As I started to write this today, I learned an important fact, that putting I before someone else in a sentence is not actually a grammatical error, it is an English grammar etiquette to use the other person first, because it is polite.
In Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves," It isn't just an English grammar idea about being polite, it is God's idea about being unselfish, it is putting others before ourselves, this is true in every area of life, when we make life about self, it is no longer about God.
When I hold the door open for someone, it is allowing that person to go first, it isn't just a polite thing to do, it is a Godly action that shows that no longer is about I, but Christ in me. Jesus said in Matthew 15:18 "But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them." When I use statements that are not polite, those things are actually coming from my heart. If I constantly put myself first, that is a heart issue, because I am making it about me.
The Bible has warned us over and over again about how we need to put others first. The instructions are there for us to follow, the guides, the way, but we must walk in it. The verse in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." And in
1 Corinthians 16:14 "Do everything in love." God is defined as love, so am I doing everything with God? 1 John 4:8 "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
Can you imagine what a life changer it would be to start following what God has said in the Bible? Can you imagine the change in your marriages, your home, your work, your life, because no longer would it be about I, but Christ who lives in me. What a change.
That is God's call on our lives, He has written out His instructions, I just need to chose to follow them, not because they are a list of right and wrongs, but because it honors God above everything else to put Him first. It is easy to think of being a Christian is based on a list, but if I do things out of love, I am no longer basing them on myself, but on Christ who lives in me, my Christian walk will be about Christ and it will be displayed by me surrendering all to Him and that is even my way and will. When I make life about self, I go against what God wants life to be about. Are you struggling today? Are you making life about self or about God? Who's strength are you walking in?
Friday, March 24, 2017
Monday, March 20, 2017
Storms
This weekend I went to see The Shack and I would recommend watching it. But I have talked about the storms in life and the movie was about so much, but in one scene, the man was in a boat, the water around him became black like all the problems in our life and the boat started to sink. He watched in terror as this was happening, his legs were getting wet, he was sinking with the boat. That black water enveloping him and he was lost. Jesus is walking across the water to him, but he sees Him, but keeps watching the water fill the boat, keeps seeing that he will drown soon, but Jesus keeps saying keep your eyes on Me, the man looks at Him, but back at the water in the boat and Jesus says believe in Me, not your circumstances for they are temporary, but I am your Savior, keep your eyes focused on Me.
The man in the boat lifts his attention to Jesus and stops looking at what is soon going to over take him, he sees the love in Jesus's face and puts his trust in his Savior. The waters calm around him, because he is no longer afraid of the storm, because he believes that Jesus is in control, he has given Jesus control. When he looks back at the boat he is sitting in, it is fine, no more water, not sinking anymore, because the storm was there to destroy him, but when he was no longer focused on the storm, but Jesus, it took the power out of the storm.
How many times in our life do we keep our focus on the storm and not on Jesus. Jesus is our Savior, but when we keep looking at the storm, the storm will wage on around us, but we must take our eyes off the storm and keep our focus on what Jesus is doing.
That was just one step of the storm. Jesus walked up to the boat, took the man's hand and said now you believed that I would calm the storm, now it is time to get out of the boat and walk with Me. Believing that the storm would be calm is just one step and now we must be willing to get out of the boat, we must have faith and that is so hard to do. We are safe in the boat, we will not drown, but when we are forced to take a step of faith and get out of the boat, it is very difficult. Jesus is calling us to get out of the boat, to walk with Him across the water. The boat is our safety and are we to trust in the boat or in Jesus.
The man got out of the boat and walked with Jesus on the water. After they had walked to the land and another scene had passed. It was time to go back to the other side and the man started to go to the water and as he stepped in, he was no longer walking on the water. Jesus reminded Him that he can't do it alone, he has to do it with Jesus. How many times do we try to do it alone and we grow tired of it and give up? When we wait on the Lord, He will renew our strength, not about I, but Christ who lives in me.
I want to see the movie again and probably read the book again as well. Rely on God, we can't do it without Him. He is our strength in all times, not just the hard times.
The man in the boat lifts his attention to Jesus and stops looking at what is soon going to over take him, he sees the love in Jesus's face and puts his trust in his Savior. The waters calm around him, because he is no longer afraid of the storm, because he believes that Jesus is in control, he has given Jesus control. When he looks back at the boat he is sitting in, it is fine, no more water, not sinking anymore, because the storm was there to destroy him, but when he was no longer focused on the storm, but Jesus, it took the power out of the storm.
How many times in our life do we keep our focus on the storm and not on Jesus. Jesus is our Savior, but when we keep looking at the storm, the storm will wage on around us, but we must take our eyes off the storm and keep our focus on what Jesus is doing.
That was just one step of the storm. Jesus walked up to the boat, took the man's hand and said now you believed that I would calm the storm, now it is time to get out of the boat and walk with Me. Believing that the storm would be calm is just one step and now we must be willing to get out of the boat, we must have faith and that is so hard to do. We are safe in the boat, we will not drown, but when we are forced to take a step of faith and get out of the boat, it is very difficult. Jesus is calling us to get out of the boat, to walk with Him across the water. The boat is our safety and are we to trust in the boat or in Jesus.
The man got out of the boat and walked with Jesus on the water. After they had walked to the land and another scene had passed. It was time to go back to the other side and the man started to go to the water and as he stepped in, he was no longer walking on the water. Jesus reminded Him that he can't do it alone, he has to do it with Jesus. How many times do we try to do it alone and we grow tired of it and give up? When we wait on the Lord, He will renew our strength, not about I, but Christ who lives in me.
I want to see the movie again and probably read the book again as well. Rely on God, we can't do it without Him. He is our strength in all times, not just the hard times.
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