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Submitted by cfnteam on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 21:18
CFN Sharing: Overcoming Loneliness
There is a difference between being alone, and being lonely.
Everybody has days when they just need some alone time. And of course, if we are alone for long periods of time, we will naturally feel lonely. However, the Bible records many examples of people who were alone. Despite this, they were able to move forward, and each of them overcame and was rewarded.
Jesus, who suffered and died alone and forsaken on the cross, overcame to sit down at the right hand of God. Elijah, a frightened, weary, and lonely fugitive, overcame and was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. Joseph, wrongly accused, betrayed, and enslaved, overcame to not only become the prime minister of Egypt, but to once again be reunited with his father.
As Christians in the world today, it is inevitable that there will be times when we are alone. There is no doubt that there will also be times when we are lonely. However, there are some things that, regardless of the situation, we should not forget because they are the precious promises God has given to us, His children.
Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands… (Is 49:15-16)
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Mt 28:20)
When we are lonely, our hearts feel empty, like there is a hole somewhere in us. Loneliness can be aggravated if we are also struggling with other problems at the same time. But whatever the trial we face, our focus should be on Jesus Christ, who loves us.
The verses above are two of many that declare Jesus’ great love for us. Not only do they tell of His love for us, but they also promise that He will never leave us, nor will He forsake us. Because it is not good for man to be alone, and because two are better than one, God gave us our friends and family. However, we ought to remember that first and foremost, God is there for us at all times. Therefore, we need to learn to cling onto Christ in all things, striving to draw closer to Him, to know and love Him more, and to deepen our understanding and relationship with Him.
Loneliness isn’t an easy problem to deal with, because it is often persistent and long lasting. In order to overcome, we need to do our best to trust in God’s love for us. Remember that we are never truly alone, both in Spirit with our brothers and sisters, as well as in the love of God, our Father and Friend who is always near us.
Questions for Reflection
1. Are you lonely? Why or why not? What causes you to be or not to be lonely?
2. In what ways can we proactively remember God’s love for us in our daily lives (other than praying and reading the Bible)?
3. In what ways can we combat loneliness in the church?
Everybody has days when they just need some alone time. And of course, if we are alone for long periods of time, we will naturally feel lonely. However, the Bible records many examples of people who were alone. Despite this, they were able to move forward, and each of them overcame and was rewarded.
Jesus, who suffered and died alone and forsaken on the cross, overcame to sit down at the right hand of God. Elijah, a frightened, weary, and lonely fugitive, overcame and was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. Joseph, wrongly accused, betrayed, and enslaved, overcame to not only become the prime minister of Egypt, but to once again be reunited with his father.
As Christians in the world today, it is inevitable that there will be times when we are alone. There is no doubt that there will also be times when we are lonely. However, there are some things that, regardless of the situation, we should not forget because they are the precious promises God has given to us, His children.
Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands… (Is 49:15-16)
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Mt 28:20)
When we are lonely, our hearts feel empty, like there is a hole somewhere in us. Loneliness can be aggravated if we are also struggling with other problems at the same time. But whatever the trial we face, our focus should be on Jesus Christ, who loves us.
The verses above are two of many that declare Jesus’ great love for us. Not only do they tell of His love for us, but they also promise that He will never leave us, nor will He forsake us. Because it is not good for man to be alone, and because two are better than one, God gave us our friends and family. However, we ought to remember that first and foremost, God is there for us at all times. Therefore, we need to learn to cling onto Christ in all things, striving to draw closer to Him, to know and love Him more, and to deepen our understanding and relationship with Him.
Loneliness isn’t an easy problem to deal with, because it is often persistent and long lasting. In order to overcome, we need to do our best to trust in God’s love for us. Remember that we are never truly alone, both in Spirit with our brothers and sisters, as well as in the love of God, our Father and Friend who is always near us.
Questions for Reflection
1. Are you lonely? Why or why not? What causes you to be or not to be lonely?
2. In what ways can we proactively remember God’s love for us in our daily lives (other than praying and reading the Bible)?
