By Daniel Garner
“I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and Holy sacrifice-the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behaviors 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 " - Romans 12:1
"Faith is taking the first step even when you do not see the staircase" - Martin Luther King, Jr.
So I've noticed a trend in some people I've met along the way.
You know how you should never grocery shop when you're hungry? Yeah, so I've kinda noticed that about the dating scene.
Friends, loneliness is a terrible motivator!
If you're lonely, it could be best to look inward and with your relationship with God and to donate some time toward that.....and not risk the relational equivalent of passing by a Joe's Good ol' Discount Sushi and Gas Stop starving at 3:00 in the morning.
Sometimes, though, it seems like it’s almost impossible to avoid. There are times, seemingly sometimes way to many, where we feel helpless or snuggled up not next to someone we care about but to the residue that’s scrapped off at the bottom of a barrel. There’s a lot of times where life isn’t always what we choose it to be. We may not always be able to affect our lives exactly how we want to, but we can choose how to handle and act upon what happens in our lives. And though we may not always be able to change our lives how we want, those moments, those shining moments where we can, are the moments that change entire lives.
Entire worlds.
Remember, you are not the culmination of your sins. You are less than the sum of your vices and more than the red marks on your past. Remind yourself of that, constantly if need be. There’s no harm if you do, because sometimes we all have to. The thing is, is that if you look for evil, you will find evil. If you look for sins or ghosts of relationships past, you will find them. And we tend not to like the results.
Searching for sins and ghosts of our past may give you everything we think we want, but nothing we need and sadly is tantamount to allowing ourselves to be a masochists artwork at play.
The distance between hurting and healing can be daunting. In those cases, honestly, don't think about it. You are the boss of you. Not your brain and certainly not your memories. Take that first step. The first step is always a leap of faith!
Make that first leap stone one and push from there. The most fantastic of journeys begin with taking that first step and blazing your own road. Remember also that lives are made and broken in the small steps that are life’s gray areas in between huge areas of black and white
decisions. Wrestle with angels and the devil all you want through your nights, but eventually in the morning the sun will rise and the mark of only one of those will be on your soul. It’s your choose whether it’s a mark of grace or a heavy stain.
The thing about our fears is that when we decide that it no longer holds grip on our lives that we are really ready to begin to truly live not only our lives but our values and dreams. Because you can't expect to be an example for your family, church or business to follow if you're not willing yourself to set that example. It can be difficult, like anything in life, but it’s not impossible.
Paul says in Roman 12: 1 “I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and Holy sacrifice-the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behaviors 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.”
The road to God transforming how He wants us to be, the best way we can be, is not always easy. It’s usually wrought with struggle and difficulties, but what worth anything isn’t? Sometimes we have to drive through the darkest part of a storm to come out into the light
on the other side. God’s will for our lives is the best for our lives because our lives are made by God. Us not listening to God about His will for our lives is like buying a Corvette and throwing away the user’s manual because it’s useless and not good for anything. Limiting your life to people and things that tell you everything you want to hear is a triumph of style over substance. There is a place for everything, but accepting only what makes you feel good is an
injustice to those people, to you and to God. We are more than the health, wealth and welfare gospel that so many self-help and motivational speakers say we are.
YOU are more than that.
In fact, you are more than how I can make you feel as a pastor. Imagine the perfect life that you want to have. Not just money or a home or a car, but being comfortable and at peace with who you are with and where you are with God. Why jeopardize that by settling? Why put at risk what you know deep down the Lord wants for you by sugar coating your faith and refuse to gaze at what really matters? On a long enough timeline, whatever we gaze upon we become. Don't turn into a triumph of style over substance.
The Takeaway: Do more and be more, because you can. And through that you can change the world!