So usually I average about 2 of these writing pieces a week. Some weeks I might do 3 and some weeks I might write just 1. I don't have a list of topics or anything that I just choose from. I write about something only when God speaks to me about it. The Holy Spirit will lay some topic or issue on my soul and then I'll write. It has been going steady like this for awhile now. I don't have some quota, as far as how many writings per week I can turn out. I just write when I'm inspired, and as I said it's been about 2 a week.
Last week I just wrote one piece. I didn't write anything this weekend. I just haven't felt inspired since the one I wrote last week. I was sitting with my notebook in hand last night and the thought came over me that I was supposed to write. I had this feeling as if it was just something I needed to check off my list. (You know the good Christian checklist, pray: check, read my Bible: check, go to church: check, help an old lady across the street: check, write a piece: ummm.) I sort of felt like it was my duty to write. But, I hadn't been inspired to write about anything since last time. I could probably scribble down something about how Jesus' resurrection meant more than just Him conquering death for us; that His resurrection was also a symbol of the restoration He offers us from our broken lives. You know, some profound theological piece. But there was no inspiration, and I just couldn't bring myself to write.
I think at times we all get like this on our spiritual journey as Christ followers. One day we wake up and the inspiration and passion has faded away like a distant memory. Then, we feel the need to perform like we are actors in some sort of play. We put on a life of what is expected out of us, what a good Christian is supposed to do. Sunday we go to church so that we can just mark one good deed off our list. We read our Bible not because of thirst or out of love, but so that we feel as if it's our job. And I'm not saying that during the times where we don't feel as close to God as we should, that we just wait until we feel like doing these things again. Practicing discipline is what can get us through these 'down' times. But for me, I don't like getting to the point where I'm just going through the motions. I don't enjoying performing as the character of the good Christian. And I'm not a legalist by any means, thinking that one has to perform all of these certain things in order for God to love them.
I don't want to just perform the Christian duties because that is what I'm supposed to do. I want to do because that's want I desire to do. Jesus did say that two certain things were most the important. Love God and love everyone else. And if I am loving God and loving everyone else as I was created to do, everything else that I do will be out of an act of love. I will pray because I love talking to my Father. I will read my Bible because I love the things that Daddy can teach me through it. I will go to church because I love serving my Father and love just being around my brothers and sisters. I will help old ladies across the street because I love old ladies. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that yes there are some times when we feel like we need to perform our Christian duties because we feel like that is just what we are supposed to do. But before we just give into the motions and act out of duty, we need to take a step back and reflect on God's love for us. When we see how much He loves us, we will want to do the good Christian things out of our love for Him. Live Blessed and Live out of Love…
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Do I Have What It Takes?
So I have to admit, I haven’t planned on writing about this. Usually a topic comes to me and I think about for a few days and then write about it. I met with a good friend of mine this weekend to talk about issues guys deal with. We’re thinking of starting some kind of men’s ministry at church. We talked about the common guy issues of lust, fear of failure, leadership, and how we validate ourselves as men. Another issue we talked about has been on my mind and soul a lot recently. It’s probably something women face too, but I’m not a woman so I can’t say for sure.
Yes, I have experienced a lot in life. My strength has been tested and God has pulled me through many things, sometimes even when I didn’t want His assistance. I have learned many truths and fallen for many lies. I have to confess, sometimes I don’t think I have what it takes. Sometimes I doubt the strength that God has given me and the battle that He has placed me in. I read about this feeling a little over a year ago in Eldredge’s Wild At Heart. I know I have experienced this feeling before, but it is not until now that I can actually identify it.
Right now there are a few circumstances where I feel like I just don’t have what it takes. Oh, the great feeling of inadequacy. (That was sarcasm, by the way.) There are some areas in my life where it seems like I’m getting no where. I don’t feel like I have the strength I need in some of the relationships I have. This whole writing thing, do I really have the intellect and eloquence it takes? Could it be that some of these areas are not supposed to be victories for me? Could it be that some of these things are not apart of “God’s plan” for my life? I have never been one to give up and wave the white flag of surrender. I’m too stubborn and persistent for that. But there is still this feeling in many areas that I am not enough.
