A Box Or Our Hearts

I know everyone talks about putting God in a box, but I want to throw in my two cents on the matter. I remember my reaction the first time I heard this statement, it didn't really make sense to me. I guess this is one of those things I view as black and white; either God is apart of your life, or he isn't. If He isn't then going to church on Sunday and ignoring His existence the rest of the week won't really make you a follower of Christ.

In the same way going to church, bible study, and doing volunteer work throughout the week doesn't make you a "Christian" either. So what does? The all famous phrase "Christianity isn't a religion its a __________." I'll let you think about that one for a second... Alright, if you answered anything other then "relationship" please leave a comment with what you put, I'll get with you later. (In fact, I wish people would leave comments on my posts period.) You need to have Jesus in your heart.

Any good relationship is a two way street. You wouldn't spend time with your spouse, children, siblings, or good friends on the weekend then forget they exist on Monday morning, would you? Why not? The same is true for God, He is our Heavenly Father and we should remember Him in all our actions throughout the week; keeping Him in our hearts. As we do this our relationship with the Creator will grow deeper and fonder.

So where do you keep Him the most? In a box? Or in your heart?

Spiritual Nourishment

In this day and age we have access to God's word so easily, so readily in so many different forms. Hundreds of translations, various methods of telling the stories, thousands of sermons available online at the click of a button and all typically for free. Yet, for some reason we seem to be the most spiritually malnourished generation since Jesus' time on Earth.

Along with this easy access to God's word comes easy access to so many other forms of entertainment, distractions that is. We are so concerned with what's going on in the news, or our favorite TV shows of the year that time with God gets pushed back more and more and more. We say things like "I'll read my Bible tomorrow." But tomorrow is always tomorrow.

Until we change our attitudes, until we change how we think and look at the world, tomorrow will just be tomorrow. It's time for tomorrow to be today; time for later to be now. We can't just sit around waiting for change. If we want change, especially in ourselves, WE have to start it.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

-Mahatma Gandhi

God has given us the nourishment we desire, we just have to seek it, and spend our time in it.

“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.

-Isaiah 55:1-3

Have Faith

"Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you." -Psalms 9:10

I had awaken early this morning, before even the sun had risen, with the thoughts of a dear friend. As I worked through these thoughts and memories some words were spoken to me:

God doesn't promise things won't change, but He does promise that when they do, He will take care of us.

I felt inspired to share these words, so I posted them on Twitter and Facebook, but then I started thinking about faith. I thought it would be a good opportunity to update my blog, so I started searching through the bible for topics on faith. There are lots. After reading through so many I was encouraged yet disheartened; I had no clue where to go from there and almost just stopped there. But I logged in to my blog account anyway and stumbled across a post I had written back on March 25th, 2010. Yeah, over a year and a half before this post. After I wrote the ramblings in that post I had decided not to post it for whatever reason, I was probably scared and frustrated with somethings going on in life. Anyhow here is the post I didn't publish:

I live my life day to day. Some good, many miserable. I wonder why, but I know the answer. I go along, pretending to be fine. Telling everyone I'm fine.

I wonder if I'm truly alive, not because I'm dead but because I'm empty. Or at least feel empty.
I only say this because I was talking to a friend of mine who is feeling similar. I've known this to be the problem for a while, but this is the first I am speaking of it.

I do things to help, don't I? Maybe it isn't enough, or maybe I'm not doing the right things.

I want to rid myself of this feeling. I want to feel full. And I know that I need to do more for God. He can fill me, but I'm afraid to do more, or to change what I'm doing. And even if I decide to do something, what? What would I do?

Well, God has certainly changed my life. I read this and thought, 'This is me?' But it isn't. It WAS me. There will be changes in our lives, constantly and frequently. We can't allow these changes to turn us from God, instead we must have faith in Him to see us through. Let me tell you, I no longer feel that way. I don't feel full exactly, but I do not in the least feel empty anymore.

Faith is something I often struggle with; I have it, but not consistently. I worry, I get stressed out, but things always work out. Maybe not the way I had intended, but they do always seem to work out.

If something is troubling you, if you are worried, stressed, or afraid of something that might be changing, or has already changed, please don't be. Just stop and take a few minutes of your day to pray about it. Maybe write it out like a letter or blog post. Let it sit there for a few weeks before you post it, send it, delete it, or whatever. Just keep praying about it, ask God what He wants for you. Ask Him for help, He will give it to you.

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

      You don't really need to read all of these, just get the basic idea.
NVI, Genesis 1 (respectively numbered):

 ³ And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
⁶ And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water."
⁹ And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so.
¹¹ Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.
¹⁴ And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 
²⁰ And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."  
²⁴ And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so.
²⁶ Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
 ²⁷ So God created man in his own image,
       in the image of God he created him;
       male and female he created them. 

       Words. Powerful words. Through words alone God shaped our world, and created us in His image. As pointed out by a dear friend of mine, words are a powerful tool that we received from our Father; our God. But this tool is more often misused then not. Even in simple ways. If I say I'm going to do something, I try to the best of my abilities to do it. Of course I'm not perfect; I forget from time to time. It seems to me that some people just don't care thought, "Sure, I'll help you on Saturday." Friday night they think 'Oh actually I'd rather do that then help him...'.

     If you say you are going to do something, then do it! If you have no intention of following through with your word, don't say anything! If you aren't sure you will be able to, then either don't say you will, or say you will try but might not be able to. Its an easy concept. By taking a few minutes, or even a few seconds you can usually determine whether you will be able to follow through with whatever you are thinking about saying.


NIV, Matthew 5 (Paying attention specifically to 37):

 ³³"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' ³⁴But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; ³⁵or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

      Words can be very hurtful when misused. And very moving, doing much good when used appropriately. Go out! Be responsible! Think! Think! Think! Do good with your words!