The Necessity of Reorienting Myself...Daily

I'm stuck.  I'm stuck in this world.  And I am subjected to constantly thinking in this mind I have that has so much of "this very world" all over it.  I cannot escape it.  I am stuck here.  I have known no other worlds.  I was born into this world.  I will one day die in this world.  And everything in between will be done in this world.  

Well Done Good and Faithful Son, Student, Employee...Christian?

I've always taken responsibility very seriously.  And it seemed that proportional to the power over me, I generally responded respective to the weight of the leadership above me.  For instance, I am sure I did a few things as a kid that my parents wouldn't have approved of, but overall I learned early the importance of responding to what they asked of me.  So whether it was the dishes that needed to be done, or the lawn that needed to be mowed, I generally responded very responsibly with what was entrusted to me.   Of course there was school as well.  I was never the smartest of kids, but I found out quickly that I did well to do what was asked of me in the classroom and what work was required of me outside the classroom.  These teachers I encountered at all different levels held a tremendous amount of power over me and my potential future.  Responding to what they were asking of me, in a manner that honored them would ultimately serve me well.

The Entrance Into Life

Every Wednesday you can find me there.  While my time there is pretty limited, I try to make myself available to help in any capacity I can from about 10 to 11:30am.  I usually spend my time going to visit residents, some of whom I regularly frequent, others who I may not again see.  I marvel at the stories I hear, the faces I see, the pains and the simple joys all coupled together.  There is something real that happens every time I ask questions about life that those in this particular nursing home I frequent that leaves me speechless and realizing how little I know. 

Your Jesus is Helpless

I found myself in a cafe today, when a gentleman overheard my conversation with another person and chimed in.  We were merely making small talk about bicycles.  The next thing I know I am hearing about this man's two bikes.  He went in detail about the type of tires he likes to use.  He emphasized to me the need to look into similar tires for my bike.  I just listened and spoke where I was given opportunity.  

When I Can't Work for God

Ever since the dawn of time and the constructive work of God to take some dust from the ground, form a man out of it and then breathe into him, God has designed for man to work.  There is no mistaking the purposes of God.  Adam was given a plethora of tasks: be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over some of creation (Gen 1:28), to take care of the Garden (Gen 2:15), name the animals (Gen 2:19).  This is a part of the good purposes of God in His creation.  Of course Adam and Eve, these representatives for the rest of humanity, also brought upon themselves and all thereafter the curse of God that resulted in work being difficult, and less than enjoyable (Gen 3:17-19).  But make no mistake about it, God's design includes work.

The Purpose of God's Faithfulness (observing Paul in prison)

We often give opposing things and people way too much credit for what they didn't do. We give them credit for what they haven't purposed.  We all too quickly point out the apparent sin in the lives of those who face opposition, or difficulty, because as we know and understand God, we believe living in a certain agreement with His rules seemingly provides us with an immunity to anything that is undesirable, painful, or oppressive in nature.  And we are quick to locate the specific sin in our lives for which we assume God has this cause against us for which we are apparently suffering.  But that is not necessarily the case, and indeed likely isn't at all the case. Difficult situations display something far greater than plans and purposes and results of the sinful and even our sin. 

Chasing After the Rejection of God

It is so easy to look at the failures of many of those before us at a different time and in a different place and quickly observe the folly of their foolishness.  As of late I have been reflecting on the Israelites and their freedom from Egypt.  For a group of people who saw things that nobody else ever saw they sure are quick to forget about the LORD.  Consider the ten plagues that God brought upon Egypt.  For all that could only be described as divinely miraculous, these people soon thereafter forgot about what God had done.  And though they advanced between two walls of water at the parting of the Red Sea, these same people shortly after found themselves doubting the same God who did that.