Sunday, January 29, 2012

More Grateful

I work with mentally disabled people who need helping eating, getting dressed, going to the bathroom, etc. They don't have the privilege of going places by themselves or doing all the things that we do on a daily basis. However, my point is not simply to talk about how little disabled people have. My purpose (in addition to appeasing David's blog requests) is to remind us of how much we have. The fact that we can do things by ourselves should not be taken for granted (including the fact that you're reading this right now).

God has given us so much! We should be more grateful. From the life in our lungs to the shoes on our feet. Be grateful. Remind yourself that it could be worse, it could be harder. God has given us amazing and incredible bodies. Just think about it. Right now my fingers are moving up and down on top of a keyboard in an extremely coordinated effort to push down specific keys of my choosing (although they keep springing back up against my will). Not only that, but my mind remembers where the keys are that I want and which keys I need in order to form the words that will communicate the message I desire. And I hardly even have to think about it! My body almost moves on its own, hardly a thought goes into it. And thought is all that goes into it. I think and my hands move. That's awesome!

Join me in being more grateful

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Prayer

I've been considering my prayer life recently. It's a good thing to think about. Even Jesus' disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. Here's a few sporadic thoughts. 


- Give God your full attention. If you were having dinner with the president, you would never text during a conversation with them. When you pray, find a quit place with no distractions. 


- Be needy. Don't think that when you pray you are doing God a huge favor. He's the God of the universe and He doesn't need you. You need Him. Don't forget that when you come to Him.


- Don't be afraid to be brief. Don't pray for a long time just so that God will listen to you (cf. Matt. 6:7). There are certainly times for long prayers (Jesus prayed all night), but do not ramble as if God won't hear you unless you say it 50 times. 


- Be open and honest. One of the dumbest things you can do is try to hide your true feelings when talking to the one who knows everything. He knows when you're angry or proud, so be honest (and humble).


- Have variety. Do you have a friend who only calls when they need something? Don't be that person. Yes, come to God with requests, but also with adoration, thanksgiving, confession, and praise. Don't succumb to the deadly one-track prayers. 


- Be intentional. Any relationship takes intentionality. If you don't plan on praying, you most likely won't pray (just ask me). This is the most difficult for me. 


- Pray with faith. If you pray within God's will as revealed in Scripture, then have confidence that He will do it. Believe in your heart that God will answer prayer.

The Danger of Divided Devotion

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" (Matt. 6:24). 


Please take the time to ponder how you think about your money and possessions in general (or lack thereof). Although it is not wrong to own things (otherwise I would be in trouble), I do not think we fully comprehend the weight or the implications of Jesus' words. My hope is that these three thoughts would provoke thoughts of your own.


First, if you love money then you hate God. Period. You cannot love and serve both of them at one time. Your heart will either be attached to God, or something else. Whatever the object may be, it is unworthy of your affection which belongs wholly to Christ. 


Second, this is a constant battle for the Christian. While you are on this earth, your heart will flip back and forth from God to something else and back again. However, you can never love them both at the same time. Imagine it this way. You are in a hallway between two kitchens. God is the cook in one kitchen and your idol is the cook in the other. You are able to serve either one, but you cannot serve both at one time. Just as you can never be in both kitchens at once!


Third, although this verse may seem extreme or exaggerated at, it is not a difficult concept to grasp. We know that a soldier cannot fight for two sides. Nor can an athlete play for two coaches. It's not that we don't understand how a person can't serve both God and money, it's that we don't want to understand. 


Not only is it impossible, but it's just plain stupid to try to serve both God and money. No one likes a person who's constantly on the fence about things. Imagine a quarterback who throws half of his balls to his receivers and the other half to the defenders. Such a quarterback would be despised by both teams. Likewise, you're not helping anyone by switching sides all the time. Find where your loyalties are and stick to it. Christ is worth your full devotion.