It’s crazy how sometimes we can feel this way. We pray for something to happen and it never does. We still want to hold on, but we doubt our grip will last for much longer. Or we wonder if we’re going in the right direction and doubt our ability to move ahead because we can’t see the outcome. Sometimes I feel like myself is just not good enough. My strength is not enough. I don’t have what it takes to be the man I need to be.
So my friend and I we’re talking about this again tonight. My friend said I just need to rest in the peace of the Lord. Simple enough advice right? And he didn’t say this as one of those cliché sayings that we Christians often pass out like free doughnuts. He really meant what he said. But his answer is so simple. And yet his simple advice is what my soul knows to be true. My soul knows that my strength will never be enough, but God’s strength in me will be more than enough. My soul knows that God’s will will never lead me where His grace cannot keep me. My soul knows the truth, but sometimes my mind refuses to believe because it is so simple. Though sometimes I can be led astray by the doubt of my own strength that my mind often confronts me with, God’s truth is what resonates in my soul and what I know is real when I listen to Him.
Yes, I have experienced a lot in life. My strength has been tested and God has pulled me through many things, sometimes even when I didn’t want His assistance. I have learned many truths and fallen for many lies. I have to confess, sometimes I don’t think I have what it takes. Sometimes I doubt the strength that God has given me and the battle that He has placed me in. I read about this feeling a little over a year ago in Eldredge’s Wild At Heart. I know I have experienced this feeling before, but it is not until now that I can actually identify it.
Right now there are a few circumstances where I feel like I just don’t have what it takes. Oh, the great feeling of inadequacy. (That was sarcasm, by the way.) There are some areas in my life where it seems like I’m getting no where. I don’t feel like I have the strength I need in some of the relationships I have. This whole writing thing, do I really have the intellect and eloquence it takes? Could it be that some of these areas are not supposed to be victories for me? Could it be that some of these things are not apart of “God’s plan” for my life? I have never been one to give up and wave the white flag of surrender. I’m too stubborn and persistent for that. But there is still this feeling in many areas that I am not enough.
It’s crazy how sometimes we can feel this way. We pray for something to happen and it never does. We still want to hold on, but we doubt our grip will last for much longer. Or we wonder if we’re going in the right direction and doubt our ability to move ahead because we can’t see the outcome. Sometimes I feel like myself is just not good enough. My strength is not enough. I don’t have what it takes to be the man I need to be.
So my friend and I we’re talking about this again tonight. My friend said I just need to rest in the peace of the Lord. Simple enough advice right? And he didn’t say this as one of those cliché sayings that we Christians often pass out like free doughnuts. He really meant what he said. But his answer is so simple. And yet his simple advice is what my soul knows to be true. My soul knows that my strength will never be enough, but God’s strength in me will be more than enough. My soul knows that God’s will will never lead me where His grace cannot keep me. My soul knows the truth, but sometimes my mind refuses to believe because it is so simple. Though sometimes I can be led astray by the doubt of my own strength that my mind often confronts me with, God’s truth is what resonates in my soul and what I know is real when I listen to Him.
Are You Impressed Yet?
Disclaimer: This is not about condemning anyone or pointing any fingers. I am just reflecting upon my own life and the things I experience. I am speaking to myself more than anyone else.
I was getting dressed the other evening, on my way to meet an old friend. I picked out a shirt, brushed my teeth, and put some product in my hair as I gazed into the mirror. As my reflection stared back at me a thought came to mind, “Matt, why are you fixing your hair so it’s looks messy?” I didn’t have an answer for myself. Seriously, how stupid is this? After question my actions, I felt like an idiot. It’s not like I was about to go meet a beautiful lady or anything. I was meeting a dude, and he’s married in the first place. (That’s a joke) On the drive to meet my friend I started to think about the many things I do to try to impress others. I like to think that I really don’t care what others think about me. I like to think that I only care about what God thinks about me, but that’s not the full truth. Sometimes other people’s perception of myself is important to me. I really don’t want it to be important, but sometimes it is. It could be the culture that I was raised in, it could be the bombardment of advertisements which I face everyday that tell me to be a certain way or face rejection, it could just be Satan up to his manipulating tricks again. It’s a little of all three if you ask me.
