could such an awesome God love such wretched creatures as us?" He doesn't need us, but He wants us. When we hate Him, He loves us. When we abandon Him, He is steadfast. There are no words to explain the magnitude and beauty of the Grand Canyon, just like there are not enough words to describe our Awesome God.
OK, so after (and even during) this major life experience, I was thinking about someone. This someone is very special to me, but I'm kind of confused about how. Is she special to me like a sister (she is one of my best friends), or is it more than that (I know that I am at least attracted to her)? We have known each other since we were semi-young, but it never really worked out to where we dated. I've liked her at points, and she's liked me at points (I think), but it just never worked out I guess.
So now, randomly I think, I have begun to wonder about my feelings for her. I know I don't want a serious relationship with her or anyone else right now because I need to focus on my nursing school, but I don't know how to go about the situation. I know we fight a lot, and I act like a complete idiot and jerk to her because I hate it when she talks about other guys and how she likes them (she has a right to, I know), and I know that jealousy has no place in a good relationship, but I don't know how to act around her. Recently I've done better, partly because we haven't seen each other, at keeping my mouth shut and letting her talk and just treating her like a friend, which she is. I don't know how to explain it all. I think she is so beautiful, she loves the Lord, she is hilarious, she has so many strong qualities, and she's kind of quirky, but I don't know if it goes past an infatuation into a liking, and if it does, how do I handle it? Girls stink...
[Deep breath] There you go. My life in a nutshell, written in a hasty 30 minutes' longing to go to bed. Whew, now I just have the rest of my life ahead of me...
The band was also amazing. It was their first time leading a camp, but they were amazing. I remember it was like the second day (maybe third) and they were playing through their set like normal. Before camp, I had been really apprehensive of letting God take a hold of me. I was convinced I didn't need help, that I had it going on...boy was I wrong.
You let your guard down at all when the Spirit is moving and BAM...it hits you hard. I can't explain it in a way to do it justice, and unless you are a Christian and have felt the Spirit moving you probably wouldn't understand, but this feeling was scary and happy and sad and exhilarating and tiring and everything you want in a personal experience with the Lord, the Creator of the universe.
As I listened to the band play on and stood in the midst of a hundred other students, all sound drowned out. It was like one of those sleeps when you are both aware and unaware of your surroundings. Even the music seemed dulled in comparison to the Lord's presence. I was performing for an audience of one, and even if everyone else sat down, I would have been standing. It was amazing to just stand in the Lord's presence, in awe of all the things He has done, is doing, and will do.
So, camp wrapped up and we all went our separate ways...that meant that Paul, JP, my dad, and I all headed out on our road trip. Again, so many things happened, but I really wanted to say one thing.
The Lord is good! Those words are really not enough (good Relient K song by the way) to explain how glorious and majestic our Father truly is. We got the chance to watch the sun set over the Grand Canyon, an oh what a sight to see! We sat on the edge as I read Job 38 and Psalm 104, fearing for the lives of my more courageous brothers, completely in awe of the Lord and His creation. I remember thinking "how could such an awesome God love such wretched creatures as us?" He doesn't need us, but He wants us. When we hate Him, He loves us. When we abandon Him, He is steadfast. There are no words to explain the magnitude and beauty of the Grand Canyon, just like there are not enough words to describe our Awesome God.
OK, so after (and even during) this major life experience, I was thinking about someone. This someone is very special to me, but I'm kind of confused about how. Is she special to me like a sister (she is one of my best friends), or is it more than that (I know that I am at least attracted to her)? We have known each other since we were semi-young, but it never really worked out to where we dated. I've liked her at points, and she's liked me at points (I think), but it just never worked out I guess.
So now, randomly I think, I have begun to wonder about my feelings for her. I know I don't want a serious relationship with her or anyone else right now because I need to focus on my nursing school, but I don't know how to go about the situation. I know we fight a lot, and I act like a complete idiot and jerk to her because I hate it when she talks about other guys and how she likes them (she has a right to, I know), and I know that jealousy has no place in a good relationship, but I don't know how to act around her. Recently I've done better, partly because we haven't seen each other, at keeping my mouth shut and letting her talk and just treating her like a friend, which she is. I don't know how to explain it all. I think she is so beautiful, she loves the Lord, she is hilarious, she has so many strong qualities, and she's kind of quirky, but I don't know if it goes past an infatuation into a liking, and if it does, how do I handle it? Girls stink...
