All for Him

Ever struggle to find meaning in what you are doing?  Ever lose sight of your purpose?

Over these past few weeks I have come to realize how simple it is to lose the truth and purpose behind the activities we do in everyday life; we can go through so many aspects of our daily lives without even acknowledging God for what He is doing.  It is true that we can often get by this way, but I have also realized how much greater those little things in life become when I recognize Who they are for, and Who is working through me to complete them.  We can only get through so much on our own understanding (a very minimal amount in comparison to what God has to offer) before we find ourselves struggling to stay afloat.  In all reality, we need Him; we desperately need Him!

We need Him to envelope every aspect of our lives, and we need to realize how much greater everything could be if we included Him, if we meticulously intertwined His being into every fiber of our existence, if we simply lived life the way it was intended, all for Him.  Everything we do should be an act of worship to our God; whether it is helping the old lady cross the street, stopping to help a student who dropped all their belongings on the street, or simply sharing a kind word with someone who desperately needed it.  God takes delight in you living your life for His glory, for making the simple acts of life into glorious acts of worship, for turning your own and other's eyes to Jesus, and giving Him the gratitude He deserves.  We were made to worship Him!

This verse in Colossians really sums up that no matter what it is we are doing, it was created by Him and for Him, and we can only complete through the Holy Spirit and the power He gives us to do so.

Verse:

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on Earth or things in Heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.

~Colossians 1:15-20

Live your life the way He intended you to live it.  Allow Him into every aspect of your life, and allow your life to be continuous acts of worship to our Father in Heaven.  He alone is worthy, and we need to realize that He is to be acknowledged and glorified in every aspect of our lives, no matter how big or small.  Live your life, and do it all for Him!

His Sanctuary

When you look in the mirror do you see what God made you to be, or rather all the imperfections this world has informed us that we have?


For far too long when I looked in the mirror I saw only the things about me that I disliked, that I despised.  I did not see the image of God I was created in, but rather I saw an overweight individual without enough drive, determination, or dedication to change what was hindering me most, to knock down what was the first of many walls Satan had attempted to erect between me and my loving Savior.  In junior high the devil had tricked me into thinking I was worthless, that nothing I did could make it any better so I might as well enjoy that burger, that buffet, and many other earthly pleasures because I did not deserve anything else.


Over the past years God had slowly started to reveal Himself to me, to deconstruct those lies, and help me to realize who I was created to be.  We are made in His image! He has given us these earthly bodies to be treated with respect, as the temples of the Holy Spirit, a physical dwelling place for the Savior of our souls. He has purchased us with the blood of Christ, and afforded us these bodies in order for us to live out these earthly lives, bringing praise and honor to the Most High God.  It was after God had started to show me these truths that I could look in the mirror and not see what I hated, but rather see a sanctuary for the Holy Spirt; a place of worship and admiration for the One who gave it all for me.


I began to treat myself with more respect knowing that whatever I did to me, I was also doing to the dwelling place of the Lord, to the gift God that had granted to me for His plans in my life.  Through the love of Christ my vision was cleared, my determination and will rejuvenated by the Holy Spirit, and the sanctuary which God had intended my body to be, His sanctuary, had begun to undergo its restoration process.  Through Him I was set free, and through Him I continue to strive to be a reflection of Jesus Christ; spreading His love to all who need to hear it, and slowly dismantling the lies that Satan has built up in our lives.


Verse:
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
~1 Corinthians 6:19-20


Strive and long to be a reflection of Jesus, to make your bodies a temple worthy of being the dwelling place of our Lord.  He has the power, love, and forgiveness to set us free, to make us whole; we must embrace this truth, and work towards becoming who He has created us to be.  Our bodies are His temple; we are His sanctuary.  It is time we begin to reflect these truths.

In Christ Alone

Where do we find our help, whom do we look to in time of need? Who is our source of hope?

The simple answer to all of these questions is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He is my strength, my hope, my light, my inspiration, my Savior, my everything.  He is the giver of life, love, and all that is good in this life and the one to come; there are no words to truly describe this man, this God, this Savior of the world, this All in All, but the preceding are just a few of the hundreds of attempts we humans have made to describe our King.  The following are some lyrics from the song In Christ Alone that I feel sum up who Christ is quite well.

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This Cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

And as He stands in victory

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me

For I am His and He is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From a life's first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man

Could ever pluck me from His hand

'Til He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I stand

Through all that has been going on in life lately: the stress of school, the death of a loved one, the natural disasters in New Zealand and now Japan, I have found the only place we can find true comfort, love, and hope is in the loving arms of Jesus Christ.  He is there waiting to pick us up when we fall, and to meet us right where we are in this hectic life.  He is our help in time of need, and we must seek His face in order to find all it is that we need.  He longs for us to cling to Him in both the good times and the bad, and find comfort and peace in His healing power.  Nothing is too big for our God to handle, and he can make good out of what seem to be the most horrendous of situations; we must simply believe that He can, and will, work out what is best for those who love Him.


Verse:
I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
~Psalm 121:1-2


He is there to provide for us, to help us in what seems to be a helpless situation, to bring hope to the hopeless, and to love us unconditionally.  He is our source of life, and it is only through Him that our true potential can be reached; we must allow Him to work in our lives in order for Him to turn things around, to set things straight, and work our His plan for our lives.


Cling to Him! Pray for His peace and healing power in all aspects of your life, and He will do what is best for you.  His plans far outweigh anything we could have ever fathomed for ourselves.  Surrender to Him, embrace what He has given, and remember it is in Christ alone that our hope is found!

Not Just a List of Rules

Every find yourself thinking that Christianity is just a list of rules you have to follow?  Ever feel as though you are missing out on the "fun stuff" those around you are partaking in?


Today I urge you to challenge that thought, to resist it entirely, for it is but another lie that the devil tries to convince us of this blessed life we have been given through Jesus Christ.  This is not to say that there are no rules, but rather to exemplify how these rules have been set up for our good, for our safety, and in order that we might bring praise and glory to the King of our lives.  When viewing these rules that God has set up for our good in a light of reverence, it becomes easy to see how minuscule and petty they become compared to the wondrous things God has done for our lives.  They are no longer seen as an obligation, but rather as an honor that we are able to please the One who gave it all by following.


It is time to change our view point on these matters.  It is not what we are missing out on by holding out on these so called fun things that the world offers us and that our flesh desires, but rather what we are gaining from refraining.  God's promises of eternal glory, a life in His presence, and a freedom matched by no other, dwarf what little joy can be found in these worldly things.  And yet, we find ourselves wishing we had it easier, thinking about what it would be like if we didn't have to follow all these rules, and sometimes envious of those who hold no regard for them.  Granted this life on earth may seem more fun if we could partake in some of these acts, our promise of the life hereafter is more than enough for me to see how unnecessary these things are for my life.  


God has so much more to give, and He simply asks for our obedience.  We have been given life, forgiveness, redemption, freedom, and a hope for our future.  It is time we give Him something in return; our praise, our desire, our passion, and our love all belong to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  We did nothing to deserve what He has given us, but we must allow Him to work in our lives to make us whole, and live out His will for our lives.  In light of all this, is it really too much to ask?


Verses:



Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.
~1 Thessalonians 5:16-24



For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
~Philippians 2:13


Be encouraged! He is working in you, through you, and for you.  He is working in all things for your good so that you can live the life He has called you to live.  Give Him obedience, and the rewards He has stored up for you in Heaven will far outweigh anything we could experience here.  Imagine all you are gaining by simply refraining.