Have you ever noticed yourself competing in a conversation with someone? You may ask, “Matt, what do you mean ‘competing’ in a conversation?” I caught myself competing in a conversation with a friend about a year or so ago. Come to find out, I have been doing this in conversations since I can remember but it wasn’t until a year ago that I realized it. Here’s how the conversation went:
Me: How was your trip?
Friend: It was good. I stayed at this great hotel. It was very nice.
Me: that’s cool. I stayed at this one hotel one time and it was the greatest hotel ever. What else did you do?
Friend: I went to a concert. Oh, I saw a dolphin too.
Me: Did I tell you about this singer who is a mutual friend of mine. Speaking of dolphins, let me show you the pictures I took of a whale I saw in the ocean one time.
And that was how the conversation went. Being a reflective person, I often think of things after they happen. And after this conversation I realized how stupid I was. During the whole conversation, instead of listening to my friend I was looking for a way that I could top whatever they were about to say. Am I alone in this one? I think it’s funny how we act when we want others to validate us. We will do some ridiculous things to win the approval and acceptance of others. We all have a need to feel like we are approved and accepted by others. Who really desires to be known as the Loner?
In church the other day, my imagination started to take off. (I know, I am such a bad person to let my mind wander in the middle of church.) I wondered what it would be like to be a homeless man, with nothing but rags for clothes, and how I would feel as I walked into church. I looked around at the nice dresses and expensive watches and wondered would they welcome me, a dirty homeless man, as one of them. Would they not be offended by the fact that I haven’t showered in a while? Yes, this is where my imagination took me the other day. I am not about to turn this into an argument about whether it’s right or wrong to dress up or just be casual for church. I believe there are some things that are Biblically black and white. But everything about God cannot be black and white because that would mean that He’s a God that I could understand, that I could keep in a box. Some issues are gray and some ar full of color. Black and white are too dull anyways. With that being said, how much do we try to impress each other at church? It’s just a question. This is a question I fail to ask myself many days. I’m not saying looking good or anything like that is wrong. I guess what I am trying to say is that too many times I try to impress others too much. I give my time and attention in seeking the acceptance from others, when I should be devoting all I have to the One who has already accepted me just the way I am.
I was getting dressed the other evening, on my way to meet an old friend. I picked out a shirt, brushed my teeth, and put some product in my hair as I gazed into the mirror. As my reflection stared back at me a thought came to mind, “Matt, why are you fixing your hair so it’s looks messy?” I didn’t have an answer for myself. Seriously, how stupid is this? After question my actions, I felt like an idiot. It’s not like I was about to go meet a beautiful lady or anything. I was meeting a dude, and he’s married in the first place. (That’s a joke) On the drive to meet my friend I started to think about the many things I do to try to impress others. I like to think that I really don’t care what others think about me. I like to think that I only care about what God thinks about me, but that’s not the full truth. Sometimes other people’s perception of myself is important to me. I really don’t want it to be important, but sometimes it is. It could be the culture that I was raised in, it could be the bombardment of advertisements which I face everyday that tell me to be a certain way or face rejection, it could just be Satan up to his manipulating tricks again. It’s a little of all three if you ask me.
Have you ever noticed yourself competing in a conversation with someone? You may ask, “Matt, what do you mean ‘competing’ in a conversation?” I caught myself competing in a conversation with a friend about a year or so ago. Come to find out, I have been doing this in conversations since I can remember but it wasn’t until a year ago that I realized it. Here’s how the conversation went:
Me: How was your trip?
Friend: It was good. I stayed at this great hotel. It was very nice.
Me: that’s cool. I stayed at this one hotel one time and it was the greatest hotel ever. What else did you do?
Friend: I went to a concert. Oh, I saw a dolphin too.
Me: Did I tell you about this singer who is a mutual friend of mine. Speaking of dolphins, let me show you the pictures I took of a whale I saw in the ocean one time.
