I was sitting in church last week and after the sermon I came to a new understanding of my faith. Maybe I’m slow, but maybe I’m not. I know that I’ve heard that God’s gift of salvation is free, and I understand it but now it has a new meaning for me.
Gods’ gift is free. It’s free. I don’t need to do anything. It’s not a buy one get one free deal. It’s not a do this for the free gift. All it requires of me is acceptance of this gift. Other religions you have to follow these steps or do things. ‘If you meditate enough during the day you will find your inner peace and your heaven. If you only eat certain foods, if you pray everyday, if you give this much money, if you are good, you do good things for other, you will make it to heaven.’ That is what other religions tell me; If I work hard enough I will be free from my burdens and worries, I can free myself!
But God tells me, “ You don’t need to do anything. You don’t need to pray, you don’t need to do good things or give money. I’m giving this away and all you need to do is accept it.“
What kind of God is this? He requires nothing? There’s a catch right? I have to do what God tells me? Buy into a church right?
No. Just plain acceptance of this gift. Acceptance of this completely undeserving gift? I want to know more. More about this God that requires nothing from me. A free gift given so simply. What is this God thinking? That is why I follow Him. That is why I do what God asks me. He doesn’t make me, I don’t have to love others, to give to others, to tithe, to pray, to read my Bible, to share God’s love, but He asks me to do these things. He simply asks that as someone who loves Him, who has accepted His gift, that I do these things.
Maybe that still isn’t clear, but to me it makes sense. I don’t have to pray. I don’t have to love others, but God gave me a free gift with no strings attached so these things that He asks me to do are the LEAST I can do in thanks, not in repayment, cause I can never repay what has been given to me. I love and follow God to try to better understand why He has blessed me so much.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Waiting on the world to change
I was sitting in the teachers lounge the other day and the conversation turned to the economic “crisis” that is sweeping the nation. They were talking about how they had stopped watching the news and reading the newspaper because it was so depressing and that some were surprised that there weren’t people jumping off buildings because they have lost everything, others chimed in that there were in fact suicides from this recent downturn of the economy . That made me think about the sad estate of the U.S. When people have put all their stock, their hard work, their worth in the things of this life it makes me sad. Because it is inevitable that all things on this earth die, they waste away and nothing lasts. When those things fade, your wealth you have built, your possessions, your status in your job that you have worked so hard to obtain and it is gone on the whim of a breeze, what is there left to live for? Does anything matter anymore now that it’s gone?
Perhaps I am not the one to be speaking on this, I don’t have a 401K, I don’t have stocks that I have lost, or a pension. I haven’t been in a big disaster where I’ve lost all my belongings. So maybe I can’t speak from personal experience, but I can say that I am not putting much stock in this world because the world can hang at any minute. The world revolves around, not just physically but also in history. This is not the first time the U.S. has gone through this, and it most likely won’t be the last. The economy will recover and the gas prices will go up and the world will keep spinning around and people will still jump off buildings. Only one thing remains the same, God. And that’s were I invest my time and put my fortune, cause He never fails, He never crashes, His prices don’t change.
I think that one of the biggest reasons that we have this problem is the consumer attitude that we have here in America. The best way to illustrate it is the recent Subaru Forester commercial that is on t.v. A man’s voice comes on and narrates on how much they love their old Forester, but they heard that the newest model had come out and they really wanted it. So they had to make room in their garage for the new Forester. At first you think, oh, they are selling their old one, but no they are just buying another one and getting rid of a boat. That I feel epitomizes the American mentality. “If it’s new, I need it! Even if I have one already!”
I’m not perfect, and yes I do sometimes fall into that pit. It’s hard not to when that has been your whole life. People have lived at certain level in their life, and now that times are hard instead of changing their lifestyle or their thinking on how to use and handle their money, they need more! More to continue living in their comfortable lifestyle! But bailing out big corporations isn’t working. One of the big loan companies took a huge trip for their CEO’s that was in the millions once they got their huge check. They don’t need more money, WE don’t need more money! We need an attitude change, we need a life change!
