You can tell someone over and over about how they should find their purpose in living for Christ, but just you telling them that, won't make them "change".
You can tell a person that her guy friend is only bringing her down in life, but it doesn't mean she will do anything about it. You can have all the facts, fruit, and proof in the world to preach with, but that doesn't mean those you share it with will change or "act" on it.
Because you can (and should) plant the seed, but it's their choice whether or not to let it take root in their life. You may find it insane, because after all, if you told someone their "house was burning down", you'd expect them to want to "put out the fire". Or maybe you are someone who imagines everyone wants to live "Their Utmost for 'His' Highest". But that is not so. You can tell your closest friend about how you have been inspired to sell everything you own and give it to the poor, to follow Christ.... if they don't think you are stupid, they might even agree with what you are doing, but inside many think "That's their life, I'm Scott free...I don't have to sacrifice at all, not in any way."
It's the same when you tell someone about their need for the Savior. Without blinking they may listen to you, but it doesn't mean they will start a relationship with Him tomorrow.
When you say to someone "God is Your Friend", or "God is your Lover", or "God is your King", or "God is your Father", it won't change the way the hearer comes to God and lives their lives, 'unless' they 'believe' it.
You can be told multiple times that God is Your Best Friend, but unless you discover it for yourself, or desire it for yourself you won't experience that 'friendship'.
A lot of people are 'told' in Church that they must do this, do that, don't do this, don't do that, but unless it's discovered, realized, or believed in the heart of the person, it's not going to make a difference.
God would rather we did everything out of trust in Him and His will than have to be told everything to do. I've heard it many times, over and over "come into God's presence", "God wants a closer relationship with you", "draw nearer to God", but that could not help me much. I wanted to give all of me, and I wanted to experience God more, but the fact is just saying "You must come into God's presence" wasn't the answer for me. In order to do that I needed to first, believe I could go deeper, second, "know"/discover what God's presence 'was', to begin with!
I want to say...It's important for you to know that, every person does not, and should not, have to have the same 'relationship' with God. Other than the fact that they see Him as a All Powerful God, and Savior or their Soul...Because everyone has a different piece of God to see and share. For example; the difference in the Gospel Writers prospectives of Christ. It's said from reading the gosepls, that Mark seen Him more in the light of "Servant" God, Matthew in the light of Him being "King", Luke's vantage on Christ as our " Good Shepherd and Savior", and John's prospective of Christ as "Friend" and "One with the Father".
It's important to note that all these vantage points on Christ though, were not only their 'own'. God has proven, expressed himself, and even described himself as each of these things throughout the entire bible. My point is that not every person has the exact same relationship or need for Christ to fill in order to reach them and grow in a deeper relationship with Him. So how do you see God? Is He your "Best Friend"? Your faithful "Lover"? Your Compassionate "Father"? Your "Mighty King"? Your "Judge"? Or do you see Him on the other side of Salvation? As your "Condemner", Your "Slave Master"? Is He even real to you at all?
To you, is He just a fragment of others imaginations? Is He just the words that your Preacher ? or who Your Parents say that He is? Maybe He is impersonal to You, perhaps He's just "out there" somewhere...
Everyone has a place where only God can go. No man or woman can go there. No one can say they have 'your' relationship with God. It's not so. And it won't matter what people tell you, or they say you should or shouldn't do, if it doesn't touch you enough to be "open" to change, or encourage you to go before "God" and work at it with Him, then it's not bloomed...This doesn't mean it happens right away, most times in people's lives it doesn't...because not everyone is willing to change...they are not ready to "move forward" or "let go" of what they are holding to. So it blooms later on, sometimes the seeds add up, sometimes it takes something more drastic in their lives...They make a big mistake...and need God to come or else they are done for.
Don't wait until it's a drastic decision between "God" or committing Harry Carry. Find Him while you are skipping through the posies. Find him before the dark falls, and the curtains pin you to the floor. How? I encourage you to take a moment and think about how you view God...Then, consider what you are ready and willing to give. Thridly, ask God to expose the doubts you have entertained. Be willing to let the truth break the lies.
It's up to You and God. That's where change takes place. God uses others, he can use their words and actions to make you consider, to make you think, to prove to You that He is Sovreign, Alive, and Working. But it is ultimately between you and God. Doing things, going through the motions of change, just because you "know" you "should" be...does not make you different inside. You will just go back to the same old, same old. And God doesn't want tokin prayers, or just compromise. He wants "You". Because He made You, and You are to be a part of Him; to share His Kingdom, to share His love, to see his Glory, to feel His grace, to embrace His love. Only by believing in Who God is, can You worship Him back. Otherwise you will not feel the need, or the desire.
1. Take a moment and think about how you view God
2. Consider what you are ready and willing to "give"
3. Ask God to expose the lies you have entertained.
4. Be willing to let the truth your discover, break hold of doubts
Your view on God determines how you reacte to His hand in Your life. It determines how open you
are you are to Him. What you're willing to give, and what you aren't willing to let
go of, determines how much you will venture on Christ, and how much you will live for 'Him'
and embrace His will for Your life. Discovering the lies you've entertained can change your
perspective on a habit of actions you may have, and being willing to let the truth in Christ
break those lies can change you greatly.
Are you willing to change? Do you "believe" you should? Are you just going on the words of others;
that say "You need to stop", or "You need to change"? Unless you really believe it, examine yourself, and realize what kind of relationship you have with God, and want with God...just going through the motions isn't much of a help. It's not change.
Change is an inward thing. Being willing to change means, believing...that you are not where you should be, and you want to be somewhere else.
And then it means, being willing to let go of the sin or what is bad for you, and letting the truth of God, and the perfect will, love, peace, fulfillment of God takes the past's place. It means first realizing your mess, wanting better, giving up the bad, and filling it's place.
God wants "good" for You. He wants you to eat the meat off of His table, and not the food in the doggie bowl. He misses you at His table, He'd like to see your smiling face. He'd like to see you nurished, and fit for what he'd like to give you. Come all you who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for you will be filled! Knock and it will be opened unto you, seek and you will find...if you seek with all your heart ;)
You must believe He is worth it. Discover the God that you have always needed, and has always known you, just for who you are. He does not expect you to be someone else before Him, he wants "You". Which means buddy time, which means you and Him, which means the road to more, which means not only the road to change, but the road to eternity.
Be willing to let God fill the spot of the Lover who isn't Faithful, because God is Faithful. And if you trust God, He will give you the desires of You heart...If they are good for you, and lead you uphill.
God wants you to know love, peace, hope etc...Stop looking for it in other places, and believe He knows everything. You can tell someone over and over, that there is more of God. You will never know unless you seek Him with all your heart. Change is (=) turning, forsaking the past...and moving ahead into something new, something worth changing for. Is God worth changing for? Is true love worth sacrificing for? What do you believe?
It all hangs on that.
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