And that was how the conversation went. Being a reflective person, I often think of things after they happen. And after this conversation I realized how stupid I was. During the whole conversation, instead of listening to my friend I was looking for a way that I could top whatever they were about to say. Am I alone in this one? I think it’s funny how we act when we want others to validate us. We will do some ridiculous things to win the approval and acceptance of others. We all have a need to feel like we are approved and accepted by others. Who really desires to be known as the Loner?
In church the other day, my imagination started to take off. (I know, I am such a bad person to let my mind wander in the middle of church.) I wondered what it would be like to be a homeless man, with nothing but rags for clothes, and how I would feel as I walked into church. I looked around at the nice dresses and expensive watches and wondered would they welcome me, a dirty homeless man, as one of them. Would they not be offended by the fact that I haven’t showered in a while? Yes, this is where my imagination took me the other day. I am not about to turn this into an argument about whether it’s right or wrong to dress up or just be casual for church. I believe there are some things that are Biblically black and white. But everything about God cannot be black and white because that would mean that He’s a God that I could understand, that I could keep in a box. Some issues are gray and some ar full of color. Black and white are too dull anyways. With that being said, how much do we try to impress each other at church? It’s just a question. This is a question I fail to ask myself many days. I’m not saying looking good or anything like that is wrong. I guess what I am trying to say is that too many times I try to impress others too much. I give my time and attention in seeking the acceptance from others, when I should be devoting all I have to the One who has already accepted me just the way I am.
Casual vs. Close
So, what exactly is the Christian faith? What does it mean to be a Christian? Some folks may say, “I know there is a God.” “I know about Jesus’ death on the cross.” “I know that the Bible is God’s inspired truth.” “I go to church.” “Hey, I pray.” All of these things are great. Each of them plays an important part to the Christian faith. But what I am searching for is a life changing faith. If Christian spirituality is not life changing, what good is it really? If it’s just another set of principles and teachings, then there is nothing special about it. My faith, my spirituality, it must be more than praying the Lord’s prayer, attending church services, and following all of the commands of the Bible. (As if anyone could ever follow them all, anyways.) One can be involved in all of the areas of Christianity and still not have a life changing experience.
When Jesus was asked what the most two important commandments were, what was His response? Love God and love your neighbor. At the core of these two commandments is relationship. In order for the Christian faith to be a life changing experience it has to be put in the context of relationship. For instance, I have many casual friends. I have so many casual friends that I often forget a casual friend’s name when I see them. Have you ever had that happen to you? “Hey, Matt. How have you been?” “Hey, there, ….buddy. What’s going on.” In those kinds of situations I usually try to fake it, but the other person can probably read my forgetfulness. In casual relationships, this is usually the extent of most conversations. Most of the time casual friends will exchange pleasantries, and both parties will be on their way. The casual relationships that I have do not affect me as a person. They do not inspire me to be greater or encourage me in times of need. They are just casual, after all. I wouldn’t go up to a casual friend and say, “Hey, …buddy, I am really having a problem with judging others. You see that dude, man he is such a loser. Hey, pray for me about this.” That’s just something you would talk about with a casual friend.
I do have really close relationships with people. My close friendships are few but very meaningful. I have many more casual relationships than I do close ones because close relationships take work to maintain. No one has enough energy or stamina to maintain hundreds of close relationships. But we do have the ability to get involved in some close relationships. And when we have these close relationships, they affect who we are. A close friend can inspire you, encourage you, and speak words of wisdom into your life because they know who you really are. You wouldn’t pass by a close friend and say, “Hey, how are you? Have a good one,” and let that be it. You wouldn’t just talk to a close friend whenever you didn’t have anything better to do. “Hey, let’s hangout because I have nothing more entertaining to do.” “Hey, I only want to talk to you for an hour or so on a particular day of the week.” These are not the kinds of thing you would tell someone you are in a close relationship with. If you did say these things to them, you probably wouldn’t be close to them for that long. Do you see where I am going with this?
In order for us to have a life changing Christian faith, we have to have more than just a casual relationship with God. We have to press into Him and get to know Him in order to experience closeness with Him. This is a hypothetical situation, a very hypothetical situation. Say, I was dating a lady. And let’s say that she really loved me, but I was always too busy for her. I would publicly admit that I was dating her, but I only dropped by to see her maybe once a week and most of the time I spent with her my mind was off somewhere else. If I had this kind of relationship, it wouldn’t be that great of a relationship, would it? That’s how it is with us and God. If we have a close relationship with Him, it will be evident in our lives. When we have a close relationship with God, this close relationship will affect the way we live.