3. In what ways can we combat loneliness in the church?
Submitted by cfnteam on Tue, 12/13/2011 - 06:16
CFN Sharing: Most Important Thing in Life
I know most of us are done with finals, but for those of us still treading through it, I completely understand how daunting and dreadful those can be. Whether it be the effect of the impact on your GPA, or figuring out your career path through job searches, or dealing with relationships around you, sometimes it can be altogether too much. At least on my part, in times like these I might wake up with the overwhelming feeling that I’ve made some unwise decisions: school, career, and relationships. And in times like these the most dangerous and unforgiving feeling is when I feel like I might be missing out on more of what life offers, as a result of my faith. Once you start being disconnected from other church youth, and stop being surrounded by members week after week, it gets easy to take a step back and consider perhaps…missing services for the sake of studying harder… going out on Friday nights to places you shouldn’t be going… picking career choices and other life decisions that you know will not be beneficial to your faith.
Recently these feelings occurred to me, but God turned them around and encouraged me in a really simple, worthwhile way. It’s a verse we all know by heart: (Phil 1:21) “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain”. That very day, the speaker’s sermon topic was about this verse, and I realized that I was forgetting how to live a purposeful life--a life that was dedicated to God. I had forgotten the most important thing in life, and it does not revolve around what grades you get, what you do, or the people you’re with. It all depends on whether or not at the end of your life, God is happy with the choices you’ve made. It depends on whether or not you have accomplished what He set out for you to do.
When it seems easier to just pursue your own path, without asking God what path He would like you to follow, I remind myself with another powerful verse: “Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.” (Eccl 11:9). When life gets tough, when you’re faced with difficult decisions regarding life and pursuits, the Bible does not tell us that it’s wrong to follow our dreams. We should do everything that we want to do in life, with one very special condition: that it follow the path of righteousness, for we know God will bring judgment at the end.
So for those of us feeling disconnected, or discouraged, I am sure you’re not alone. In the hard times of faith, remember that the most satisfying feeling of all doesn’t come from your physical accomplishments--it comes from knowing that you’ve led a life that pleases God.
Questions for reflection:
Are there any pursuits in life you place in higher priority than serving God? If so, how can you correct your priorities?
Do you ever see fellow church members struggling to come to church because of other priorities? How can you gently help bring them back?
Recently these feelings occurred to me, but God turned them around and encouraged me in a really simple, worthwhile way. It’s a verse we all know by heart: (Phil 1:21) “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain”. That very day, the speaker’s sermon topic was about this verse, and I realized that I was forgetting how to live a purposeful life--a life that was dedicated to God. I had forgotten the most important thing in life, and it does not revolve around what grades you get, what you do, or the people you’re with. It all depends on whether or not at the end of your life, God is happy with the choices you’ve made. It depends on whether or not you have accomplished what He set out for you to do.
When it seems easier to just pursue your own path, without asking God what path He would like you to follow, I remind myself with another powerful verse: “Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.” (Eccl 11:9). When life gets tough, when you’re faced with difficult decisions regarding life and pursuits, the Bible does not tell us that it’s wrong to follow our dreams. We should do everything that we want to do in life, with one very special condition: that it follow the path of righteousness, for we know God will bring judgment at the end.
So for those of us feeling disconnected, or discouraged, I am sure you’re not alone. In the hard times of faith, remember that the most satisfying feeling of all doesn’t come from your physical accomplishments--it comes from knowing that you’ve led a life that pleases God.
Questions for reflection:
Are there any pursuits in life you place in higher priority than serving God? If so, how can you correct your priorities?
Do you ever see fellow church members struggling to come to church because of other priorities? How can you gently help bring them back?
Submitted by cfnteam on Tue, 12/06/2011 - 03:54
CFN Sharing: Give of Your Best
"Give of your best to the Master, give of the strength of your youth..."
Most of us are relatively familiar with this hymn, but even so, every time I flip to it in the hymnbook, even before the piano begins, I am struck by a feeling of guilt and fear--guilt from knowing that what I have been offering to God has been far from the best, and fear that it will get worse.
