Well lately a lot has been going on in my life. Work is changing in a lot of positive ways, school is continuing to be busy, and I continue to look for houses. With all of the different activities going on I have really seen God's timing.
He has pushed me back many times in the past few weeks and stopped me from what I was asking for. He has done this for years. Sometimes it is so hard for me to figure out his timing and why He has stopped me but eventually (sometimes years later) you start to see His big picture. This really brought me back to us looking at ourselves before we look at our reason to be on earth. We continually think about ourselves and what we want. We overlook the big picture a lot and look for the instant gratification. I do this all the time. I really wanted this past house I bid on but I did not get it and in turn was very disappointed. I haven't found that right house yet even though I thought I had and God will help put me in the right spot to better service his kingdom.
It is easy for us in our faith and daily lives to get mad at God because we don't get what we want. But have you ever thought about God getting what he wants. God wanted a world without sin. He wants loyal disciples. He wants people to honor his name and follow his commandments. None of us can sit here and say we do all of these things. Do we notice how often we disappoint God because we want to have things happen on our own timing? This is all because we become selfish. We must lay down our lives for the Lord and sacrifice our selfishness for Him. Similar to in a relationship with a girlfriend/boyfriend it will have a hard time working if we are only thinking about ourselves and not about the other person. We must think of His will first and ours second. If you think of His will first you will see a change in your life and daily decisions.
I challenge each of you this week to put His will first. Sacrifice yourself for him. Think about having a relationship with him and making his priorities first. Step back and take some time to reflect on His plan. Even though we don't always see his timing remember He has you in his hand and is molding you like a great piece of pottery. Sometimes you may think you should take a different shape but remember he has the ultimate design for you.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Sunday, May 4, 2014
The Great Contractor
Well today I wanted to talk about God's house. As a few of you know I have taken the step of beginning to look for a house. This process if you haven't been through it can be very stressful and really beat you up. You look at hundreds of listings online, you look at a number in person, and then you have to decide on what you are going to bid and how much. These decisions all have to be made in a day or less with how fast the market is moving but are decisions that are going to greatly affect you for the next years.
While going through many houses the past few weeks, I think I have seen it all. I have seen houses that are gorgeous inside and out and very well maintained. Then on the other side I have seen some houses which needed to be completely gutted and torn down to the studs. These houses needed thousands of dollars to be invested in them to feel comfortable even sleeping there.
During all of this I really got to looking at my faith and how house shopping is very similar to our own relationships with God. God has many children including each one of you. The price tag on each one of us is the same as we are all equal but the work that needs to be done differs. We work to live a Godly life to help minimize that work but we are still a mess. We are a new bathroom but a destroyed kitchen and living room. We all need work just like every house I walked into needed something. Although too much work on these houses detoured me from putting an offer in it does not detour God. He is willing to put that work in to make you whole. He knows you have a great outer shell and just need some remodeling.
That remodeling can come in many different forms. Maybe it involves going to church for the first time, or joining a bible study within your church. Sometimes it could be listening to different music, or getting into his word more. God uses many ways to remodel you just like you can with a house. You can knock out that wall or just patch it up. Both will work but the way you choose to remodel can affect the outcome. It can be a pain to tear everything down and start new but sometimes it is necessary. We need to allow ourselves to let God completely remodel us. Let him take control and knock those walls down. Don't try to just patch up your problems but let him tear them down and rebuild you. He is the ultimate contractor. He will make you into the best person you could ever dream of plus more. He will make you into that house that you walk into and say "This is the one". In his eyes each one of us are this way. He loves you unconditionally and always has. His love is eternal and even though we are a mess we are his.
While going through many houses the past few weeks, I think I have seen it all. I have seen houses that are gorgeous inside and out and very well maintained. Then on the other side I have seen some houses which needed to be completely gutted and torn down to the studs. These houses needed thousands of dollars to be invested in them to feel comfortable even sleeping there.
During all of this I really got to looking at my faith and how house shopping is very similar to our own relationships with God. God has many children including each one of you. The price tag on each one of us is the same as we are all equal but the work that needs to be done differs. We work to live a Godly life to help minimize that work but we are still a mess. We are a new bathroom but a destroyed kitchen and living room. We all need work just like every house I walked into needed something. Although too much work on these houses detoured me from putting an offer in it does not detour God. He is willing to put that work in to make you whole. He knows you have a great outer shell and just need some remodeling.
That remodeling can come in many different forms. Maybe it involves going to church for the first time, or joining a bible study within your church. Sometimes it could be listening to different music, or getting into his word more. God uses many ways to remodel you just like you can with a house. You can knock out that wall or just patch it up. Both will work but the way you choose to remodel can affect the outcome. It can be a pain to tear everything down and start new but sometimes it is necessary. We need to allow ourselves to let God completely remodel us. Let him take control and knock those walls down. Don't try to just patch up your problems but let him tear them down and rebuild you. He is the ultimate contractor. He will make you into the best person you could ever dream of plus more. He will make you into that house that you walk into and say "This is the one". In his eyes each one of us are this way. He loves you unconditionally and always has. His love is eternal and even though we are a mess we are his.
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