When Jesus was asked what the most two important commandments were, what was His response? Love God and love your neighbor. At the core of these two commandments is relationship. In order for the Christian faith to be a life changing experience it has to be put in the context of relationship. For instance, I have many casual friends. I have so many casual friends that I often forget a casual friend’s name when I see them. Have you ever had that happen to you? “Hey, Matt. How have you been?” “Hey, there, ….buddy. What’s going on.” In those kinds of situations I usually try to fake it, but the other person can probably read my forgetfulness. In casual relationships, this is usually the extent of most conversations. Most of the time casual friends will exchange pleasantries, and both parties will be on their way. The casual relationships that I have do not affect me as a person. They do not inspire me to be greater or encourage me in times of need. They are just casual, after all. I wouldn’t go up to a casual friend and say, “Hey, …buddy, I am really having a problem with judging others. You see that dude, man he is such a loser. Hey, pray for me about this.” That’s just something you would talk about with a casual friend.
I do have really close relationships with people. My close friendships are few but very meaningful. I have many more casual relationships than I do close ones because close relationships take work to maintain. No one has enough energy or stamina to maintain hundreds of close relationships. But we do have the ability to get involved in some close relationships. And when we have these close relationships, they affect who we are. A close friend can inspire you, encourage you, and speak words of wisdom into your life because they know who you really are. You wouldn’t pass by a close friend and say, “Hey, how are you? Have a good one,” and let that be it. You wouldn’t just talk to a close friend whenever you didn’t have anything better to do. “Hey, let’s hangout because I have nothing more entertaining to do.” “Hey, I only want to talk to you for an hour or so on a particular day of the week.” These are not the kinds of thing you would tell someone you are in a close relationship with. If you did say these things to them, you probably wouldn’t be close to them for that long. Do you see where I am going with this?
In order for us to have a life changing Christian faith, we have to have more than just a casual relationship with God. We have to press into Him and get to know Him in order to experience closeness with Him. This is a hypothetical situation, a very hypothetical situation. Say, I was dating a lady. And let’s say that she really loved me, but I was always too busy for her. I would publicly admit that I was dating her, but I only dropped by to see her maybe once a week and most of the time I spent with her my mind was off somewhere else. If I had this kind of relationship, it wouldn’t be that great of a relationship, would it? That’s how it is with us and God. If we have a close relationship with Him, it will be evident in our lives. When we have a close relationship with God, this close relationship will affect the way we live.
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Well, I have to confess, this writing may not flow well. Usually, I have to write things down on paper first and then I type. But this just has been on my heart and I think I mentioned writing about it last week. Does anyone hate the dark? I don’t anymore. I used to sleep with a Batman nightlight until a few weeks ago. I’ve grown up since then. (That was my weak attempt at a joke, by the way.) Why are little kids afraid of the dark? Why are some grown ups afraid of the dark? Because we can’t see what’s out there. Because we are conditioned to fear the unknown.
I used to hate not knowing how things in my life would turn out. I wanted to control every aspect. If I can control every part of my life, then things will always go how I want them. HaHa. If life were only that simple. Then, one day I decided to let God start leading me instead of trying to lead myself. I really didn’t know how crazy things could get until He got control of my life. You see, God has this way of working. He doesn’t like repeating Himself. He is the opposite of doing the mundane. Take Jesus and when He healed people, for instance. Sometimes He’d rub mud in their eyes, sometimes they would get healed by just touching His clothes, other times He would just say the word and someone would be healed. God likes to mix things up a bit; He likes to keep us on our toes. God also likes it when the cards are stacked up against Him. Gideon and his army of 300 whippin’ the tails of thousand of Midianites. I bet Gideon had some doubters in his camp that didn’t think he could pull off the victory. There are always naysayers who will try to get in the way when you’re following God. Gideon couldn’t see the outcome of the battle and the odds didn’t seem to be in his favor, but he followed God into the unknown and God took care of the rest.
