Job 5:17- “Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.”
Last Sunday I was at a worship night with my sister. I was surrounded by wonderful, beautiful, people- all lifting up praises and glory to God. We were all unified and we were all in love. However, so many times I go to churches and see people all around me who love Jesus everyday but only worship Him on Sundays. Sometimes these worship nights can turn into one-time events and not lifestyles of praise. I was convicted of things like this in my own life this week- and I fell to the ground in the presence of God. I had to repent. Sometimes I get so routine with my own life that I forget I need to stand out. I have my time with the Lord and then I categorize that into a separate part of my day. I spend time with other Christians but forget how to love them when it gets hard. I talk about Jesus with an attitude that doesn’t always reflect Him. I had to come back into repentance. Realizing that just because I’ve ‘done all the spiritual things’ doesn’t exempt me from living a life set apart that looks like Jesus. It doesn’t excuse me from self-control, or patience, or constant joy. These things must be developed and grown and practiced as our character is refined. There’s no excuse.
“I’ve been to school, I’ve studied, I’ve read. I’ve seen it all and I’ve lived it. Yet something spurs me on. Further up, further in. Deeper with Him. I’m tired of the Holy moments on Sundays that turn into drunken party scenes on Fridays. Why do we neglect the Holy for the mundane? Why don’t we bring Jesus with us into the bars? How can Christians be so on fire- yet look just like the world when they enter it? This can’t keep happening. Where have our morals and standards gone? Are You not the same God on Saturday night that You are on Sunday? We claim spirituality and maturity allows us to make our own decisions but clearly we can’t do that. We may have nothing to lose but we have everything to give. Doing the bad thing with good people is still a bad thing. We use “community” as a disguise for the idea that ‘anything goes’. We get together with Christians only to be a part of the world around us. We evangelize to those that live just like we do. Something has to change. We have to look different. We have to do more. If your life has no direction how are you following God? He’s always moving. We have to go somewhere. Move forward or not at all. What is life if it isn’t a journey? Staying stagnant and in the same place doesn’t lead anyone.”
People who have no direction or no focus in life can’t possibly be experiencing all that God has for them. He pulls us FORWARD. His love is DEEP. His voice is clear and His direction is set. There is no way for us to follow if we aren’t moving. I just got out of a season of intense, deep, intentional teaching and learning and growing. I learned how to pursue and seek and find God like never before. Coming out of this school into a summer of work and travel and moving became a bit of a difficult transition for me. Learning how to incorporate a radical faith into a seemingly mundane and sometimes busy lifestyle doesn’t come naturally. It takes effort, intentionality, and focus. You have to be going forward and following in a direction or you will not move. My summer was definitely a transition season of lots of new things and discovering what my life would look like going forward. It was a time of rest and intentional refreshment- taking time to step back with no intentional direction. That’s ohkay and necessary for seasons, but if we live out our entire lives with no direction or focus or intentionality when it comes to our relationship with Jesus- we will miss it. Not heaven- Heaven isn’t the goal. We will miss out on the places God wants to take us and the things He has for us HERE. Now. On earth. Eternity starts the minute you say ‘Yes’ to Him and if you don’t steward that and follow after it, you miss out on the life He has called you to and created you for. Take those seasons of rest and stillness and enjoy them. Get all you can from them. But don’t let that become your permanent lifestyle. Chase God and His goodness with all that you are.
“We use Christianity as an excuse to dress immodestly, love immaturely, and act selfishly. We claim to love God but don’t know how to love others. We lack patience and self-control, yet only preach GRACE. We justify our (lack of) standards and convictions by what culture is doing and not who Jesus is.”
I don’t normally write blogs of conviction and calling people out. But this applies to me as well. We have to appreciate the correction that God gives in order to live out our best lives. It’s a relationship, and it isn’t always perfect. We’re human, we mess up. And we must accept and use the feedback God gives us, even when its ugly and messy and we don’t like to hear it. No one wants to admit that they’re not always perfect or don’t have all the right answers- but that’s part of life on this side of heaven. And when God uses conviction to bring gentle correction, we should thank Him for it. I’m still growing in this area. But after the encounter I had on Sunday; I felt burdened to share this with all of you. I challenge you to ASK Him for feedback. God is gentle and loving and kind; His sweet correction of your spirit will only make you fall deeper in love with Him, and become a better you. If your Christianity doesn’t convict you, you’re doing it wrong. It’s part of the package. This is what relationship is about. Growing, learning, changing, becoming. This was a daily event in the lives of Jesus’ disciples and we are His followers!
Let’s change these things. Let’s change ourselves. Through God and His leading. There’s got to be more to life than this.
**I inserted direct quotes from my journal the night the Lord spoke all of this to me. I wanted it to be as authentic and powerful as it was when I first heard it.
Prone to Wonder 