Long ago, my home group leader asked our group to write how God sees us. I couldn't do it. This was months ago. But I couldn't look at myself the way I supposed that God looked at me. I knew the proper Christian answers, but didn't feel them - didn't hold them in my heart. Debbie gave me a devotional called Seeing Yourself Through God's Eyes. Of course I never did it. I flipped through it once, saw that it looked really good and then probably went and picked up a Star Wars novel. (OK - I don't know that for sure, but it's probably true.)
Last Sunday, Pastor Beau (who leads the Denton campus) gave a sermon. The whole way through it all, I just couldn't get his point. I understood what he was saying - I just didn't see what the big deal was. Which is EXACTLY why he was giving this sermon. It's kind of funny thinking on it now. But I know there are others who did not really understand what his point was. It truly was the last 5 minutes of his sermon where I went OH! I'll try to briefly make his point, which may be difficult for me to do. I tried explaining it already on the phone once and I'm not sure I got her to understand it any better.
He was using 1 Corinthians 15. In it, Paul reminds the church that Christ is the base of it all and we should never move away from that base - He died, was buried and rose from the dead. (A good preacher will always bring his sermon back to Christ in some way - it ALL leads to Him.) Paul attacks the false belief that Christ wasn't really dead. He reminds the readers that many people who saw Jesus after His death were still alive. (So during all of this, I'm like "yeah, I get it. Beau, move to the point please." Which is funny/ironic because I'm totally proving why this sermon needs to take place! Beau's point WAS JESUS!) Then Beau kind of camps out on verse 19: "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." He explained how some people who question whether it's all true say that it doesn't matter, they think they'd live the same way anyway because it's been a good life. But Paul is saying that if it's not all true, if there is no Christ, then he's wasted his life. Think about all the horrible things Paul went through. He's saying he's to be pitied if he did all of that for a false belief.
Beau's point was what would we say when we die, if we found out that it was all a lie? Beau is saying that we should, like Paul, be upset that we wasted our life. What have I done for Christ that would be a waste if He wasn't really the Savior? Have I done anything for Him? What is my focus? What have I given up for Christ? I'm not giving Him much time in my day. I don't make a concentrated effort to know Him better by diving into His word every day. I have no problem reading Star Wars expanded universe books for hours. So I'm not really giving up much for Him. That's where I long to improve. I've asked God many times to help me know Him better, to help me get up and spend time with Him. It never magically happens. I wonder why? (Read that with sarcasm - it's a rhetorical question my friends.)
That brings me back to the devotional that Debbie gave me. I'm good about starting devotionals and lousy about finishing them. I try to read through the Bible, but feel like I need more of a purpose than just reading it. So my counselor's suggestion was to pick one and do it. (Such profound advice!) So I picked up the book Debbie gave me. The first verse the book talks about is Proverbs 2:3-5
3 and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
Do you see verse 4? Read it again - if you look for it and search for it. I can pray all day long to know God better, but I have to look and search. We can't be passive here, people. We are to search out God's wisdom as if it were hidden treasure. And it is treasure! The best treasure of all.
Are you actively searching for Him?
3 comments:
Wow - this really convicted me. Thanks Erin!
Awesome, awesome, awesome post! Very eye-opening, and yes, like Christy said, a little convicting.
I probably read too much, but I am very selective about what I expose my mind to. I simply cannot find myself devoting hours to something that does not have true benefit, simply too much great to read to accept anything less. And yes, I do buy my highlighters by the dozen, not one at a time. At one time in my life, I too was FAR too passive, that's gone. I now am very selective about what I do, who I do it with, and I am ALWAYS on the look for a challenge, as Amy mentioned in one of her blogs, some mountain to climb, today! So get FULLY engaged with life, and remember Christ came that we could have life, and have it to the full, so dance, don't EVER sit one out!
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