When you’re following God, He’ll lead you into the unknown many times in life. If you always followed the road you were comfortable and familiar with, you really wouldn’t have a need for faith, would you? That’s why God calls us into the unknown. To get us to trust Him more. Like I said, there will be people who will advise you not to go where God is calling you. There will be those that doubt. There will be those that say “just live your life like so and so does.” But God has a different plan. God likes calling His children where they can’t see the path that lies in front of them. A good Father wants His children to trust Him, right? So don’t be afraid of the dark. Don’t fear the unknown. Don’t listen to those who try to persuade you to ignore God’s voice. I heard this awesome line somewhere and I’ll leave you with this, “God’s Will will never take you where His Grace cannot keep you.” Live blessed and breathe on…
I used to hate not knowing how things in my life would turn out. I wanted to control every aspect. If I can control every part of my life, then things will always go how I want them. HaHa. If life were only that simple. Then, one day I decided to let God start leading me instead of trying to lead myself. I really didn’t know how crazy things could get until He got control of my life. You see, God has this way of working. He doesn’t like repeating Himself. He is the opposite of doing the mundane. Take Jesus and when He healed people, for instance. Sometimes He’d rub mud in their eyes, sometimes they would get healed by just touching His clothes, other times He would just say the word and someone would be healed. God likes to mix things up a bit; He likes to keep us on our toes. God also likes it when the cards are stacked up against Him. Gideon and his army of 300 whippin’ the tails of thousand of Midianites. I bet Gideon had some doubters in his camp that didn’t think he could pull off the victory. There are always naysayers who will try to get in the way when you’re following God. Gideon couldn’t see the outcome of the battle and the odds didn’t seem to be in his favor, but he followed God into the unknown and God took care of the rest.
When you’re following God, He’ll lead you into the unknown many times in life. If you always followed the road you were comfortable and familiar with, you really wouldn’t have a need for faith, would you? That’s why God calls us into the unknown. To get us to trust Him more. Like I said, there will be people who will advise you not to go where God is calling you. There will be those that doubt. There will be those that say “just live your life like so and so does.” But God has a different plan. God likes calling His children where they can’t see the path that lies in front of them. A good Father wants His children to trust Him, right? So don’t be afraid of the dark. Don’t fear the unknown. Don’t listen to those who try to persuade you to ignore God’s voice. I heard this awesome line somewhere and I’ll leave you with this, “God’s Will will never take you where His Grace cannot keep you.” Live blessed and breathe on…
Humble Like A Child
“Are you married?” said a voice to me. “No,” I replied. “Why not?” was the next question he asked. “Ummm, good question,” was all I could think of to say back. Who would dare to ask such a straight forward question? Who has enough boldness to come right out and ask that? A child. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to help out in Vacation Bible School. (Really, it was more of playing with kids rather than helping out.) A friend of mine is the children’s minister at church and I have been helping out (playing) a little this summer. I have to admit, my reasons for volunteering are not so I can teach the children something. Right below worshipping God, my next reason is somewhat selfish. The other reason I have been helping out is because it’s a chance for me to learn. Now, I already know most of the VBS stories and I know how to make dried macaroni into a necklace, so what exactly am I learning? I am learning from the children. Yes, I am 24 years old. Yes, I have way more experience in life than any of the children. So, what can they teach me? A lot. Jesus says if you want to be apart of the Kingdom of God, you have to come to Him like a humble child. Then, Jesus says if you come to Him like a humble child, you can be the greatest in the Kingdom. What the heck is Jesus trying to say here?
Sometimes being an adult is not that great. Bills to pay, bosses to answer to, relationships to maintain. Being an adult means having many responsibilities. Being an adult does have its advantages. When I was younger, I couldn’t wait until I grew up. When I was 15 I couldn’t wait until I turn 16 so I could just get in a car and drive. It’s funny because now I wish someone would drive me around sometimes. I also couldn’t wait until I could grow facial hair. I used to look at men with a beard or a mustache and say, “Now there’s a man.” An adult can grow facial hair, at least a male adult can. I’m not fully there on this one yet; some of it is a little patchy. Now though, I wish I didn’t have to shave. It’s funny how growing up works.
