Post by jrabbach on Feb 4, 2010 19:46:47 GMT -6
Question: Is God active in our lives each day?
Answer: This morning as part of the Moravian Daily Text I read: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
It is a journal Daily Text, so I write: '"Let us not become weary in doing good." Wow, it is interesting to read that because I do become weary at times of trying to make all my actions "doing good." Part of that is strange to me because I find "doing good" to be so fulfilling and rewarding. I think that part of the reason that I become so weary is that doing good is still a conscious choice and effort. If I give myself completely to Christ, then that will become the only way. While it won't be effortless, the choice will be clearer."
So, I wrote that this morning, as a personal reflection, trying to understand how I sometimes am so full filled by the work I do based on my faith, and why sometimes I feel so weary and worn down by it.
This afternoon, Billy gives me a book called,"Experiencing God" by Henry T. Blackaby & Claude V. King. I start to read it, and get to a chapter called "Doing God's Will," and more specifically to a section of that chapter called "Don't just do something".
These paragraphs hit home with me:
"Sometimes individuals and churches are so busy doing things they think will help God accomplish His purpose that He can't get their attention long enough to use them as servants to accomplish what He wants. We often wear ourselves out and accomplish very little of value to the kingdom.
I think God is cryong out and shouting to us, "Don't just do something. Stand there! Enter into a love relationship with ME. Get to know Me. Adjust your life to ME. Let ME love you and reveal Myself to you as I work through you." A time will come when the doing will be called for, but we cannot skip the relationship. The relationship with God must come first.
Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing (John 15:5)"
That is some powerful stuff no? It says to me, that we need to truly listen for what the next step is that God wants us to take. Jesus says, "I am the way" not, "I know the way, and will give you a maze to traverse alone." Basically, if we think we see God's big picture plan, and then try to run off and say, "see you at the finish line!" then we are truly missing out on what a Christian life is meant to be. Time and again God tells us that the most important commandment is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul and all your mind." He truly is jumping up and down saying "Know Me! Love me!"
I feel that I often am trying to make the fruit show up without truly making sure that I am the branch off of Christ's vine. In other words, I want to get to the end result first and then work back to Christ. I need to be more conscious about just being with God, and taking the time to be in true conversation with Him, and then ask what I should do as a next step. Trusting God means being willing to walk one step at a time in the direction He points, possibly without ever knowing the destination I am headed for.
I think I need to be more intentional about the language I use as well. I often say, I am doing work for the church. Well, that assumes projects, goals and my leading, direction and initiative. I need to be comfortable saying, I am doing work for Christ, and following God's leading. In this way I am saying that my desire to serve comes out of my personal relationship with Christ, and not out of my allegiance to a building or structure. All my actions must be rooted in Christ the vine.
Answer: This morning as part of the Moravian Daily Text I read: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
It is a journal Daily Text, so I write: '"Let us not become weary in doing good." Wow, it is interesting to read that because I do become weary at times of trying to make all my actions "doing good." Part of that is strange to me because I find "doing good" to be so fulfilling and rewarding. I think that part of the reason that I become so weary is that doing good is still a conscious choice and effort. If I give myself completely to Christ, then that will become the only way. While it won't be effortless, the choice will be clearer."
So, I wrote that this morning, as a personal reflection, trying to understand how I sometimes am so full filled by the work I do based on my faith, and why sometimes I feel so weary and worn down by it.
This afternoon, Billy gives me a book called,"Experiencing God" by Henry T. Blackaby & Claude V. King. I start to read it, and get to a chapter called "Doing God's Will," and more specifically to a section of that chapter called "Don't just do something".
These paragraphs hit home with me:
"Sometimes individuals and churches are so busy doing things they think will help God accomplish His purpose that He can't get their attention long enough to use them as servants to accomplish what He wants. We often wear ourselves out and accomplish very little of value to the kingdom.
I think God is cryong out and shouting to us, "Don't just do something. Stand there! Enter into a love relationship with ME. Get to know Me. Adjust your life to ME. Let ME love you and reveal Myself to you as I work through you." A time will come when the doing will be called for, but we cannot skip the relationship. The relationship with God must come first.
Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing (John 15:5)"
That is some powerful stuff no? It says to me, that we need to truly listen for what the next step is that God wants us to take. Jesus says, "I am the way" not, "I know the way, and will give you a maze to traverse alone." Basically, if we think we see God's big picture plan, and then try to run off and say, "see you at the finish line!" then we are truly missing out on what a Christian life is meant to be. Time and again God tells us that the most important commandment is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul and all your mind." He truly is jumping up and down saying "Know Me! Love me!"
I feel that I often am trying to make the fruit show up without truly making sure that I am the branch off of Christ's vine. In other words, I want to get to the end result first and then work back to Christ. I need to be more conscious about just being with God, and taking the time to be in true conversation with Him, and then ask what I should do as a next step. Trusting God means being willing to walk one step at a time in the direction He points, possibly without ever knowing the destination I am headed for.
I think I need to be more intentional about the language I use as well. I often say, I am doing work for the church. Well, that assumes projects, goals and my leading, direction and initiative. I need to be comfortable saying, I am doing work for Christ, and following God's leading. In this way I am saying that my desire to serve comes out of my personal relationship with Christ, and not out of my allegiance to a building or structure. All my actions must be rooted in Christ the vine.