Well, here I am at this place in time...It's been quite a few months and weeks for me some highs and pretty big lows including experiences of death,doubt and depression for sure, you can add some fear and struggle and it can only mean one thing...God is doing something very good in my life!
I have been brought to this day and reminded that my whole purpose in life or should I say our purpose as Christians is to bear fruit for God's glory. We have been created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God has planned in advance for us to do. Unfortunately, when we lose perspective, when we take our eyes off of Jesus, when we forget this motive for what we are doing, we stop bearing fruit or at least we lose our joy in doing so. (forget our first love?)
I lost this perspective and had to be reminded of it by God drawing me closer to Him through some trials and pain and sorrow. Yesterday, I felt Jesus so close to me that I felt like being a young toddler again, who in a strange place, with strangers all around, clings tightly to their parents leg always reaching out and touching so contact is always maintained. (pray without ceasing?) Yearning to follow very closely and afraid to lose sight...(dependence, this is good no?)
This, I believe is a good thing because no fruit can be produced without closely abiding with Jesus.
My goal for today is to focus and meditate on the fact that all fruit bearing is for God's glory. Currently, I lack this perspective. My attitude has been I will do this thing because I will feel guilty or even fearful if I did not do it. I would like that perspective to change to the following...just as the birds, trees, seasons, stars, oceans and everything else God created brings Him glory, so should I (we) being a human being created in His image and likeness bring Him glory by being an imitator of Him.
With His Spirit guiding us in truth (the truth), and our willing obedience to His way,(the way)we will produce great fruit in every aspect of our life: work, relationships, thoughts, attitudes, worship, marrige...you name it, every area of our existence. Sound like the abundant life, (the life) Christ died to give to me and you...
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2 comments:
unless i missed something in reading this blog, i would have to say you've got it right on 100 percent... i know myself, that i have been going through some things that have been rather difficult; it's seems like it's just one thing after another; a hit in the arm, a kick in the leg, maybe one across the cheek or right in the jaw... getting hit left, right and center, with one thing after another and i'm starting to feel just a little bit like Job, although maybe not to the extreme that he was hit, but... we have got to keep our eyes on the goal like Paul said, "to live is Christ, and to die is gain"...and press toward the mark of that high calling for the glory of God... we are here to serve and worship Him and Him alone, and there can be no other God before Him... i keep finding myself wanting to do my daily devotions in prayer and worship and reading/studying His Word, and yet... finding myself unable to keep up with it consistantly... "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak"... it is my hope and my prayer for myself and for anyone else struggling with these same issues that we would not give up and not lose hope, because He is our one and only hope for all things good and true... we must abide in Him, the true vine, if we are to bear the fruit we were created to bear, and bring Him the glory that He alone is so worthy of... "to God be the glory, great things He has done" and will continue to do for those who trust in Him... may His Peace be with you all...
Yes! Yes! and finally Yes! You are right on with your response. I want to encourage you and others to respond to these blogs...its what they are here for and a good way to help us all grow.
It sounds to me like you are experiencing exactly what the scripture talks about in James with various trials and testing. Remember, God's goal in all this is to conform us in the image of Jesus...trials (hard things that happen to us) develop perserverence ( our ability to keep going in the midst of it) which produces character ( our attitudes and responses to things confirmed by the choices we make) which in turn produces hope. Jesus never said following Him was easy, in fact, He said the opposite...if anyone tells you Christianity is easy...better run away quick...just not so...but it is worth it!
Here is an idea, to help you and myself and others to grow in our daily devotionals...(yes, I need help there too!) Why don't we have a bible study for the worship and media team and others who might want to join. Since we will be studying the book of Romans in a few weeks, would'nt it be great to use that as a daily devotional...we can take a small section at a time and disect it accordingly to go along with Jeff's preaching calandar. Get folks to journal and share our thoughts (even through this blog) with eachother as we go through it...let me know what you all think...Peace in your hearts...Vince
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