What Do I Know?
Sunday’s Monday
What Do I Know?
This has been a blessed week for me in the fact that God has introduced me to new spiritual insight. I love new revelations about Jesus! God has showered me with His compassion this week as I got to spend most of Wednesday with my youngest grandson. As well, we’re spending more time with Pat’s oldest daughter and that is a huge blessing for us. God is busy leading us in new directions and experiences, but the really good part is, we recognize and embrace it.
I believe a lot of our problems today are caused by most of us not knowing who we are? It is this not knowing who I am that causes me to be who I am! Today I’m offering my take on this question; I am an accumulation of all those hours spent searching, struggling and strategizing as to who I am. The same is true of the questions, why am I here and where am I going? These questions have the appearance of being simple kindergarten questions however they have very complex answers, to say the least. Unfortunately, most of this world’s population will perish without the profound revelation which answers even one of them. The bible warns in, Romans 1:21-22 (NLT), 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.
I will do my best to help with the question Who Am I? The bible tells us in Genesis 1:27 (NLT), 27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God, he created them; male and female he created them. For me this dispels the idea of my ancestors’ crawling out of the ocean (which explains me not being a fan of seafood; lol). Psalm 100:3 (NLT), Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. I was created to belong! Halleluiah!
Where Am I From? I not an accident of my parents, I am a deliberate creation of God all mighty with a purpose. Psalm 139 explains it so much better than I; Psalm 139:13-16 (NLT), 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. To God be the glory! I came from God by way of my parents, as the vehicle.
Why Am I Here? 2 Peter 1:4 (NLT), And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. God has given me the charge of sharing His Divine Nature with the world! I am to become as much like Jesus as I possibly can. I am to exude a fearless commitment to follow the ways of Jesus. God has gifted me with the compassion to pour out His love to others. As well He is sharing with me the wisdom of His will, to encourage me to eagerly bring it to the people of my time. In a nutshell; I am here to serve God! John 13:34-35 (NLT), 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” What would it be like to live in a world of GODLY love?
What Am I To Do? Simple answer; follow Jesus! The first thought that jumps in my mind is get an honest, acute idea of where your relationship with Jesus stands today. Is it anywhere close to what Jesus wants or is it manipulated through selfish desires? Can it be that we have fell captive to all the unnecessary distractions of this world? I will plead guilty as charged to devoting too much time in the world and not enough time in the word. Ergo, I am consistently asking God to help me with this issue. I know, that I know my efforts alone are futile! I have to, have Jesus for guidance, instruction and encouragement! You see, I know that I don’t have what it takes to be what Jesus desires of me. I have no power to change anything or anyone, I lack the wisdom to guide people (myself included) into the future plus I’m quite uncomfortable without the advice Jesus. This is why, I believe in John 15:5 (NLT), “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
Where Am I Going? God has revealed my beginning (birth) along with His instructions of how I am to live out the middle. My pastor had the revelation of “slow down and enjoy the journey!” Which is exactly what human life is; a journey to where we in fact choose our own destination. God has given us a map to follow starting at step one; Romans 10:9 (NLT), If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Step two; 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT), This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! Step Three; Romans 12:2 (NLT), Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Step Four; Romans 2:6-8 (NLT), 6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. Our choice!
A big part of my getting through life comes from my alcoholic past in the way of this prayer which reads; Prayer for Serenity: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonable happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen. Reinhold Niebuhr
HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS!
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