This school year, I've found that my heart (and consequently my service) has been weak and much less dedicated as compared to last year. Perhaps I've grown comfortable with my surroundings and am letting other things clutter my time and focus. Perhaps I haven't sought out how to balance the increase in responsibilities. While the Bible tells us to look to the things above, my head has been buried deep in trying to achieve in the world's terms. I am constantly making compromises, telling myself that I will have time later in life to do better. But is that what God wants?
1 Timothy 4:12-16 is always an edifying reminder for us all:
"Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."
Questions for reflection:
Do you give the best that you can? Is your offering and service prepared with all you heart, mind, soul, and strength?
How can we cultivate our spiritual vision?
Most of us are relatively familiar with this hymn, but even so, every time I flip to it in the hymnbook, even before the piano begins, I am struck by a feeling of guilt and fear--guilt from knowing that what I have been offering to God has been far from the best, and fear that it will get worse.
This school year, I've found that my heart (and consequently my service) has been weak and much less dedicated as compared to last year. Perhaps I've grown comfortable with my surroundings and am letting other things clutter my time and focus. Perhaps I haven't sought out how to balance the increase in responsibilities. While the Bible tells us to look to the things above, my head has been buried deep in trying to achieve in the world's terms. I am constantly making compromises, telling myself that I will have time later in life to do better. But is that what God wants?
1 Timothy 4:12-16 is always an edifying reminder for us all:
"Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."
Questions for reflection:
Do you give the best that you can? Is your offering and service prepared with all you heart, mind, soul, and strength?
How can we cultivate our spiritual vision?
Submitted by cfnteam on Mon, 11/28/2011 - 17:32
CFN Sharing: In Everything Give Thanks
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess 5:16-18)
This past Thanksgiving weekend was a good opportunity for us to reflect upon all the blessings that God has given us throughout the year. However, as Christians, Thanksgiving should not be the only day that we give thanks to God. Paul reminds us that we are to rejoice always and give thanks in everything.
It’s often easier to complain than it is to give thanks, especially when our lives become busier and busier (as they undoubtedly do). With assignments piling on top of each other, finals coming up, and an endless to-do list, it is often difficult to be thankful. However, Paul teaches us how to give thanks in everything—through unceasing prayer.
I find that as I become busier, I also spend less quality time in prayer. It becomes a chore or a habit, not something I do to communicate with God. I also find that it is during these times that I am most stressed. It is during these times that I find it most difficult to give thanks.
It’s a simple teaching (one that we’ve heard over and over again), but prayer is key. Instead of complaining in difficult situations, let’s try to pray and find different things that we can give thanks for every day.
Questions for reflection:
What is one thing that you are thankful for today?
How can you improve your prayer life?
This past Thanksgiving weekend was a good opportunity for us to reflect upon all the blessings that God has given us throughout the year. However, as Christians, Thanksgiving should not be the only day that we give thanks to God. Paul reminds us that we are to rejoice always and give thanks in everything.
It’s often easier to complain than it is to give thanks, especially when our lives become busier and busier (as they undoubtedly do). With assignments piling on top of each other, finals coming up, and an endless to-do list, it is often difficult to be thankful. However, Paul teaches us how to give thanks in everything—through unceasing prayer.
I find that as I become busier, I also spend less quality time in prayer. It becomes a chore or a habit, not something I do to communicate with God. I also find that it is during these times that I am most stressed. It is during these times that I find it most difficult to give thanks.
It’s a simple teaching (one that we’ve heard over and over again), but prayer is key. Instead of complaining in difficult situations, let’s try to pray and find different things that we can give thanks for every day.
Questions for reflection:
What is one thing that you are thankful for today?
How can you improve your prayer life?
Submitted by cfnteam on Mon, 11/21/2011 - 17:39
CFN Sharing: While We Still Can
As we get older, we begin to realize that life is so fragile. More and more people that we know of, are acquainted with, or are even really close to have passed, and we know that it’s not even always someone that is well advanced in age.
I recently talked to a brother who told me how he had been reflecting on how much time he had been spending with his parents since he got to college, keeping up with them and making sure that they were doing well. Or rather, I should say, he had been reflecting on how much time he hadn’t been spending with them. Recalling a heart-breaking account of someone that he knew, this brother told me that he would never want to regret not being able to have a good relationship with his parents until it was too late as well.
