The Splint in His Eye

We all make mistakes. We all fall prey to temptation, even those who seem the strongest. We all fail at times and I know that I often feel contempt towards people I respect when they let me down or do something I disapprove of.

We rarely stop to consider if we've turned into the very persons we loathe.

Everyone has spiritual downs, and when they do they might do things they later regret. We're all young and we're all still growing. And it is for this reason that we have to continue praying for our leaders, and our youth. And leave the rest to God.

Its not anyone's place to judge. Its our place to understand, grow and love. And be compassionate and pray for those who have hurt us, for those who hate us, for your enemies and rivals, for those who ignore you, those who love what you hate, for our cities and our churches, for our pastors and our leaders. For all of those in the body of Christ.

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

Coming Back to Awe

Remember that day when you felt so young and fresh? Everything you knew was radical. It was new. It was inspiring. It awed you. It gave you a sense of enlightenment. Your eyes were unveiled. You were struck with realization.

But what happens when you forget all that? No, you do not forget that. What happens when what once struck you with so much awe and amazement, becomes normal, boring, old, dull, just another part of your life?

As humans, we tend to settle into boredom. Remember our 'friend' whom we should be wary of? Yes, boredom. So we know we have to be wary of it. So how do we avoid falling into that pit when we're on a slope that falls right into it?

In order to find the answer to this, it would be advisable to first try to remember. What first inspired you? What made your life "not boring" in the first place? At the very beginning? Before everything became lukewarm and mundane?

I'm speaking in terms of faith, by the way.

When we grow bored of life, it tends to suggest that we've grown bored with God.

"Is that all you have in store for me God? Sheesh, sure is life dull! You're so boring. I'm going to go find my own adventure."

And that's where you get into the sexual immoralities, or other forms of thrill which are second best.

If you don't think of ever going for the gold, you'll always only get the silver.

Remember the dreams God had for you originally. Though God changes the course of your walk through many different parts of your life, it might help to backtrack and refer back to how you got to where you are in the present.

Sometimes its the most humbling to see a child teach us, or remind us of something we’ve learnt long ago when we ourselves were children, and have let slide. But there is a message somewhere in there. Listen, even if it does seem like its just a child, what can they know? God can surprise you.

Rest and Recuperate

A lot of the times, we feel that we should always be on the giving end of things. We’re supposed to be generous, and not a glutton. Its bad to be always the one receiving, surely I must give something to someone else now. Yes, we should be generous, and God loves it when we give and help others. However. its not necessarily bad to be on the receiving end.

In fact, there are times when we should especially seek to be on the receiving end… from God! (No duh.) Sorry couldn’t resist that comment.

As I was saying, sometimes God wants to impart knowledge to you as well. We may feel like we’re dried out, and not as close to God as we used to. Thus, we don’t feel like how we did before. Perhaps others looked to you for support, or help, but recently you feel its been you who needs support and help. You wonder, have you lost that growth or maturity you had before which made you seem stronger or older? This feeling doesn’t have to be a negative thing.

Instead of feeling that you’re surely doomed because you’ve lost touch with the Lord, all the more turn to Him. He wants to fill you up again! Take a break to grow and strengthen your relationship with God. Rest and Recuperate! God wants to walk with and give to you! There’s a time to give and share wisdom, yes, but there’s also a time to receive.

So open up your heart and soul to the Lord and listen.

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.

Solitary

There are instances in which being alone is a good thing. Of course there's a flip side to being by yourself.

Solitary moments can help to refine us, and can help in the building of our relationships with God. Spending a few minutes alone to meditate or just talk to God does wonders at times.

But then there's the loneliness we all dread. The moments where we yearn for other human contact. We feel so alone in life that we are driven nearly ballistic. How do we seek comfort and peace at these times?

We know we're never alone. This is something we're all been taught over and over since we could sing "Jesus loves me." We all acknowledge His (God's) omnipresence. So how do we apply the theory we know so well into life? We know a lot of things. Most Christians who are born into Christian families know the basic black and whites. However, hitting teenage years and beyond, we all know its not as simple as that when we're out there in the world.

Acknowledge God's control in and over your life. Through all situations, even if you're having the worse day ever, praise Him. He's still the almighty. He's still the magnificent. He's still wonderful and unfathomable. He never let you down. He still Loves. He still is love.

A Little Note

I may not have mentioned this before: I do know that all the topics I've written about have been thought up already and some are extremely common. What idea hasn't been thought of before? Anyways, my point was, and is, to remind. These are some things that do come up in my daily life, and I've found that little reminders from blogs to post-its in my agenda or locker does help. After all, we are very prone to forgetting and I can't say that I remember everything I've learnt.

Just want to remind us all, (including myself) Let the doors to your heart be open to the Lord in all situations and seasons!

God Bless!