Good Friday morning to you....
Time: 4:33 a.m.
Coffee: Well into my first cup.
Place: Greene Street / Attalla, Alabama.
Purpose: haven't a clue.
Now that isn't true...
I do know what my purpose is.
To worship God....
That's it...
Worship includes learning to love Him....
Worship includes learning to love others...
Then Jesus threw me a curve ball....
Love others as I love myself.
The first two are fairly easy.
I have spent the last 36 years learning how to love God.
Some day's I'm really good at it...
Some day's I fully expect Him to show up and kick me out of the club.
But I haven't given up.
I haven't chucked it all to run back to an old lifestyle that puts God out to the curb.
I'll keep trying.
There are two verses that have been with me all week.
They clearly point out my need to not only pray, but to lean into Jesus. Keep my attention and my heart focused on Him. No matter what life may be handing me, I have to believe that Christ is the answer to every thing I face.
I Peter 5:6-7
Therefore, humble yourselves ( A decision I have to make) under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting ALL your care ( Anxieties / problems) upon Him, for He cares for you.
Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything ( What falls under the heading of "everything?") by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Do you catch the gist of what these two verses are really saying?
Because this is life changing if you can ever wrap your head around it. The bottom line is that God has made a promise to us, that if we exercise our faith in Him, then He will reciprocate in a manner that will lift us up and take us through whatever comes our way. No longer do we have to be tossed about by our emotions. Not longer do we have to dwell within the prison walls of doubt and fear, lingering in the darkness not knowing how to deal with life.
In the old life of addiction, a person always seemed to know where to run to when life got hard......their drug of choice. Such behavior didn't make life better, it only opened the door to alter the mood and provide a temporary escape to whatever was out there waiting for us to deal with it. We ran down that path so many times, that we actually programmed ourselves to respond in this manner whenever any problem reared its ugly head.
In this new life, we should be of a mind and spirit to turn to Christ daily....
Turn to Him in the good times...
Turn to Him in the bad times...
Turn to Him when nothing is going on...
Turn to Him when it seems as thought he wheels are coming off.
Go back and take the two verses above and read them carefully.
Ask yourself, "Is this behavior a part of my life?". If not, then carefully consider how much your life might change if you decided to start living according to these verses. You might, in fact, discover that this Jesus really is who He claimed to be, and will do what He has promised He would do.
Think on this...
God on you...
mb
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