Nothing else would make more sense than to go, to tell people of a love that never fails & never changes. It makes me glad that God dreams bigger than I do. Policemen live life on the edge. Truck drivers get lonely. Cubicles get boring. But the life of the redeemed is one that will change your eternity.
There’s no doubt that we’re different. Our culture, our beliefs, our clothes, even the tone of voice we speak in; all different. At times I’m apathetic to it. Other times I feel annoyed by it. It’s hard not to be when you’re eating in a restaurant and the guy at the table next to you is making a pool of phlegm on the floor. To fit in with the people here seems to be a daunting task. To reach them with Good News; even harder. But I was reminded the other day of the concept of becoming all things to all men so that they might be saved.
To see somebody not only deny the existence of his Maker but to accept an empty life of hardship with no meaning when he doesn’t have to breaks my heart. God chose us before the creation of the world. He chose to love us, and He chose to make us holy and blameless in His sight. Out of the overflow of His love He has adopted us.
It all comes down to love. With it, we show that we have a living relationship with Him. Without it, it’s as if we don’t know Him at all simply because that’s what He is. Love.
So I feel like this time of apparent failure is just an opportunity for me to not only trust in His faithfulness to me, but to bring myself to a new position of humility & submission before Him; redeclaring my dependence on Him. To give Him my heart of service without the conditions of what I define as success attached to it.
He wants us all to live Spirit filled lives, but we all leak to some degree. Sometimes I’m like a poorly put together faucet, and He wants to change that. His desire is for us to be filled with Him and live our lives from that overflow. Everything we do, every decision we make, should flow from our abundant relationship with Him.
Deciding to have an undivided heart rather than a complacent one and putting our trust in His unfailing love instead of the work of our hands. To let our hearts rejoice in our salvation and open our eyes to how good and gracious He really is. We don’t have to settle for less, and we don’t have to let this world nickel and dime all that He wants our relationship with Him to be.
The fact is that it’s a pretty simple but extraordinary concept. If you believe in Jesus and have a living relationship with him, then you’re a new creation. You once lived in darkness, and now you live in light. It’s that simple.
I think that the only thing that brings me closer to the edge of jumping in the deep end is remembering His sacrifice for me. It’s remembering that He gave up all His glory to come here, to live a life of perfect humility, and to allow Himself to be nailed to a cross. All so that I might know Him more. All so that I might be redeemed and my relationship with Him be restored. When I think of the love that drove Him to Calvary I can’t help but say “I’m all in”.
The other day I was on the bus, and about 30 seconds before my stop the lady sitting next to where I was standing dropped her thermos full of what appeared to be fish head soup. It fell to the ground, breaking open and then splashed all over my shorts and went all down my [...]