The love of our parents is not overrated. We should always remember to thank them and tell them that we love them, not just with words but also with our actions. For myself, my dad has high blood pressure and heart problems. In fact, his heart has arrhythmia, meaning that something wrong could happen any day, any time. Although it seems so surreal to me that something terrible could happen, especially because my dad is so good at hiding his problems, I constantly have to remind myself to thank God every night for giving my dad another day to live.
When was the last time that we told our parents how much we appreciated them? When was the last time that we did something for them, knowing that what we do might be able to help them out? When was the last time that we told our parents that we loved them? We have all gotten to where we are today because of our parents. Let’s remember to express our gratitude and love while we still have the chance!
Questions for Reflection:
What are some of the things your parents have done for you?
When was the last time you truly appreciated your parents and were thankful from the bottom of your heart?
How can you repay the love of your parents? Are you doing so?
I recently talked to a brother who told me how he had been reflecting on how much time he had been spending with his parents since he got to college, keeping up with them and making sure that they were doing well. Or rather, I should say, he had been reflecting on how much time he hadn’t been spending with them. Recalling a heart-breaking account of someone that he knew, this brother told me that he would never want to regret not being able to have a good relationship with his parents until it was too late as well.
The love of our parents is not overrated. We should always remember to thank them and tell them that we love them, not just with words but also with our actions. For myself, my dad has high blood pressure and heart problems. In fact, his heart has arrhythmia, meaning that something wrong could happen any day, any time. Although it seems so surreal to me that something terrible could happen, especially because my dad is so good at hiding his problems, I constantly have to remind myself to thank God every night for giving my dad another day to live.
When was the last time that we told our parents how much we appreciated them? When was the last time that we did something for them, knowing that what we do might be able to help them out? When was the last time that we told our parents that we loved them? We have all gotten to where we are today because of our parents. Let’s remember to express our gratitude and love while we still have the chance!
Questions for Reflection:
What are some of the things your parents have done for you?
When was the last time you truly appreciated your parents and were thankful from the bottom of your heart?
How can you repay the love of your parents? Are you doing so?
Submitted by cfnteam on Mon, 11/14/2011 - 17:38
CFN Sharing: Always There For Us
We all go through many different changes in life, particularly during our undergraduate, graduate, and early career times. With geographic relocation, we may be living the first sunny November in our life, exploring life abroad in a different culture, or just realizing how much effort it takes to keep your apartment from becoming a pigsty. We might be staying put as the world around us changes. Friends and family may come and go; we may suddenly find ourselves with free time that we need to fill with care; or the level of academic pressure may be mounting to unexpected and frustratingly impossible heights.
As Christians, one thing should not change. While new distractions, new responsibilities, new commitments, and new habits may abound, we should remember to find ways to turn to God. Remember to be a Christian.
Perhaps, for some of us, life actually seems monotonous. We go through the same routine again and again. Regardless of where you are, King David wrote: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever" (Ps 23:6). God is always there for us. His grace and guidance is always present for us to partake.
Questions for reflection:
How have you tried or how can you try to continue to "dwell in the house of the Lord"?
How has goodness and mercy followed you to where you are now?
As Christians, one thing should not change. While new distractions, new responsibilities, new commitments, and new habits may abound, we should remember to find ways to turn to God. Remember to be a Christian.
Perhaps, for some of us, life actually seems monotonous. We go through the same routine again and again. Regardless of where you are, King David wrote: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever" (Ps 23:6). God is always there for us. His grace and guidance is always present for us to partake.
Questions for reflection:
How have you tried or how can you try to continue to "dwell in the house of the Lord"?
How has goodness and mercy followed you to where you are now?
Submitted by cfnteam on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 17:51
CFN Sharing: Forgiveness and Love
Recently, I have been spending more time with the younger youth at our church. Not because I was told to, but because I realized they needed a lot of guidance since there was some bullying going on. In the past, I was bullied at church and almost left because of it. I know what it’s like to be picked on and I know how much it can hurt some one's feelings. Although I was there to keep the peace, I realized that the more time I spent with the kids, the more shameful I was. As I watched them try to resolve issues and see how forgiving they were, I looked at myself and thought about how I resolved my own issues with others. Did I do what I told the children to do? Sometimes. Was I as forgiving of others as they were? No, not really.
