A lot has been on my mind lately. I want to talk about it all but don't know how. There is so much I want to share but I don't know the right words to use. Sometimes, in my attempt to share with people, I say too much. Or, I say things in a manor that the person doesn't take kindly to. I never mean to offend, or belittle anyone. Nor do I ever want people to feel as if I am judging them. But, the truth is, sometimes it happens. Not that I am judging them, but they feel like I am. Or, sometimes people feel offended by what I say.
I need to choose my words a little bit more carefully. Which can be hard for me because the Bible is so clear. God gave us this instruction book to study and examine, for all areas of our lives. He is the thread that holds our quilts together. As with a quilt, if you don't thread it together, it falls apart. So it is with Christ. If we don't thread all areas of our lives with Him, things will quickly fall apart. We need to let Him into everything. Really let Him work through us. We can't keep Him out of certain areas just because we don't want things to change.
Change can be so hard. About 5 years ago lots of changes occurred in my life, all at once. I tried to fight it at first. Then I realized I was just fighting with God. And that was NOT something I wanted to be doing! After lots and lots of prayer, I realized that His ways are the best ways. He knows the end from the beginning. I am so thankful that I had not hardened my heart to Him. I am thankful that He helped me read through His word to find His answers to so many things. I admit, it was hard at first but once you know you're doing God's Will, not 'feeling' like you're doing it, it's amazing how He just carries you through! ('Feelings' is a whole other post. Someday.)
I think I may have jumped around in this post. I'm hoping it made some sense. My head is all over the place today with Spiritual things.
I love the Lord! I am so grateful He suffered the cross for my sins and that He rose again and has ascended into heaven to make intercession for me. Christ is my high priest in heaven. Thank you Father God! Thank you Lord Jesus!
After the failure of comment number one that disappeared, let me try this again. ;o)
ReplyDeleteYour post reminds me of one of mine a few days ago, and also of something I have been feeling a lot lately. As Christians, we ARE to share our faith with others, but there is so much division in the church and in those who don't have a faith in God, that it is...treacherous waters. It is hard to know when a line has been crossed, because its hard to see the line. We have to draw ours in one place, but other people are placing that line somewhere else. Its a hard balance.
I was reading the story of the Prodigal Son the other day, and reading a posting by someone else about the story as well, as one thing I had never noticed before, or I realized but never thought about it I suppose, is that yes the prodigal son came home, but no one sought after him. No one ran away and pleaded with him to come back, or tried to convince him of what was right, they knew it would be pointless. This is like someone who knew of Christ and has heard the gospel and knows the truth, and has chosen to leave it behind and turn their backs on it. If they come home, there will be great rejoicing, but whatever we do will be ineffective to them, because they have chosen to turn away from it. It isn't out of ignorance or being lost, it is a choice they made to actively move away from the faith and the Lord.
Now, just prior to this we read the stories of the Lost sheep and the Lost coin. These are different because they did not choose to be lost, they did not choose to leave or turn their backs, but yet they are lost. These are actively sought after! And these are who we are to be trying to reach - those who are truly lost, and not those who have already made a choice in the other direction.
Anyway, it was something that really hit home for me. Lately I had made the decision that with people I know or meet, that I would be up front about my faith with them from the beginning, and I would tell them I had to share the gospel with them, but after that I wouldn't bring it up with them again or "bother" them with it, unless they come to me wanting to talk. I share with them, and then I let us continue in our relationship. I continue to live my faith and I may even talk with them about wonderful things I am experiencing in my faith or in the church, but I won't try to convince them or anything. I share it and then I let it be, it is in their court, and God has His hand on their hearts. So far it is working great!
Anyway, this may not even have anything to do with your post now that I think about it, but its what your post meant to me and it re-triggered this thought process in my brain, so there ya go. =o)