I think for the better part of my life, I have just been going through the motions. No purpose. No direction. When I was younger I would go to school, come home and do homework, watch TV, go to my friends, go to bed and do it all over again the next day. Even now my days consist of homeschooling my kids, watching TV (though now the shows are far less interesting), playing games, and then going to bed just to do it all over again. Sometimes I feel like I'm in that movie "Groundhog's Day". Do you remember that movie? In case you don't, the premise of the movie is: a self-centered TV meteorologist who gets stuck repeating the same day over an over again. These are 2 of my favorite quotes from the movie:
1. "What if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today."
and the BEST one...
2. "What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?"
That last quote really hits home. Does anyone else feel like no matter how hard they try to change, everyday is the same and nothing you do matters? Or is it just me? I feel like this a lot and I think the reason is because I really don't try and find God's direction for me. So today, I am trying to see what God has to say about His purpose for my life.
Jeremiah 29:11"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope"
This verse tells me that:
1. God has a plan for my life...and your life.
2. God's plan is to give us a future and hope.
So many times we go through life bogged down with no direction, and we try and find our purpose in other things besides God. We all have a void in us; a God shaped hole and no amount of money or possessions will ever fill that void. I believe God will reveal His plan and purpose for us, but we have to be willing to listen and follow Him. Some people; some of my friends used to be close to God, but didn't think God saw them in their struggle. I used to think the same thing; that God must have not heard my cry. Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me assure of something...God sees you. He knows what you are going through. He sees every tear you cry. He knows everything there is to know about us...and He still loves us. In spite of our failures and shortcomings. That's the beauty of grace; that no matter what you've done, no matter how far away from God you are, you can still turn back to Him and He will be there. His plans for us don't change just because we refuse to listen. Let me share with you one of my favorite passages.
Psalm 34:17-20
"17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken."
Don't think that life has passed you by or that your best days are behind you. Don't think for one second that God can't use you. Don't think that He doesn't have something great for you to do. You just need to get to that place where you can hear Him. Where there are no distractions. Just you and God. Ask Him to show you His purpose for your life...He won't disappoint you. His plan for my life? I am going back to South Africa. That is where He is calling me to. What's His plan for your life? Ask Him.
Psalm 138:8
"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands"
Friday, January 10, 2014
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Change is Difficult
Day two of my new life and I am already posting about how difficult it is. Lol. It's the truth, though, and the truth shall set you free, right? I'm not going to pretend that I do not crave fast food, and other things that will "help" me make life easier, for a short time. I think that is the most luring thing about fast food, isn't it? It's easy and quick, and there's no clean up. For me that is so inciting because I usually, at any given time, have a bad headache so to be able to drive 5 mins and lunch/dinner is over...that sounds amazing. Not truly helpful though, is it? In life, everyone is presented with two choices: The easy way or the hard way.
In Mathew 7:13-14 Jesus said it like this,
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Why do only few find the gate that leads to life? Nobody wants the road that leads to death. The problem is, however, that no one enjoys taking the road less traveled. Now Jesus was talking spiritually and about our eternity. However, like most things in the bible, we can directly correlate this verse to other areas in our life as well. No one enjoys taking the road that is much more difficult. The wide road is easy and doesn't really have many challenges. The reality is, that nothing worthwhile in life comes easy. It requires discipline, hard work, and courage to keep going when things get really hard.
Unfortunately, being disciplined and working hard is almost unheard of in this world we live in. We expect too much and ask that it is delivered to us promptly. Sad, isn't it? but that's our reality.
My goal in this journey is to be healthy and to take my problems to God instead of food. This is not only going to require taking the road less traveled, it's also going to require a lot of perseverance. Perseverance to keep going even though this goal seems unattainable.
In Mathew 7:13-14 Jesus said it like this,
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Why do only few find the gate that leads to life? Nobody wants the road that leads to death. The problem is, however, that no one enjoys taking the road less traveled. Now Jesus was talking spiritually and about our eternity. However, like most things in the bible, we can directly correlate this verse to other areas in our life as well. No one enjoys taking the road that is much more difficult. The wide road is easy and doesn't really have many challenges. The reality is, that nothing worthwhile in life comes easy. It requires discipline, hard work, and courage to keep going when things get really hard.
Unfortunately, being disciplined and working hard is almost unheard of in this world we live in. We expect too much and ask that it is delivered to us promptly. Sad, isn't it? but that's our reality.
My goal in this journey is to be healthy and to take my problems to God instead of food. This is not only going to require taking the road less traveled, it's also going to require a lot of perseverance. Perseverance to keep going even though this goal seems unattainable.
