"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts."
I find this scripture very encouraging today, We are all here for a purpose, for a reason. God is the master of creative design. He has made everyone different and unique. We all have different gifts, talents and personalities. Who is to say God uses one more than another? We need to stop all trying to be the same because He made us the way we are for a reason, It's not simply coincidence. God doesn't do coincidence. You are not a mistake. You are made for a purpose.
Food for thought; A friend once said to me, that if you are still living here on earth there is a reason. If God was done with you, If you had finished all that you were meant to finish, If you had lived out his purpose for your life in full of his will... You wouldn't be still living. If you are still alive, there is a reason you are still alive. Our god is not void of purpose, He is not random, He is a purpose-filled-powerful God who made you exactly how he wanted you - Fearfully and wonderfully made. Start living like it.
12/25/10
12/15/10
Signs.
So I've been kinda really focused on school this past week. University final exams have been insane. I don't think I've ever been so stressed out in my entire life. To be honest, I've been so busy studying that I haven't had much time to spend with God. It's really not a good thing. But it's the truth. But something cool happened to me yesterday, God literally spoke to me through a sign. I was driving down 16th ave and I'm stopped in the traffic and I look over and see this sign in the front yard of a church. It says, Worry ends where faith begins. That really struck me. Why am I so stressed out? Like, to give you guys an idea about how stressed I was, I had two nervous breakdowns/panic attacks, I made myself sick and I can't sleep and I forget to eat because I'm so focused on the studies. I haven't talked to any of my friends in over a week... It's been so awful. But this sign really was just a reminder that I don't need to be that worried about things. It is all in God's hands. I will do my best, and give the rest to him. And that's all I can do. I guess I just needed a sign to tell me that. God speaks pretty loud some days. I'm so thankful for it.
12/2/10
His will for my life.
So I've been reading Francis Chan's book "Forgotten God"
I just want to put an excerpt that really caught me off guard, it made me think, I like it, I hope you will too.
"How many times have you heard someone say, "I just wish I knew God's will for my life"? I know I've longed for this before. But now I see it as a misguided way of thinking and talking.
There are very few people in the Scriptures who received their life plan from God in advance (or even their five-year plan, for that matter!). Consider Abraham, who was told to pack up his family and all his possessions and start walking. He didn't know where he was going. He didn't know if he would ever be back. He didn't know any of the details we consider vital. (e.g., his destination, how long the venture would take, what the costs/rewards would be, whether he'd recieve a 401(k) or health insurance). God said to go and he went, and that's pretty much all he knew.
I think a lot of us need to forget about God's will for my life. God cares more about our response to His Spirit's leading today, in this moment, than about what we intend to do next year. In fact, the decisions we make next year will be profoundly affected by the degree to which we submit to the Spirit right now, in today's decisions.
It is easy to use the phrase "God's will for my life" as an excuse for inaction or even disobedience. It's much less demanding to think about God's will for your future than it is to ask him what he wants you to do in the next ten minutes. Its safer to commit to following him someday instead of this day.
To be honest, I believe part of the desire to "Know God's will for my life" is birthed in fear and results in paralysis. We are scared to make mistakes, so we fret over figuring out God's will. We wonder what living according to his will would actually look and feel like, and we are scared to find out. We forget that we were never promised a twenty-year plan of action; instead, God promises multiple times in Scripture never to leave or forsake us.
God wants us to listen to his spirit on a daily basis, and even throughout the day, as difficult and stretching moments arise, and in the midst of the mundane. My hope is that instead of searching for "God's will for my life", each of us would learn to seek hard after "the Spirit's leading in my life today." May we learn to pray for an open and willing heart, to surrender to the Spirit's leading with that friend, child, spouse, circumstance, or decision in our lives right now."
I just want to put an excerpt that really caught me off guard, it made me think, I like it, I hope you will too.
"How many times have you heard someone say, "I just wish I knew God's will for my life"? I know I've longed for this before. But now I see it as a misguided way of thinking and talking.
There are very few people in the Scriptures who received their life plan from God in advance (or even their five-year plan, for that matter!). Consider Abraham, who was told to pack up his family and all his possessions and start walking. He didn't know where he was going. He didn't know if he would ever be back. He didn't know any of the details we consider vital. (e.g., his destination, how long the venture would take, what the costs/rewards would be, whether he'd recieve a 401(k) or health insurance). God said to go and he went, and that's pretty much all he knew.
I think a lot of us need to forget about God's will for my life. God cares more about our response to His Spirit's leading today, in this moment, than about what we intend to do next year. In fact, the decisions we make next year will be profoundly affected by the degree to which we submit to the Spirit right now, in today's decisions.
It is easy to use the phrase "God's will for my life" as an excuse for inaction or even disobedience. It's much less demanding to think about God's will for your future than it is to ask him what he wants you to do in the next ten minutes. Its safer to commit to following him someday instead of this day.
To be honest, I believe part of the desire to "Know God's will for my life" is birthed in fear and results in paralysis. We are scared to make mistakes, so we fret over figuring out God's will. We wonder what living according to his will would actually look and feel like, and we are scared to find out. We forget that we were never promised a twenty-year plan of action; instead, God promises multiple times in Scripture never to leave or forsake us.
God wants us to listen to his spirit on a daily basis, and even throughout the day, as difficult and stretching moments arise, and in the midst of the mundane. My hope is that instead of searching for "God's will for my life", each of us would learn to seek hard after "the Spirit's leading in my life today." May we learn to pray for an open and willing heart, to surrender to the Spirit's leading with that friend, child, spouse, circumstance, or decision in our lives right now."
12/1/10
In all things
Today. Today was different. It wasn't the best day. Just things of this world got me down. I accidently slept in and missed two classes, I'm stressed about my exams coming up, A paper due tomorrow, I'm having some problems with some rude people... you get the point. You see it's easy to pray for God to give you the Holy Spirit when you are having a good day. But when things just arn't going so awesome, it's more difficult. It requires more faith. BUT, Time and time again I am just amazed at how God works. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 This is so true! He works good for us in every situation, even the bad ones. IN ALL things. This doesn't mean that all things are going to be lovey duvy and all nice and sweet, but that in all things, in every bad thing, every upsetting circumstance, he will work some good out of it. For me, today this has taken the form of lessons and teachings. In all this unpleasant grind of everyday life, the Lord is teaching me a few things. One of such is that I need not be anxious. "“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life... But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." I just know, reading this, that I can give all of my worries and troubles to god. I don't have to worry about exams or people in my life, because it's all in God's hands. I will try my best and thats all I can do. The rest is up to him. I am also learning that being a Christian is messy. It's not always the perfect life you imagine it to be. People are going to hate you. People are going to critisize you. People are going to persecute you. This is our martyrdom. And I am okay with this. I can say with faith that God is going to be my strength, that I am okay with people hating me because of my choices. My choices to follow the path God has for my life. It's hard some days, but in the end; he is my strength. "Wait for the Lord and let your heart take courage." Psalm 27:14
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