Becoming like a child. Grace-giving, accepting, loving, and forgiving – all qualities of a child that we tend to forget the older we grow. The humble little child that Jesus mentions didn’t have pride to stop him from coming to Jesus. That child’s mindset wasn’t, “I got this Jesus. I don’t need your help.” The child humbly came to Jesus because the child knew who Jesus was and what He could do. Jesus doesn’t want our pride to get in the way of coming to Him. The older we get, the harder it is for us to do this because the more stubborn we become. I look at older generations and see how so many of them are just stunted in their spiritual growth. They’re too set in their ways.
Put a black baby and a white baby together in the same room. Will they not play together? See if these babies look on each other with racist eyes. These children won’t judge each other. It’s not apart of their nature. But it happens all the time to adults. That person did this to me. She said that about me. Children don’t think like that. If someone does them wrong, they openly and humbly forgive.
Back to the kid who asked me that question. Why would he ask that bold and direct question? Because he is a child. He doesn’t hold back; it’s not in his nature. If he has a question or there is something on his heart, he will let you know. It is the nature of a child to be open. That’s what Jesus is saying, “Come to me and accept me openly. Without judgment, without caution, don’t hold back.” This is the way I want to come to Jesus. The open and honest humility of a child is what I want to have.
Sometimes being an adult is not that great. Bills to pay, bosses to answer to, relationships to maintain. Being an adult means having many responsibilities. Being an adult does have its advantages. When I was younger, I couldn’t wait until I grew up. When I was 15 I couldn’t wait until I turn 16 so I could just get in a car and drive. It’s funny because now I wish someone would drive me around sometimes. I also couldn’t wait until I could grow facial hair. I used to look at men with a beard or a mustache and say, “Now there’s a man.” An adult can grow facial hair, at least a male adult can. I’m not fully there on this one yet; some of it is a little patchy. Now though, I wish I didn’t have to shave. It’s funny how growing up works.
Becoming like a child. Grace-giving, accepting, loving, and forgiving – all qualities of a child that we tend to forget the older we grow. The humble little child that Jesus mentions didn’t have pride to stop him from coming to Jesus. That child’s mindset wasn’t, “I got this Jesus. I don’t need your help.” The child humbly came to Jesus because the child knew who Jesus was and what He could do. Jesus doesn’t want our pride to get in the way of coming to Him. The older we get, the harder it is for us to do this because the more stubborn we become. I look at older generations and see how so many of them are just stunted in their spiritual growth. They’re too set in their ways.
Put a black baby and a white baby together in the same room. Will they not play together? See if these babies look on each other with racist eyes. These children won’t judge each other. It’s not apart of their nature. But it happens all the time to adults. That person did this to me. She said that about me. Children don’t think like that. If someone does them wrong, they openly and humbly forgive.
Back to the kid who asked me that question. Why would he ask that bold and direct question? Because he is a child. He doesn’t hold back; it’s not in his nature. If he has a question or there is something on his heart, he will let you know. It is the nature of a child to be open. That’s what Jesus is saying, “Come to me and accept me openly. Without judgment, without caution, don’t hold back.” This is the way I want to come to Jesus. The open and honest humility of a child is what I want to have.
Feeling Blah
Sorry to disappoint, but this one is not about any kind of pain or heartache. This is not about joy and letting God have control of your life. This is not about always wearing a smile or even praying for your enemies. I really don’t know what this is about, so it’s just going to flow out. I was thinking to myself today, “Matt, you haven’t written anything this week. What’s going on?” Well, to be honest nothing is really going on. I’m just sort of here. Many ideas have been on my mind, and I have a lot of topics that I want to write about but I just can’t seem to get things down. I’m not really drained or anything; it just feels like I’m getting by. Things are neither high nor low. I’m not jumping for joy but I’m not down in the dumps. Tomorrow or even an hour from now, things may change. But as for right now I’m just here. Actually, I just stopped writing this for a few minutes, thinking I wasn’t making any sense. (And that’s probably right.) While I stopped working on this, I tried writing about a topic that has been on my mind lately, following God into the unknown, but I just couldn’t seem to get the words out. Call it writer’s block or whatever, but I guess I’ll try getting my feelings out about this now.
