It seems like every day since I moved back home to Atalanta in January God has taught me something. Every time He does I feel the need to write a blog, but if I did I would have 100+ blogs up and not even the most dedicated of readers have time for that.
I am realizing more and more that God wants to use every situation, every interaction, YES every moment of every day to teach us and reveal more of Himself to us. Faith is a series of learning deeper truths, growing gradually closer to our Creator and acting accordingly.
So, I have decided to make a list of a few of the things I have learned the last four months:
1. I am NOT as great as I am oftentimes capable of thinking I am. At all actually. A significant amount less. God has knocked me off high horses I did not even know I was on.
-> Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
2. The human body is an incredible creation and capable of so much more than you would ever believe possible. It can adapt to infinite new habits. It can wake up at 5AM 4-5 days a week and function for 18 hours. It can fight things like the flu and function on fairly little sleep. We put limits on ourselves, but our God is limitless and wants us to make use of the body that we have and trust Him to heal and provide for it.
3. If you do not pray before you go to work (or any appointment for that matter) it will not go as well as if you do. Constant communication with the Creator. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
4. Kids are incredible. Childlike faith (as mentioned and required by Jesus) is SO real. They have incredible memories and imaginations and understand kindness and love like I have never experienced before in my life. They also test and challenge us as adults. They can be difficult in general, yes, but they can also be thought provoking. They call out the leader inside of you and require you to step up to the plate in more ways than one.
-> Matthew 18:3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
5. People WILL be rude to you. And you can decide how you react. You can get caught up in emotion and take every little thing personally, or you can understand that their rude behavior is rooted in a personal heart issue and pray form them accordingly. Always love people anyway. Love is both a shield and a weapon. It is the remedy for all things.
-> 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
6. Life is but a mist in the scope of eternity. Death is very real. It is very present. You are not guaranteed a 90 year long life. We all have an expiration date. Do you know your destination after this life? What do you want to be said of you? What will you do with your life until the day that you die? Because you will. Lets act like it. Lets live purposefully. Lets live with a gospel purpose.
-> James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
7. God is not going to stop or change His plans for the kingdom of heaven and eternity to accommodate your plans or discomfort. Sometimes God says no to reset your focus and get you back on the track that He has for you if you have chosen to partner with Him. 10/10 times you try to control your life it will not work out or you will wear yourself out trying to force it to. Let go and let God. Rest in His promises. Be a part of all that He is doing. It is truly the adventure of a lifetime.
-> Hebrews 10:36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
8. So often we talk about all of the things Christ DIED for. We reduce Him to another sacrificial passover lamb. We need to talk about all of the things Christ ROSE for. He rose for you to have life and have it to the full NOW! Not just when you die. He rose that we might also rise from our old selves, turn from our wicked ways and begin to transform into the image of God that we were created to reflect. He rose that death may be no more and that freedom may be accessible to every person who seeks it with their whole heart.
-> John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
-> 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
-> John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Mmm. He is so good. I am so excited for a lifetime of learning and growing deeper in our Father’s love.
– CJ (770)-876-4689
