At the Crossroads of Life and Death

Sometimes, when we grow up in a certain setting we feel we do not really have to choose where we end up.

But the line between eternal life and eternal death is actually really thin.

Do not let the Devil have a foothold.

Yet "Trust in the Lord", a phrase so easy to say, so hard to keep.

A phrase that means everything when you stand on the line between two of the oldest enemies in "Time".

And if you ever do, which I hope you never have to, I pray you pray God gives you strength. I pray that you remember, Jesus died for you. Its such a basic, simple statement that we all know, and many were brought up on it, its so simple, but think about that statement. Everything, the purest, most beautiful, righteous, glorious, He became, defiled, slain, cursed, for you.

For you, a broken being. For you, forever struggling. For you, always in pain. For you, always seeking for more. For you, a greedy, selfish creature. For you, self-centered, and self-serving. For you, a human. Why are you throwing it all away? Why are you throwing love away? Why are you throwing life away? Why are you throwing hope away?

You are loved. I promise you. There is hope. There is a reason to keep going on. There is a reason why. Even if you may not see it now, trust. And let Him be in control. He knows where you're going, now and always. And I pray, we make it to the end.



He died for you.

Don't Wander too Far

Does it have to be that difficult? Does being with God, mean that we have to be unhappy? Does holding onto morals, obeying the law, honoring your parents, mean that you have to lose something significant, something fun? Is it worth it?

Why do we so often place Fellowshipping with God in a completely different place from having fun? Is it a very different place?

Its pretty harmless to hang out with friends who aren't Christians, but you have to be careful of who's influencing who.

And as a last note and to end this post,

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." ~Proverbs 3:5-6

Beware of Boredom

An important thing to remember is praising God through both bad, good and average times. We tend to be extreme. When times are excellent, we either praise God because we're glad we have everything and are happy, or we forget that all we have is God blessed and given. Similarly, when we're going through a stormy period, we either turn back to God to ask for deliverance, or we forget completely that God is in control and flail our arms over the stormy waves, desperately hoping that the storm will calm soon. It is probably during boredom that we have to be the most careful. It is in the average times that it is probably most difficult to remember God. We get comfortable, but not too comfortable to be thankful. We are tired, but not too tired to ask for help. In all things, praise the Lord.

Easier said than done.

I'm going to repeat that.

Easier said than done.

Let everything come back to God. Everything, after all, is about God. (Well its about seeking happiness and pleasure, but that is exactly where God comes in.)

Another way I can illustrate my point is, in a marriage, how does the couple avoid getting tired of each other? Many divorces happen because of boredom. The husband forgets what initially attracted him to his wife. Or the wife forgets what she saw in her husband.

Yes, I know that many divorces happen because of a third party, but that reinforces my point. There would be no third party if there was no boredom.

How to be wary of boredom? Everyone is different, but fundamentally, spending time with each other never hurts. Acknowledge why you care for and love the other, and constantly communicate. Pray together, remember what you are together as one body. Instead of looking at the huge flaws of the other, remember that we all have imperfections. Remember that you, too have imperfections, and God gave you each other to build each other up, not tear each other down. Help each other to erase those flaws, not condemn each other because of them. Understand the perspective of the other, never let their feelings slip.

Similar treatment is of course very important for maintaining any relationship be it with friends or family. Its definitely not easy and most of the time we're just so frustrated or tired. We also can't understand why we have to be the understanding one- why never the other? Why can't they understand me? Why do I have to be the one taken advantage of? Why can't they be mature?

Is the adult expected to know how to clean up a mess he or she has spilt? Is a toddler expected to know? If you know better, God has given you that wisdom, and it is your responsibility to act accordingly. I know its difficult and frustrating, but it will be worth it.

When Worship becomes a Rerun

You walk into Church, or any Christian meeting. The music comes on. You sing, while wondering casually when it would end so you may sit down, or tell your friend beside you about the latest gossip you heard about a classmate at school.

Rewind.

Even if you walk into a Christian meeting without feeling the least bit like saying "Hallelujah Blessed be Your name!", that doesn't mean You can't.

Perhaps its at the lowest moments that we actually can praise the most graciously. Some of my lowest and most down moments turn to wonder at the majesty of our Lord.

Here are three different kinds of "I don't feel like worshiping" results. There are more, but here are some I happened to have observed.
1) "I'll worship anyways" because its what I'm 'supposed' to do.
2) "I'll worship anyways" because God is still in control, and My Heart is still open to His blessing, He is still the greatest of All and worthy of all praise. Let Him move my heart today and may I lay all my troubles upon Him.
3) "I'm not worshiping today. I don't feel like it. After all, why be hypocritical?"

Play.

When is Worship just for the sake of it?

Is worship that 30 minutes you stand in front of the band/choir and sing the songs you've heard over and over you're just sick of singing them? Can you worship without singing? Can you worship with your life? How?

What do you want to do.