[Deep breath] There you go. My life in a nutshell, written in a hasty 30 minutes' longing to go to bed. Whew, now I just have the rest of my life ahead of me...
10 Good Reasons, Hello Kelly; My Life's Purpose
Sitting in the cafeteria this morning between classes I had finally had it. My apathy had eaten me apart to the point of exhaustion, but more to the point of disgust with myself. I understood my predicament was merely a result of my sins, sins that had caused the death of my True Love, of my Father, and myself. I was reading Black by Ted Dekker last night and it talked about how our sins cause God to scream out in pain, not us, but God. It causes Him to feel pain every time we wrong him, every time we turn our back on him we crucify Christ on the cross again.
So, I was sick of my life as it was, as it never was meant to be. I wanted to stop killing Christ, to live a life that was holy and pleasing to him. I gave it all up and let Him take me, finally and forever.
I've heard this song before but never really understood the meaning until now, and it is verbatim what I needed to say to my Father for so long but never could. This song and this day helped me re-find my life's purpose.
This is the first thing I remember
I’ve seen black and white forever
But the mistakes I’ve made are making me afraid
That I might do something
Something that can’t be forgiven
So I’ve got this suit and tie
Something I can hide behind
And it feels like I’ve got give you
10 good reasons why
You still love me every time
10 good reasons
I deserve forgiveness every night
10 good reason why
You still love me when I
I ain't got no reason why
And I remember laying everything down
Only to turn around and sell you out
It’s like I’m laughing in your face for the sacrifice you made
But you’re breaking my defenses
And you’ll carry me when
It feels like I've got to give you
But this is everything I wanted:
To give you reasons I’m not
Everything you wanted
There’s blood on my hands
These 10 reasons I can’t give you
Is one more reason that I need you
I ain’t got no, I ain’t got no, I ain’t got no reasons why
I ain’t got no, I ain’t got no, got no reason why
So, I was sick of my life as it was, as it never was meant to be. I wanted to stop killing Christ, to live a life that was holy and pleasing to him. I gave it all up and let Him take me, finally and forever.
I've heard this song before but never really understood the meaning until now, and it is verbatim what I needed to say to my Father for so long but never could. This song and this day helped me re-find my life's purpose.
This is the first thing I remember
I’ve seen black and white forever
But the mistakes I’ve made are making me afraid
That I might do something
Something that can’t be forgiven
So I’ve got this suit and tie
Something I can hide behind
And it feels like I’ve got give you
10 good reasons why
You still love me every time
10 good reasons
I deserve forgiveness every night
10 good reason why
You still love me when I
I ain't got no reason why
And I remember laying everything down
Only to turn around and sell you out
It’s like I’m laughing in your face for the sacrifice you made
But you’re breaking my defenses
And you’ll carry me when
It feels like I've got to give you
But this is everything I wanted:
To give you reasons I’m not
Everything you wanted
There’s blood on my hands
These 10 reasons I can’t give you
Is one more reason that I need you
I ain’t got no, I ain’t got no, I ain’t got no reasons why
I ain’t got no, I ain’t got no, got no reason why
Hollow, Wooden Contraptions
I can feel the vibrations of the strings under the calloused tips of my fingers. Pressing down with all my might, I try to make sure I leave no strings forgotten. Carefully tucking each away into its own special place, I treat each long, seemingly meaningless piece of metal like it's my child, equally and utterly as important as the next. It all seems so redundant, moving around the frets, going through the motions of each chord...literally. Why does it matter? Why do I continually put myself through the callousing and cramping in order to make these wretched sounds come out of this hollow, wooden contraption?
The answer, quite simply...necessity. I have a need to do this thing now, to practice and practice and practice until it bores me; to listen to a song over and over and yet hear something different each time; merely to feel the vibrations underneath my fingers. It has become a drug, and I'm not ready to go into withdrawal...nor will I ever be.
We, us, humans, are much like that hollow, wooden contraption. Without someone using us, we make no music. If we sit around and just remain hollow, we are meaningless! A guitar doesn't make sounds in and of itself...no. It projects the sounds, the music, that its master has created within it. Our master, our Father, wants to play us, to show off so to speak. He has a message through the music of our lives. A message of salvation for the world. But, until we allow ourselves as hollow, wooden contraptions, to be used for his glorious music, we are again meaningless.