When I reflected upon myself, I felt a deep burning in my heart because of shame. The kids showed no lingering anger or bitterness. Once the situation was resolved, they were able to play with each other again. There was no awkwardness and they completely forgot about how they were just in tears a few minutes ago. This may just be how their brains are built at this age, so I decided to talk to some of them one on one when I had the chance. I asked them how they felt and why they forgave the bully so easily. To my surprise, all of their answers were because of love. Although they are so young, they seem to know about love better than I do.
From this, I was extremely humbled. Sometimes our pride gets in the way so we won’t say sorry first. Sometimes we’re too stubborn to let go of a grudge we have against someone. And sometimes we are too angry that we overlook the good times we had with that person. Whatever it may be, the relationships we have with others are reflective of our relationship with God. If we have a good relationship with God, we will have good relationships with others because we have God’s love dwelling within our hearts. If not, it is easy for our hearts to be filled with discontent, anger, stubbornness, and negativity. The only way to get rid of these is to draw near to God and fill our hearts with His abundant love.
“12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” (Col 3:12-14)
Questions for reflection:
1. How is your relationship with God? Explain.
2. Do you feel God’s love in your heart? Why or why not?
When I reflected upon myself, I felt a deep burning in my heart because of shame. The kids showed no lingering anger or bitterness. Once the situation was resolved, they were able to play with each other again. There was no awkwardness and they completely forgot about how they were just in tears a few minutes ago. This may just be how their brains are built at this age, so I decided to talk to some of them one on one when I had the chance. I asked them how they felt and why they forgave the bully so easily. To my surprise, all of their answers were because of love. Although they are so young, they seem to know about love better than I do.
From this, I was extremely humbled. Sometimes our pride gets in the way so we won’t say sorry first. Sometimes we’re too stubborn to let go of a grudge we have against someone. And sometimes we are too angry that we overlook the good times we had with that person. Whatever it may be, the relationships we have with others are reflective of our relationship with God. If we have a good relationship with God, we will have good relationships with others because we have God’s love dwelling within our hearts. If not, it is easy for our hearts to be filled with discontent, anger, stubbornness, and negativity. The only way to get rid of these is to draw near to God and fill our hearts with His abundant love.
“12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” (Col 3:12-14)
Questions for reflection:
1. How is your relationship with God? Explain.
2. Do you feel God’s love in your heart? Why or why not?
Submitted by nymadmin on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 02:54
Colorado Retreat November 25th-27th
The Feast of the Tabernacle
Come to the Feast of the Tabernacle and enjoy the fellowship of the household of God during Thanksgiving weekend!
The essence of the Feast of the Tabernacle is there when we give ourselves a chance to withdraw from civilized life and become aware of how much we’ve relied on the physical things we have, realizing how much we should depend on and appreciate God and others around us.
Like the Israelites moving about in tents when they lived in the wilderness, we, as the remote members, have no fixed building, worshipping instead in homes, in the mountains, in cabins, and in open areas—as long as we are worshipping in spirit and in truth. The Israelites had not the conveniences we have today. They depended upon the manna that came from God on a daily basis. They experienced with the little they had that they could be satisfied. And that satisfaction came from God alone. Whether we have learnt that lesson remains to be seen!
Previously, we learned from our summer retreats the lesson to humble ourselves whilst living in the midst of the elements, and to look upward to our Heavenly Father, and to express sincere love and care, overcoming our own discomforts to make others comfortable with the love of Christ growing in our hearts.
Now we have a winter retreat. Though may not be very comfortable in some aspects, by participating and experiencing each year, gradually we sense that we are growing and are forming a much stronger, closer, and more meaningful relationship with God and our brothers and sisters by overcoming the burdens with the physical constraints we have grown to cling on to; and by willing to bring our thanksgiving to the feast this November, we can taste together that “the Lord is good."