I want to say again, I am not perfect. And those who know me know that can attest to my many imperfections. But it saddens my heart when I hear about people giving up on life when things are hard, when the life they are used to, the things of this life that they think are important come crashing down and there are no other options in their life. I don’t really know what else to say. It just is so…
Perhaps I am not the one to be speaking on this, I don’t have a 401K, I don’t have stocks that I have lost, or a pension. I haven’t been in a big disaster where I’ve lost all my belongings. So maybe I can’t speak from personal experience, but I can say that I am not putting much stock in this world because the world can hang at any minute. The world revolves around, not just physically but also in history. This is not the first time the U.S. has gone through this, and it most likely won’t be the last. The economy will recover and the gas prices will go up and the world will keep spinning around and people will still jump off buildings. Only one thing remains the same, God. And that’s were I invest my time and put my fortune, cause He never fails, He never crashes, His prices don’t change.
I think that one of the biggest reasons that we have this problem is the consumer attitude that we have here in America. The best way to illustrate it is the recent Subaru Forester commercial that is on t.v. A man’s voice comes on and narrates on how much they love their old Forester, but they heard that the newest model had come out and they really wanted it. So they had to make room in their garage for the new Forester. At first you think, oh, they are selling their old one, but no they are just buying another one and getting rid of a boat. That I feel epitomizes the American mentality. “If it’s new, I need it! Even if I have one already!”
I’m not perfect, and yes I do sometimes fall into that pit. It’s hard not to when that has been your whole life. People have lived at certain level in their life, and now that times are hard instead of changing their lifestyle or their thinking on how to use and handle their money, they need more! More to continue living in their comfortable lifestyle! But bailing out big corporations isn’t working. One of the big loan companies took a huge trip for their CEO’s that was in the millions once they got their huge check. They don’t need more money, WE don’t need more money! We need an attitude change, we need a life change!
I want to say again, I am not perfect. And those who know me know that can attest to my many imperfections. But it saddens my heart when I hear about people giving up on life when things are hard, when the life they are used to, the things of this life that they think are important come crashing down and there are no other options in their life. I don’t really know what else to say. It just is so…
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Revelation of shortcomings
I was reading Mark 8 Friday night and a part stuck out to me. It was when Jesus warned the disciples about the "yeast of the Pharisees and Herod", and the disciples were all like, (summarizing here) "oh, it's cause we don't have any bread with us". Jesus realizes that they are totally confused and missing the whole point and brings up again the feeding of the 5,000 and 4,000 that had jsut happened recently but they are still clueless.
And I sat there wondering how lame I would have felt to be a disciple after Jesus' resurrection cause here I was walking with Jesus, the Son of God, and I missed so much and I could have learned so much more than I had if I had not been so concerned about myself and earthly things.
I was about to share this revelation with my friend Crystal (who was spending the night) when I was hit in the face (metaphorically) by my own conjecture.
How much have I missed and am currently missing from God and what I could learn and grow from my time with Him because I am so wrapped up in myself and my life?
Ouch! Wow! Am I not myself a disciple? A follower? How many times has my heart been hardened against what God has been telling me simply because I'm so concerned about my and my life and can't see beyond my own nose?
And I sat there wondering how lame I would have felt to be a disciple after Jesus' resurrection cause here I was walking with Jesus, the Son of God, and I missed so much and I could have learned so much more than I had if I had not been so concerned about myself and earthly things.
I was about to share this revelation with my friend Crystal (who was spending the night) when I was hit in the face (metaphorically) by my own conjecture.
How much have I missed and am currently missing from God and what I could learn and grow from my time with Him because I am so wrapped up in myself and my life?
Ouch! Wow! Am I not myself a disciple? A follower? How many times has my heart been hardened against what God has been telling me simply because I'm so concerned about my and my life and can't see beyond my own nose?
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