So, become no longer a hollow, wooden contraption propped up against the wall. Rather, be willing to be used by the Father, to project his music, his message, to the world.
The answer, quite simply...necessity. I have a need to do this thing now, to practice and practice and practice until it bores me; to listen to a song over and over and yet hear something different each time; merely to feel the vibrations underneath my fingers. It has become a drug, and I'm not ready to go into withdrawal...nor will I ever be.
We, us, humans, are much like that hollow, wooden contraption. Without someone using us, we make no music. If we sit around and just remain hollow, we are meaningless! A guitar doesn't make sounds in and of itself...no. It projects the sounds, the music, that its master has created within it. Our master, our Father, wants to play us, to show off so to speak. He has a message through the music of our lives. A message of salvation for the world. But, until we allow ourselves as hollow, wooden contraptions, to be used for his glorious music, we are again meaningless.
So, become no longer a hollow, wooden contraption propped up against the wall. Rather, be willing to be used by the Father, to project his music, his message, to the world.
Laughter As a Remedy
Laughter is God's remedy for life...
I was talking with Chelsea tonight and we got on the subject of laughter (how, I do not know). I told her the line above and then made a comment about when someone begins to talk about laughing, you can't help but begin to let it out. Everyone has had those times when something so funny happened that everyone had no choice but to laugh. Everyone falls on the floor, rolling around, clenching their abs and gasping for breath. After what seems like an eternity of painful laughter, no one remembers what it was that was being laughed at to begin with. It is merely the sounds of others belting it out that fuels the fire. After a great, from-the-very-fiber-of-your-being laugh, there comes a great sense of peace, like everything is right in the world. It's like if everything ended right then and there, it would be ok.
Sometimes in life there come obstacles, setbacks, hardships, rough-patches, foggy times, bogs, hills, mountains, and just overall crappy stuff. It is in those times that someone's true character begins to really shine. A true, loving person is one who can look at all of the darkness and gloom surrounding a rough time and find that little glimmer, however small, and smile at it. Sometimes that smile turns into laughter, and it is that laughter that makes it easier to escape the mire. A laugh can brighten someone's day and touch someone in such a profound way that there has to be something more than just a funny sound coming out of the vocal chords.
How can one say that laughter is a gift from God? Well, what have we as humans ever brought to this world of our own accord other than filth and pain? Being able to laugh takes a great deal of love for a difficult life, and that is something nobody has on their own. True peace is impossible without God, and true love is impossible without the realization of what Christ did for us on Calvary. With peace comes an understanding that this world is just a part of the big picture, and love brings a compassion and caring for others and for oneself. Since both of these are essential for a true laugh to come out of one's being, laughter has to be a gift from God. Therefore...
...laughter is God's remedy for life.
I was talking with Chelsea tonight and we got on the subject of laughter (how, I do not know). I told her the line above and then made a comment about when someone begins to talk about laughing, you can't help but begin to let it out. Everyone has had those times when something so funny happened that everyone had no choice but to laugh. Everyone falls on the floor, rolling around, clenching their abs and gasping for breath. After what seems like an eternity of painful laughter, no one remembers what it was that was being laughed at to begin with. It is merely the sounds of others belting it out that fuels the fire. After a great, from-the-very-fiber-of-your-being laugh, there comes a great sense of peace, like everything is right in the world. It's like if everything ended right then and there, it would be ok.
Sometimes in life there come obstacles, setbacks, hardships, rough-patches, foggy times, bogs, hills, mountains, and just overall crappy stuff. It is in those times that someone's true character begins to really shine. A true, loving person is one who can look at all of the darkness and gloom surrounding a rough time and find that little glimmer, however small, and smile at it. Sometimes that smile turns into laughter, and it is that laughter that makes it easier to escape the mire. A laugh can brighten someone's day and touch someone in such a profound way that there has to be something more than just a funny sound coming out of the vocal chords.
How can one say that laughter is a gift from God? Well, what have we as humans ever brought to this world of our own accord other than filth and pain? Being able to laugh takes a great deal of love for a difficult life, and that is something nobody has on their own. True peace is impossible without God, and true love is impossible without the realization of what Christ did for us on Calvary. With peace comes an understanding that this world is just a part of the big picture, and love brings a compassion and caring for others and for oneself. Since both of these are essential for a true laugh to come out of one's being, laughter has to be a gift from God. Therefore...
...laughter is God's remedy for life.