1 Corinthians 9:27 ESV
But I discipline my body and keep it under control,lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
In Greek it says, " I pummel my body and make it a slave". How often do we let our body's control our actions? For me, it happens all too often. I have a long hard road ahead of me, and it may take longer to reach that goal if we follow the "hard" way, but it will be well worth it.
But I discipline my body and keep it under control,lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
In Greek it says, " I pummel my body and make it a slave". How often do we let our body's control our actions? For me, it happens all too often. I have a long hard road ahead of me, and it may take longer to reach that goal if we follow the "hard" way, but it will be well worth it.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Forgetting What Lies Behind
Well everyone, or no one, this is my first attempt at blogging. I have been wanting to write a blog for a long time, but never really thought I had anything that anyone would actually read. Now, after some encouragement from a friend at church (thanks LuAnn), I am finally doing it. So here we go.
Philippians 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
So, that is my inspirational verse for this blog. I will mainly be talking about my weight, and how it is affecting my relationship with God, at least in the beginning. I might venture out into new things as I grow and gain wisdom, but for now the topics will be about the dreaded issue for most women...weight.
Until recently, I didn't realize just how much my weight affects my relationship with God. I have realized that, far too often, I run to food for comfort instead of God. Far too often I try to handle the pain of my inadequacies with unhealthy eating. It comforts me for a short time, but ultimately it only leads to further feelings of inadequacies. It's a vicious cycle. Why do I do that, knowing that only God can truly meet those needs in my life? Well that's what I'm on the road to figure out. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that anyone who has a weight issue has something lacking in their relationship with God. For me, food is my comforter, not God and therein lies the problem. God should be my comforter. God should take that place...nothing else.
When I read those verses in Philippians this morning, I really took hold of this..."Forgetting what lies behind". How often do I remind myself of the past? Of times when I missed the mark? How many times do I call myself a failure? The answer to these questions would be...um...everyday. Sometimes multiple times a day. What good does that do me? What harm does that do to me? I can tell you this: talking or thinking or speaking that does absolutely NO good. Thinking that way can only cause harm. Constantly telling yourself that you are never good enough or allowing yourself to think such hateful thoughts about yourself will just exasperate the problems that are already there. We need to stop constantly badgering ourselves. That is exactly what the devil wants! He wants nothing more than to completely ruin you. He wants to bring you so low that you feel like you could never possibly do anything worth while for God.
Philippians 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
So, that is my inspirational verse for this blog. I will mainly be talking about my weight, and how it is affecting my relationship with God, at least in the beginning. I might venture out into new things as I grow and gain wisdom, but for now the topics will be about the dreaded issue for most women...weight.
Until recently, I didn't realize just how much my weight affects my relationship with God. I have realized that, far too often, I run to food for comfort instead of God. Far too often I try to handle the pain of my inadequacies with unhealthy eating. It comforts me for a short time, but ultimately it only leads to further feelings of inadequacies. It's a vicious cycle. Why do I do that, knowing that only God can truly meet those needs in my life? Well that's what I'm on the road to figure out. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that anyone who has a weight issue has something lacking in their relationship with God. For me, food is my comforter, not God and therein lies the problem. God should be my comforter. God should take that place...nothing else.
When I read those verses in Philippians this morning, I really took hold of this..."Forgetting what lies behind". How often do I remind myself of the past? Of times when I missed the mark? How many times do I call myself a failure? The answer to these questions would be...um...everyday. Sometimes multiple times a day. What good does that do me? What harm does that do to me? I can tell you this: talking or thinking or speaking that does absolutely NO good. Thinking that way can only cause harm. Constantly telling yourself that you are never good enough or allowing yourself to think such hateful thoughts about yourself will just exasperate the problems that are already there. We need to stop constantly badgering ourselves. That is exactly what the devil wants! He wants nothing more than to completely ruin you. He wants to bring you so low that you feel like you could never possibly do anything worth while for God.
1 Peter 5:8
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Notice he seeks someone he can devour. This tells me there are some he cannot devour. Let's be those people. Let's quit abusing ourselves. God does not see us as we see ourselves. For instance, if someone were to ask me what I think of myself...well I don't think a good thing would come out of my mouth. I'm constantly telling myself that I am not good enough. I'm not a good enough mother. Wife. Friend. Christian. Am I judging myself according to God? The answer is no. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are his workmanship. His original masterpiece. So I will leave you with this for today.
Psalm 62:8
8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
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