Life: For Better or Worse

Our Lord God is omniscient. He is omnipotent. Therefore He is everywhere, knows everything for all times. He is the Alpha and Omega -- the Beginning and the End. Did you know that in the Bible, He is referred to as Lord God only in Genesis (the first book of the Bible) and again in Revelation (the last book)?  But during those times in our lives in which we need Him the most, He doesn't seem to be around. I know that He is, of course, that He has chosen this distance for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons, I believe, is to test us -- to see if we will remain loyal to Him in silence or, if left to our own devices, we will turn toward a golden calf of our making. 

Another reason, perhaps, is that He desires for us to seek Him. God has given us different and simple ways for us to understand how a personal relationship with Him would/should work, the most common example being "falling in love." Disney called it "twitterpated" in Bambi. It's that first, initial attraction and subsequent pursuit. Life becomes crazy for us. We experience feelings that don't make sense...but we like them. 

Puppy love.

For those of us in marriage relationships, we know the importance of going out on dates so we can perpetuate special moments and keep the flame going. Every now and then it's also important to do things that remind us of those days and months (and years) of pursuit when we were head-over-heels for each other.  In the silent times in our lives, when God feels distant, I think He is reminding us of the special relationship we share with Him.

For those who aren't married, who date regularly, you are always experiencing that awesome sensation of pursuit, of desiring or being desired. Keep in mind that God has been pursuing us since before we were born. He already has a vested interest in us (after all, His Son died for us, thus purchasing us for a price). God, Himself, said it is not good for man to be alone -- and we hate loneliness!

So many of us experience a freedom, an elation, an exuberance when we turn our lives over to Christ for the first time. We can also compare that to relationships. As we move from one relationship to another, it's human nature to compare; by doing so, we make a semi-educated decision if that person is the one. By comparing our lives before knowing Jesus to after, we can recall those amazing feelings of pursuit and puppy love. We are reminded of where we've been, ponder where we are and trust God to guide us where we're going because we've seen how He's guided us thus far.

Taylor Swift, I believe, doesn't get the credit she deserves. Not only has she consistently turned out catchy number-one hit after hit (and all against the odds, by the way), she is a good, down-to-earth person. One of her latest, Begin Again, encapsulates these wonderful feelings of new love and of being valued for who we are by comparing our new feelings to those we felt while trapped in another dead-end relationship.

Did you feel valued before you came to know Christ? Were you alone in the world? What about after? He wants to be sought, He wants to be desired by us. He wants to be pursued!

As God transforms us, we begin to have purpose, to have a direction we didn't have before. People that don't understand call us crazy and that's okay! As we mature and those incredible feelings on the inside start to show on the outside, it becomes contagious. Those that didn't formerly understand begin to want to understand.

In a marriage, the love we share with our mate only deepens and matures...if properly nurtured. I love my wife more each passing day. She amazes me in new ways. She shares things with me that just awe me sometimes. That's how it is to love and be loved by God. 

Attraction to each other comes and goes and comes again for the duration - it's a fact of long-term relationships. But our love remains. Loving God is the same. As we read the Scriptures, as we seek to know Him, our love for Him only strengthens. Because we're human, and circumstances smack us in the face every now and then, loving God doesn't seem attractive to us, but we come around. The love remains. On the other hand, His love for us doesn't waiver. His attraction to us goes on, no matter how ugly we can make ourselves!

Another reason for silence might lie in the fact that He's busy working out the road ahead. Yes, He's still with us, guiding us one footstep and at a time. But He's also clearing the road of debris, or opening a tunnel, or developing new construction. I'll use this as a segue into my next post because this is where God has been during my time of silence. I'm excited to share it with you because it has been exciting to see how He's been moving in not only my life, but in lives around the globe!

Knee Deep

Today’s title doesn’t refer to one of my favorite Zac Brown Band songs but rather our current state of affairs. As in, “We’re knee-deep it in.” America is knee-deep in economic problems and moral collapse. My church is knee-deep in division and facing collapse. My son is knee-deep in everything. Where am I?