Home, Foo Fighters; Including My Most Needed Confessions
I wish I were with you, I couldn't stay
Every direction leads me away
Pray for tomorrow, but for today
All I want is to be home
Stand in the mirror, you look the same
Just looking for shelter, from the cold and the pain
Someone to cover, safe from the rain
All I want is to be home
Echoes and silence, patience and grace
All of these moments I'll never replace
Fear of my heart, absence of faith
All I want is to be home
People I've loved, I have no regrets
Some I remember, some I forget
Some of them living, some of them dead
All I want is to be home...
I heard this song tonight on ER and it just seemed to touch me. Yes, I understand the Foo Fighters are not a Christian band, but who cares? God uses non-religious and secular evidence to bring glory back to His name.
I'm in this place in life where it feels like I just can't escape. I seem to be holding onto my sin and myself, not letting God change me into the man He wants me to be. I am just tired of it and I want to come home...just like the ER episode was about.
Abbey had made a mistake by sleeping with another man while she was drunk, a sin which she easily falls into as an alcoholic. So, after making the mistake, her husband comes home from Croatia and she thinks that just because he's home, everything will fall back into place. She had been helping a patient who's father was a parapalegic. Abbey had been distracted by her guilt and temptations and had let it affect her work.
As she apologized to the father near the end of the episode, she made a profound statement..."we all make mistakes; it's just that we have to learn how to not make the same one twice." By coming to this realization, Abbey made us examine the inner workings of humans and of God's grace for us. God is incapable of hating us as individuals. He does, however, hate the sins we commit. So, by Christ's death on the cross, we are now able to find salvation from our sins and forgiveness in God's eyes, which as humans we could not possibly have gained from a perfect God.
Forgiveness does not entail perfection. It is inevitable that we should fail, because we are mere humans. However, that gives us no right to keep on living in sin. Forgiveness, rather, entails striving for perfection and admitting that our lives, motives, and actions are inadequate to meet the needs of admittance into heaven.
So, I come now before God and my fellow man, broken, tired, and wanting to return home...God forgive me! Forgive me for forsaking you and for thinking that I can do this alone. Forevermore I will strive for perfection in all aspects and will completely lean on you as my foundation and rock through all my trials, until the time you finally lead me home...oh what a day that will be!
Every direction leads me away
Pray for tomorrow, but for today
All I want is to be home
Stand in the mirror, you look the same
Just looking for shelter, from the cold and the pain
Someone to cover, safe from the rain
All I want is to be home
Echoes and silence, patience and grace
All of these moments I'll never replace
Fear of my heart, absence of faith
All I want is to be home
People I've loved, I have no regrets
Some I remember, some I forget
Some of them living, some of them dead
All I want is to be home...
I heard this song tonight on ER and it just seemed to touch me. Yes, I understand the Foo Fighters are not a Christian band, but who cares? God uses non-religious and secular evidence to bring glory back to His name.
I'm in this place in life where it feels like I just can't escape. I seem to be holding onto my sin and myself, not letting God change me into the man He wants me to be. I am just tired of it and I want to come home...just like the ER episode was about.
Abbey had made a mistake by sleeping with another man while she was drunk, a sin which she easily falls into as an alcoholic. So, after making the mistake, her husband comes home from Croatia and she thinks that just because he's home, everything will fall back into place. She had been helping a patient who's father was a parapalegic. Abbey had been distracted by her guilt and temptations and had let it affect her work.
As she apologized to the father near the end of the episode, she made a profound statement..."we all make mistakes; it's just that we have to learn how to not make the same one twice." By coming to this realization, Abbey made us examine the inner workings of humans and of God's grace for us. God is incapable of hating us as individuals. He does, however, hate the sins we commit. So, by Christ's death on the cross, we are now able to find salvation from our sins and forgiveness in God's eyes, which as humans we could not possibly have gained from a perfect God.
Forgiveness does not entail perfection. It is inevitable that we should fail, because we are mere humans. However, that gives us no right to keep on living in sin. Forgiveness, rather, entails striving for perfection and admitting that our lives, motives, and actions are inadequate to meet the needs of admittance into heaven.
So, I come now before God and my fellow man, broken, tired, and wanting to return home...God forgive me! Forgive me for forsaking you and for thinking that I can do this alone. Forevermore I will strive for perfection in all aspects and will completely lean on you as my foundation and rock through all my trials, until the time you finally lead me home...oh what a day that will be!