Come! Kindle the warm fire in our remote areas, and be satisfied in God.
The feast will be held at Harmsen Ranch House in Golden Gate State Park in Golden, Colorado. See the attached schedule for details.
Site Information
Submitted by cfnteam on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 02:55
CFN Sharing: More Love to Thee
"Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?'" (John 21:15)
Do I? Lately, I feel like I've been caught up in the world. If it's not about school and midterms, it's about extra-curricular activities. If it's not about either of those, it's about the food I'm going to eat, the fun I'm going to have, the friends I'm going to hang out with. Last year, our evangelical theme for one of the quarters was "Are You Ready?", talking about the second coming of Jesus Christ. I feel I'm like those in the times of Noah, a bit too caught up in the floods of the world, not setting my mind on the business of God.
Needless to say, it's made me feel a bit distant from God lately. It affects my prayers and affects my mentality. It feels like not too long ago that I felt prayer and the Word was all I needed to get me day by day. But the worries of this world seem to be slowly dragging me down. I want to go back to being satisfied with just His Word and His abidance. I want to feel close to Him again. I want to love Him more.
Sometimes I feel that life is just a big test from God. He sees whether or not you'll do what's right in difficult situations, He'll give you challenges to see if you truly love Him. In these most difficult situations, this is where our true self shows. It's like two options presented in front of us and Jesus asks us, "Do you love Me more than these?"
For us there seems to be only two options. Either I do love Him, and I don't let these things faze my relationship with God, or I don't love Him enough, but I want to be at the point where I do love Him more than these.
I hope most of us relate to the first option. For those similar to me that relate to the latter, let's do what we can to love Him more. There's either moving forward or backward, and we know moving forward is the only way we can go, and forward is the only place where we can be with God. So let's strengthen our knees to pray more, ask God to give us more love and faith, for strength to overcome, for the mentality to keep focused. If not, we would be missing the whole point of Christianity, the most important commandment.
Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38)
May God help us to remember that what's most important is our relationship with Him. May we love Him more than we love ourselves.
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." (Rev 12:11)
Question for reflection:
Do you love Him more than these?
Do I? Lately, I feel like I've been caught up in the world. If it's not about school and midterms, it's about extra-curricular activities. If it's not about either of those, it's about the food I'm going to eat, the fun I'm going to have, the friends I'm going to hang out with. Last year, our evangelical theme for one of the quarters was "Are You Ready?", talking about the second coming of Jesus Christ. I feel I'm like those in the times of Noah, a bit too caught up in the floods of the world, not setting my mind on the business of God.
Needless to say, it's made me feel a bit distant from God lately. It affects my prayers and affects my mentality. It feels like not too long ago that I felt prayer and the Word was all I needed to get me day by day. But the worries of this world seem to be slowly dragging me down. I want to go back to being satisfied with just His Word and His abidance. I want to feel close to Him again. I want to love Him more.
Sometimes I feel that life is just a big test from God. He sees whether or not you'll do what's right in difficult situations, He'll give you challenges to see if you truly love Him. In these most difficult situations, this is where our true self shows. It's like two options presented in front of us and Jesus asks us, "Do you love Me more than these?"
For us there seems to be only two options. Either I do love Him, and I don't let these things faze my relationship with God, or I don't love Him enough, but I want to be at the point where I do love Him more than these.
I hope most of us relate to the first option. For those similar to me that relate to the latter, let's do what we can to love Him more. There's either moving forward or backward, and we know moving forward is the only way we can go, and forward is the only place where we can be with God. So let's strengthen our knees to pray more, ask God to give us more love and faith, for strength to overcome, for the mentality to keep focused. If not, we would be missing the whole point of Christianity, the most important commandment.
Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38)
May God help us to remember that what's most important is our relationship with Him. May we love Him more than we love ourselves.
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." (Rev 12:11)
Question for reflection:
Do you love Him more than these?
TJC "Alphabet Soup"
There are a lot of USGA events, groups, and projects with cryptic acronyms. This page is a quick reference for what each of them stands for. If you see any errors or omissions, leave a comment!