I slipped and fell headlong into the water. Because I’m trying to be honest with myself and true to this blog (and those who read it), it’s hard to admit failure. But I must because I am not a super-human. I’m nobody special. I fail and I make mistakes like everyone else. The Apostle Paul had a thorn in his side, the nature of which was never revealed to us, but I believe it was there to help keep him humble. Additionally, I think that everyone who knows God and diligently seeks Him in their lives has his/her own unique thorn to contend with – and it’s something that sticks with us for life (pardon the pun).

Once we discover what that thing is, we can use it as a gauge (perhaps one way in which God tests us) to see how we have grown; an evaluation tool to see where we need to go. I also think that once we see it for what it is and accept it as such, it’s easier for us to get up after stumbling over it. Take alcohol, for example. Someone can have problems with alcoholism, go through the 12 proper steps and no longer partake. They’re still going to be alcoholics for the rest of their lives, but it’s something they can use to gauge their progress (263 days sober) or their failure (1 beer last night). This is a very simplified example. Some thorns are much easier on us while others are more invasive.

Sexual addition is unique in that it is something one works toward overcoming, but in a marriage relationship, it’s a crucial function of that relationship, whereas alcohol isn’t necessary for anything. We become more sensitive to our weakness(es) and soon understand what things or situations trigger our human dependence on the thorn and avoid them in the future. With God’s help (which is when memorized applicable Scriptures come in handy), we can overcome. Or we can fail, get up and try again.

Christians traditionally have a bad habit of repeated sin; one certain thing that recurs over and over again. It’s that one thing that instantly popped into your mind as soon as I mentioned it. Please understand, I'm not suggesting we sin and ask forgiveness, sin and ask forgiveness, sin and ask forgiveness (that's what we've been doing). When God transforms us, He renews our mind. Those old things are put away for good and we live a lifestyle that reflects this transformation. That doesn’t mean we’re never going to trip over “that sin” again, it means that “that sin” no longer rules our lives like it once did. Now, it is simply an annoyance, a thorn in our side to keep us humble; to keep us focused; to remind us of Christ’s redemption and His transforming power in our life.

Yes, I’m knee deep in the water. I have fallen. Although I was wet, I dried fairly quickly and took another step. Having gotten used to the current and the ever-shifting riverbed underneath my feet, it seemed a little easier this time around. It’s okay to be shaken. We’re knee-deep in it most of the time. Our focus needs to remain on God – He is in control: of nations, of churches, of families, of lives. Things seem to spin out of control all the time – we even contribute to the spinning more often than not – but nothing, nothing! is out of control with God.

I created this blog as a public means of seeking God in my life, specifically for confirmation in what I’ve deemed The Plan that I believe God has laid out before me. Also this weekend, I came close to feeling like The Plan was merely a distraction, a test, to take me further from what I had, up to a few weeks ago, believed God was calling me to do. As I thought more about it, however, the more materialistic my thoughts became. That disturbed me. I felt like I was, again, being chained to something false. Therefore I focused a little more on The Plan and felt more at peace. Satan, the great Adversary, isn’t content with just letting us alone and changed his approach a little. With The Plan, he tried convincing me that, physically, I wouldn’t be able to execute it. Admittedly, I believed it...but only for a short time. At this point, Christians would (and should) get into their Bible’s and find Scripture for help:

                                I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.

                                                                                 -- Philippians 4:13

This one is common and comes to mind rather quickly. But God authored common sense, too. Therefore I was reminded that my previous job was labor-intensive and demanding and, with very little exception, I performed well for nearly ten years!

Again, another example that God is in control. If He wants me to do something – and I’m willing to do it – He will sustain me for the task at hand. I’ve got much to learn before making it across the Jordan and I’m thankful for what I’ve learned to this point in my life. I’ve slipped. I’ve fallen. I’ve gotten back up and I continue to go. That’s an important lesson, itself.