What Do I Know?

What Do I know?
Give me a subject and I'll try to come up with something.
Naw....that's not what I'm talking about.
My wife says that I'm a vast storehouse of useless knowledge.
That would be true.
I do love me some trivia.

Did you know that the band "Bubble Puppy" only had one hit....Hot Smoke and Sassafras? Or that R. Buckminister Fuller designed and built the first Geodesic Dome? See....Useless knowledge. Fun at get together's but it won't land you that job you've always wanted.

What else do I know?
I know that God loves in ways I can't comprehend. Oh, I say the words concerning His love for people....we even sang about it a child. "Jesus Love me, this I know".  But when I look at myself, I wonder how He can do it.
A God that is perfect and holy....
A God who never messes up or gets things wrong, love me. Me! The Goof Up of all Goof-up-dom. God has affection and wants to work in my life even though I keep messing up. 

I think sometimes that is why the church comes up with rule and reg's, as a means to keep us all on the "Holy" Track. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating an "anything" goes mentality when it comes to following Jesus. I'm just saying that we seem to want to prove our worth back to God by trying to jump through the rules hoop.  There is a standard we are called to live to, but it is only possible when we realize who we are in Christ. That in Him, I can do all things. Outside of Him, I can only mess up, break, destroy, hurt, and loose things. In Him, I can love with a pure, unconditional love. Outside of Him, I have trouble even loving myself. I don't follow religious rules in order to prove my worth to others, or to Christ. In fact, I don't even follow the rules of religion. I follow Christ. What does that mean. Well, when Christ is my focus, I am falling in love with Him. As I study scripture..........as I spend time in prayer.....as I tell my story to others who don't know Jesus.....as I meet with others who are also falling in love with Jesus, our focus becomes "How can we live our lives so that it is pleasing to God?" 

Living in this manner puts the desire inside to never want to disappoint God. Will we? Of course we will. We will sin. We will mess up. We will say the wrong thing. We will let the old nature surface and act in ways that are not in line with God's heart, but there is always forgiveness when we come to our senses and repent, confess and receive His forgiveness. In other words, God knows all to well the nature of man, but still desires to have fellowship with us. How cool is that?

I want to close with a passage from II Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure (The Spirit of God living inside us) in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
God compares us to empty vessels made of clay. If I remember my Bible, Adam was made of clay. You say it was dirt? Well, in Genesis 2, we read where God formed Adam from the dust of the ground, but was also read where a mist of water use to rise up and water the earth. What happens when you mix water and dust? Well of course...you get mud or clay. So God puts His presence, His Holy Spirit inside those clay pots that have turned over will and life to His care. Why did He choose to do this? So that we may truly realize that His power gives us the ability and desire to live a life that is pleasing to Him. 

Of course, you know I'm going to tie all this up and place it in recovery mode don't you? This whole "Treasure in earthen vessels" is the missing piece of recovery that has eluded many a soul. It is the turning to Him and recognizing He alone has the power to move us into a new way of living. I focus my will on following Him daily. I surrender my entire life.....spirit, soul and body to His care. I am now filled with a treasure that money cannot buy. As the big book of A A states...."I was rocketed into a new dimension of living."
Think on these things....
God on you...
mb