Friday, August 10, 2012

Show God’s Light Through Your Life

This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel:

“Seek me and live;” -- Amos 5:4

Where are you headed? Do you have a specific destination in mind or are you just sort of drifting? Are you seeking God’s will and purpose for your life or are you just trying to fit in His plan with the life you desire for yourself?

Some members of my Sunday school class get frustrated with me sometimes because I always tell them to stay focused on the light. Keep on the narrow road. Remember what is truly important.

It’s not that I don’t care about today or even tomorrow. We are all called to work hard, to provide for ourselves and our families, to do good where we are, to live each moment for Him.

Those who get frustrated are mostly the ones who are working hard to improve themselves financially. They have a good life, want to keep that good life, and resent any notion that maybe that good life shouldn’t be their focus.

I’m not opposed to living well. Obviously. We all want to be financially successful and comfortable. We all want to be able to do what we want to do when we want to do it. That’s just part of being human.

But when those things are our main goal, when we lose sight of God and what His purpose is for our lives, then we’re headed down a road that is destined to swallow us up.

Many of us have suffered, whether through illness, the loss of someone we loved, unemployment, or other things that shake our foundation. And when we emerge on the other side of suffering we come to understand what is truly important. And it isn’t our house, our cars, our bank balance.

What’s important is the people around us as we journey toward God. Because that’s what the light is. God. And that’s where all believers are headed, toward an eternity spent with God. It’s our goal. It’s the main purpose of the journey. It’s the light at the end of a sometimes really dark tunnel.

But the journey isn’t for ourselves. It’s so that we can bring glory and honor to God in all that we do. It’s so that we can show others what it means to have Jesus living inside of us. It’s so that through love and kindness and compassion we can make the world a better place than it would have been had we not made the journey.

So where are you headed? I’m headed toward heaven and an eternity with God. And in the meantime, I want to show the world that Jesus lives inside of me through my words, my actions, and my life.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

What Is In Your Heart?

"'Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years. Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings -- boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do,' declares the Sovereign LORD." -- Amos 4:4-5

What is in your heart? Does Jesus live there? Truly? Do you want to do good and yet sin? Or do you sin and figure it's okay because you're saved anyway?

God's people thought it was okay to sin. They worshipped idols -- much like we worship money and status today. They thought they could do what they wanted, then offer sacrifices and tithe and God would look the other way. That's like people who go to church and write a check but behave dishonestly in business and personal relationships the other six days of the week. They think it's okay, that somehow God forgives them because they go through the right motions come Sunday.

God wants you. And He wants me. He wants our hearts and minds and souls. God doesn't get any joy or glory when we merely go through the motions. He wants us to do good, to want to do good, because we love Him and desire to honor Him with our thoughts and actions.

Yeah, we're all sinners. The difference is in the desire to do good versus the idea that bad behavior is okay so long as we repent later. But repenting, then going out and doing the same thing again and again, isn't true repentance. How can anyone think they can hide their true intentions from God?

So I'll ask the question again: What is in your heart? Do you truly love God and want to do His will in all things? Or do you make excuses for bad behavior? It's a pretty big issue. One only you and God can work out. Remember that He already knows the answer. But do you?