On the Nature of Humanity
So, today we had a heated debate in British literature about human nature. We started speaking about freedom of the press and its application today because of Milton's "Areopagitica." Somehow the discussion turned into a debate about human nature. It made me start thinking...what is the nature of humans?
Well, there are three trains of thought: human beings are inherently good, human beings are inherently neutral, and human beings are inherently evil. All three have good points for and against, but I feel as though one must be true based off of Biblical, experential, and secular proofs. Let me expand on my idea: humans are inherently, or naturally, evil.
Let's start by establishing the idea that we can all agree that humans are capable of both good and evil, almost equally in some areas, and in others in a more lop-sided way. Humans are not perfect, and never can be (except Christ, which is a completely different discussion). Therefore, we can establish the understanding that all humans are potentially good and potentially evil, which all people can agree on with little debate.
Next, we must determine if the natural state of humans is chaos or order, evil or good. Take a child, for our example. A child (until a certain age) is innocent and cannot comprehend the difference between good and evil. They must be taught and disciplined in order to distinguish between the two. Do we teach a child how to do evil or how to do good? That is the question. By examining a child's inherent habits, one can see that we must teach a child how to do good, not how to do evil.
For example, if one child brings a toy car over to play with another child, it does not take very long until the second child begins to covet what he does not have. He tries to steal the other child's toy car and is therefore doing evil. No one tells him that he is doing wrong, or even that there will be consequences. He only does what he knows how to do and doesn't analyze his actions. Children are innocent, not being socialized or affected by their surroundings, and they are therefore the most natural state of humanity that can be found.
So, even if the child doesn't know that what he is doing is wrong, does that make it wrong? The answer is yes, of course. If a person grew up in a society where morality was not taught, or better yet, where the good was taught and not the bad, and the person grew angry with another person and killed him/her, would that not be wrong? It's like this..."If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" Of course, because that is the natural state of things. That's why they are called NATURAL LAWS.
Let me pose another question: is it easier to do wrong or right? Is it easier to tell a lie to someone in order to gain an advantage over them? Or is it easier to apologize after hurting someone by lying? The lie takes less effort and feels natural at the time, while the apology is harder but is more beneficial in the long run.
I know I have come to this conclusion in a roundabout way, but it's the best I could do. Post any comments with thoughts, refutations, or revelations from God (jk) that you might have.
Well, there are three trains of thought: human beings are inherently good, human beings are inherently neutral, and human beings are inherently evil. All three have good points for and against, but I feel as though one must be true based off of Biblical, experential, and secular proofs. Let me expand on my idea: humans are inherently, or naturally, evil.
Let's start by establishing the idea that we can all agree that humans are capable of both good and evil, almost equally in some areas, and in others in a more lop-sided way. Humans are not perfect, and never can be (except Christ, which is a completely different discussion). Therefore, we can establish the understanding that all humans are potentially good and potentially evil, which all people can agree on with little debate.
Next, we must determine if the natural state of humans is chaos or order, evil or good. Take a child, for our example. A child (until a certain age) is innocent and cannot comprehend the difference between good and evil. They must be taught and disciplined in order to distinguish between the two. Do we teach a child how to do evil or how to do good? That is the question. By examining a child's inherent habits, one can see that we must teach a child how to do good, not how to do evil.
For example, if one child brings a toy car over to play with another child, it does not take very long until the second child begins to covet what he does not have. He tries to steal the other child's toy car and is therefore doing evil. No one tells him that he is doing wrong, or even that there will be consequences. He only does what he knows how to do and doesn't analyze his actions. Children are innocent, not being socialized or affected by their surroundings, and they are therefore the most natural state of humanity that can be found.
So, even if the child doesn't know that what he is doing is wrong, does that make it wrong? The answer is yes, of course. If a person grew up in a society where morality was not taught, or better yet, where the good was taught and not the bad, and the person grew angry with another person and killed him/her, would that not be wrong? It's like this..."If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" Of course, because that is the natural state of things. That's why they are called NATURAL LAWS.
Let me pose another question: is it easier to do wrong or right? Is it easier to tell a lie to someone in order to gain an advantage over them? Or is it easier to apologize after hurting someone by lying? The lie takes less effort and feels natural at the time, while the apology is harder but is more beneficial in the long run.
I know I have come to this conclusion in a roundabout way, but it's the best I could do. Post any comments with thoughts, refutations, or revelations from God (jk) that you might have.
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