I have been thinking on this topic all day. I get two ten minute breaks and a thirty minute lunch each day and every chance I get I try to add a few more words to this article. I feel like God is really trying to get this topic out. As a person that consciously and subconsciously thought these thoughts I feel with certifiable confidence that I can write on this topic.
It is a topic which pertains to the idea that "life is easy" and "fighting for what I want is not necessary because God will take care of it." Now already with this one statement I know you are thinking, "I know life isn't easy in fact it stinks!" Well yes but what I am speaking of is different than what you are thinking. Life in the material sense is not easy and we realize that. We know we have to fight to be successful. We know we have to fight to get extra money in the bank and fight to keep our kids out of trouble, and getting good grades. All these things in life we know take work but there is one area in our lives that consciously we know we need to fight but subconsciously we feel it will just come to us, that God will just "bless" us. And that is our walk with God, our ministry with God, our everyday spiritual life with God.
Now I realize that statement is pretty generalized so let me narrow it down for you
If you ever want to see results in yourself, and in your family it will not just magically happen or appear one morning when you wake up. Your finances won't just magically fix itself, just as your depression and emotional solitude will not just disappear.
Your son will not all of a sudden love God and serve him with his whole heart if you are talking behind the pastors back at home, or not showing him a regular and loved prayer life, if he doesn't see the fruits of the spirit as a witness in your life what can he base his only relationship (or lack there of) on? He is only living out what you can't see in yourself.
You mourn for your family but you can't yet see that you yourself are spiritually dying! Quit waiting for God to just appear and lift you out of the situation you are in. He's waiting for you to put your boxing gloves on and start fighting back. praying, fasting, serving in your church, community, and family are the ways to pull your way out of the spiritual rut you are in.
Now let me prefiss by saying that I don't want you to think that God is not willing at all to "bless" you or save you from your situation. Because believe me, God wants to do all those things and more BUT what have you done to grow your intimacy in Him? This relationship with God can be so one sided. There is a reason people are called "prayer warriors" and "intercessors" and the idea that you should put the "whole armor of God on" because these titles imply a sense of battle, of trials and many times pain. They also imply an intense call for action!
But the truth is that You only pray to God when you need something which is most likely every couple weeks maybe months. You don't fast regularly in fact you maybe fast once a year OR never and you aren't involved in church or your community at all.
I will share a secret with you. . . It all comes down to one thing. Are you Faithful? Because God is faithful but he can only work as far as you allow him. Are you faithful? Have you put your spiritual boxing gloves on lately?
Imagine the seclusion our creator must feel when He only hears you cry out to Him when you are in need. He must feel like a bank that MUST give out free money every time you come calling. Instead he wants to bless you but every time he calls just to visit or say hello, well you aren't around. He doesn't just want to be a bank. He wants to be your friend. Now I believe we have a hard time seeing God as having emotions but the Bible gives plenty of examples of him feeling many things. We have an example from the very beginning of the good book. When God created man after His own image. He wasn't just talking about his Adam's physical body He was also describing Adams nature.
now put that into context with your relationship with Him. He wants your faithfulness. He bought you with a price and desires for that price to be paid continually. It really isn't a high price to pay when you have a relationship with Him. Because, you would desire to be as close to Him as possible every moment of the day.
we wonder why so many things that we go through or struggle with are even there. However, we come (hopefully) to realize all the fault lays with us alone not with God.
Faithfulness is such a demanding word for us. It means that regardless of what happens, I will not stop kneeling on my knees and giving it to Christ.
How many stories do we have where trials, and requests were made of Gods people. These were things that were asked not as a demand but because a great reward goes hand in hand with sacrifice and faithfulness. The rich man was asked to give up all that he had and walk with Christ but he refused because he was not truly faithful and he was not willing to sacrifice material things for a far greater reward.
How about David, "a man after God's own heart" he was anointed as king but he didn't just gain the crown on that very day. He went through persecution, trials, he was chased by the very king he respected and he was tempted another moment to take his life. But one thing that stands out from this story is David's faithfulness and sacrificing spirit for a far greater reward.
Sometimes all we need is a reminder that even though we mess up does not mean that we can justify giving up on our walk with God. Faithfulness is having the courage to keep walking even when it seems like we don't have the strength to do it.
" The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." -Psalm 145:8-9
Even though you may stumble does not mean that you should give up on God because He will not give up on you. Just as when David slipped and fell into temptation with the woman on the roof top. Not only did David lust after that woman, he had an affair with her, AND he had her husband murdered on the front lines of war as a means to rid him of the inconvenience. These were heinous acts that David did do; however, he still fell before Gods face in prayer and begged for forgiveness and continued to live for Him. Just as you should feel the NEED to continue to live for God regardless of the sins you have committed in the past or even the things in which you struggle with right now.
Remember God's faithfulness is forever, because if it isn't forever it isn't faithful! -Bro Jerry Jones. But for anything to come and bear fruit in your life actions should be made on your part. Are you willing to put your spiritual boxing gloves on and fight for what you want to see come true in your life? Are you willing to fast until you feel a break through in your spirit? Are you willing to pray until you feel his warm touch on your shoulder? Are you willing to give yourself to servitude towards others as a means of worship towards your creator? These are things that God loves and desires to see in His children.
It is time we quit waiting for something to happen when we haven't even taken the spiritual first step ourselves! We need to take initiative and start living a godly and holy life for Christ and only then will we begin to see fruit begin to grow in our spiritual lives and in those that we love.
Step into the spiritual ring and prepare to beat the devil up! Continue to stay faithful to Christ and the adversary will begin to see that you aren't going down without a fight!
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