I'm really trying to work on being selfless. I love helping others, but a lot of the time I feel that I only help when it's convenient for myself. So that's what I'm working on, and praying about. One of the most important people to be selfless with is my mom. She is truly amazing, and although she can get on my nerves like no one else can, she works her butt off and goes out of her way to make others happy. And she takes care of whiney kids all day.
Another major thing I have to work on is being critical. Sometimes words slip out of my mouth that are so mean and I have to apologize to the people around me because it's so mean for me to say. Mostly it's about people on TV, but I shouldn't be talking about them either. I think the most snotty things at times, it makes me feel very unclean and trashy. I love a lot of people, but when I dont like someone (it's rare) I just find it so hard to push myself to love them too. I'm working on it though.
Final thought: Being in love with Jesus is easy, being a christian is hard. People hate you, and try to manipulate your words and His word. But they will never know the glory of the Lord unless He calls them. And I cant hate them for that, so I'll show them His love by loving them and not being hateful.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Born Again
God has themes for my life. Different stages, different themes.
So God is teaching me a lot about who Jesus is. I've heard the story of when Jesus stayed at the temple asking the rabbis questions about a hundred times. I always thought of it as just another story. But today when I actually read it in Luke, God wanted me to really understand it. Mary and Joseph are freaking out probably ready to kill him when they find him and Jesus says "Why were you searching for me? Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?". At first I thought of a twelve year old saying this and being a smartie pants, but it was Jesus. He was the most well behaved, perfect, and loving child EVER. He was merely telling them that of course he would be in his Father's house, he wanted to know more about him.
Then I was reading in John Piper's "What Jesus Demands from the World" and God revealed to me so much more about His son. I've always been confused about Luke 9: 60. Jesus tells his deciples "Leave the dead to bury their own dead". Piper puts it into simple words, there are physically dead people and spiritually dead. So Jesus was telling his deciples to let the spiritually dead bury their physically dead. Also, the dead cannot make themselves alive again. The only people who have ever been raised from the dead physically were brought back by Jesus. Why do people think that they can make themseleves alive, like they dont need Jesus's help? Did Lazereth come back to life and say "Oh thanks Jesus, but I could have done it on my own." Nope. Therefore the only way to become alive spiritually is to become alive spiritally by the hand of Jesus. Hey God, thanks for those words.
I love the story of when Mary visits Elizabeth and baby John the Baptist jumps inside of her. To me, it is one of the most amazing things. I hope when I'm pregnant and worshipping, praying, or reading my bible, my baby jumps for joy. I was playing with baby Luke the other day and gazing at God's beautiful creation. Jesus put so much love in my heart for babies, my favorite job will be a mother. I dont know everything about the bible, or even close to everything about God. But He has given me so much faith and love and compassion for his creatures and for him. Sometimes when I'm driving I get bursts of love and excitement, like He is delighting in me. Most of the time I'm worshipping when it happens. And my smile gets so big! He is the most romantic guy, loves to make me happy.
I always thought I knew what the Lord was telling me, I can get so defensive and be a know-it-all. But God is humbling me and firing me up and teaching me so much about who he is. And that's all I want, to know who my Father is. I can make him out to be so small sometimes, "I have believed in a lie, that you were unable to help me". Not only is he my Father, He's the king of everything. That makes me his princess, which means he's going to take care of me. Why do I worry when my Dad has already planned out my steps? Although I shouldn't envy, I envy old people who know God. They get to see Him sooner than I do... God willing. I want to see him. I know I can see him in the world, in the clouds, in babies and through the eyes of my fellow saved. But I want to hug him, I have this image in my brain that is just me falling to my knees and Jesus picking me up and holding me. I think being in heaven will be like summer days when I was little. Except I'll be worshipping God forever and ever, instead of running around barefoot and swimming until my eyes hurt from chlorine. "Better is one day in your court, better is one day in your house, better is one day in your court than thousands elsewhere." The most amazing day on earth will be infinitely less amazing than seeing Jesus. I'm so excited.
p.s. Isn't God the coolest when he ties everything together? I wrote about babies, and my title is "Born Again"! I most definitely didnt plan that. I just thought about babies and bam, it goes along with my title! He's so creative and great.
So God is teaching me a lot about who Jesus is. I've heard the story of when Jesus stayed at the temple asking the rabbis questions about a hundred times. I always thought of it as just another story. But today when I actually read it in Luke, God wanted me to really understand it. Mary and Joseph are freaking out probably ready to kill him when they find him and Jesus says "Why were you searching for me? Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?". At first I thought of a twelve year old saying this and being a smartie pants, but it was Jesus. He was the most well behaved, perfect, and loving child EVER. He was merely telling them that of course he would be in his Father's house, he wanted to know more about him.
Then I was reading in John Piper's "What Jesus Demands from the World" and God revealed to me so much more about His son. I've always been confused about Luke 9: 60. Jesus tells his deciples "Leave the dead to bury their own dead". Piper puts it into simple words, there are physically dead people and spiritually dead. So Jesus was telling his deciples to let the spiritually dead bury their physically dead. Also, the dead cannot make themselves alive again. The only people who have ever been raised from the dead physically were brought back by Jesus. Why do people think that they can make themseleves alive, like they dont need Jesus's help? Did Lazereth come back to life and say "Oh thanks Jesus, but I could have done it on my own." Nope. Therefore the only way to become alive spiritually is to become alive spiritally by the hand of Jesus. Hey God, thanks for those words.
I love the story of when Mary visits Elizabeth and baby John the Baptist jumps inside of her. To me, it is one of the most amazing things. I hope when I'm pregnant and worshipping, praying, or reading my bible, my baby jumps for joy. I was playing with baby Luke the other day and gazing at God's beautiful creation. Jesus put so much love in my heart for babies, my favorite job will be a mother. I dont know everything about the bible, or even close to everything about God. But He has given me so much faith and love and compassion for his creatures and for him. Sometimes when I'm driving I get bursts of love and excitement, like He is delighting in me. Most of the time I'm worshipping when it happens. And my smile gets so big! He is the most romantic guy, loves to make me happy.
I always thought I knew what the Lord was telling me, I can get so defensive and be a know-it-all. But God is humbling me and firing me up and teaching me so much about who he is. And that's all I want, to know who my Father is. I can make him out to be so small sometimes, "I have believed in a lie, that you were unable to help me". Not only is he my Father, He's the king of everything. That makes me his princess, which means he's going to take care of me. Why do I worry when my Dad has already planned out my steps? Although I shouldn't envy, I envy old people who know God. They get to see Him sooner than I do... God willing. I want to see him. I know I can see him in the world, in the clouds, in babies and through the eyes of my fellow saved. But I want to hug him, I have this image in my brain that is just me falling to my knees and Jesus picking me up and holding me. I think being in heaven will be like summer days when I was little. Except I'll be worshipping God forever and ever, instead of running around barefoot and swimming until my eyes hurt from chlorine. "Better is one day in your court, better is one day in your house, better is one day in your court than thousands elsewhere." The most amazing day on earth will be infinitely less amazing than seeing Jesus. I'm so excited.
p.s. Isn't God the coolest when he ties everything together? I wrote about babies, and my title is "Born Again"! I most definitely didnt plan that. I just thought about babies and bam, it goes along with my title! He's so creative and great.
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