I think we all have these times in our lives. Times where we feel like things are just going; we feel life being pretty mundane. We are neither in the valley nor on top of the mountain. We not in the middle of a storm, but we are not seeing any sunshine either. At least, I hope I’m not alone here. I really hate feeling like this. Truthfully, it is kind of boring here. And I hate being bored. I mean really, who likes boredom. It all seems kind of bland and mundane. Give me spicy any day of the week. I would rather be way down in the valley than just in the middle of wherever I am right now. At least then I would have some sort of inspiration.
I think it is dangerous for our faith when we get in these kinds of places. I mean, when I’m facing a tragedy I have to depend on God to make it through. When I am experiencing something great, I feel like praising Him. But here’s it’s just kind of, blah. I know in times like this, I should do what a good Christian should do and be thankful for everything God has done for me. If the Apostle Paul was here he’d say, “Matt, you better rejoice son, let me say it again, Rejoice!” And I know that praising God during these times is the right thing to do, but let’s be honest, we don’t naturally feel like praising Him when things are going “just okay.”
Maybe if I wasn’t so forgetful, I would do better during times like this. I forget where I place my car keys at least once a week. And when I’m going through these times where I’m just in the middle, I forget really how much I really am thankful for. I also forget how much I do really need God. As I said, we depend on God a whole lot more when we are hurt rather than when we’re just doing alright. Maybe that’s why Paul had to tell people to rejoice twice. He knew they would forget to rejoice if he only mentioned it once. So for now, I will try to rejoice. God has brought me through a lot. He has matured me through difficult times, some just happened and some were my own doing. Now that I am reflecting on how much He has actually worked in my life to bring me where I am today, I really do realize how much I do need Him. It is amazing to look back and see the little and big things He has done to bring me along. But I am also realizing that there is more ahead. There are more tragedies. There are more mountaintop experiences. And there is more of Him. So for now, I will break away from this place of just getting by, of just being “okay.” I will be thankful for the past, and yearn for more of Him in my future. So now I will live blessed and breathe on…
I think we all have these times in our lives. Times where we feel like things are just going; we feel life being pretty mundane. We are neither in the valley nor on top of the mountain. We not in the middle of a storm, but we are not seeing any sunshine either. At least, I hope I’m not alone here. I really hate feeling like this. Truthfully, it is kind of boring here. And I hate being bored. I mean really, who likes boredom. It all seems kind of bland and mundane. Give me spicy any day of the week. I would rather be way down in the valley than just in the middle of wherever I am right now. At least then I would have some sort of inspiration.
I think it is dangerous for our faith when we get in these kinds of places. I mean, when I’m facing a tragedy I have to depend on God to make it through. When I am experiencing something great, I feel like praising Him. But here’s it’s just kind of, blah. I know in times like this, I should do what a good Christian should do and be thankful for everything God has done for me. If the Apostle Paul was here he’d say, “Matt, you better rejoice son, let me say it again, Rejoice!” And I know that praising God during these times is the right thing to do, but let’s be honest, we don’t naturally feel like praising Him when things are going “just okay.”
Maybe if I wasn’t so forgetful, I would do better during times like this. I forget where I place my car keys at least once a week. And when I’m going through these times where I’m just in the middle, I forget really how much I really am thankful for. I also forget how much I do really need God. As I said, we depend on God a whole lot more when we are hurt rather than when we’re just doing alright. Maybe that’s why Paul had to tell people to rejoice twice. He knew they would forget to rejoice if he only mentioned it once. So for now, I will try to rejoice. God has brought me through a lot. He has matured me through difficult times, some just happened and some were my own doing. Now that I am reflecting on how much He has actually worked in my life to bring me where I am today, I really do realize how much I do need Him. It is amazing to look back and see the little and big things He has done to bring me along. But I am also realizing that there is more ahead. There are more tragedies. There are more mountaintop experiences. And there is more of Him. So for now, I will break away from this place of just getting by, of just being “okay.” I will be thankful for the past, and yearn for more of Him in my future. So now I will live blessed and breathe on…
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