Everyone knows the poem of 'Footprints.' At least all Christians do. We realize God lives with us. He helps us through hard times. Yet, the sad truth is that we end up living with him. This is where many people may start to be confused. You see living with God is like having him as a roommate; you meet up, hang out, talk, share the relationship you have with others. But at the end of the day you each go to your separate bedrooms. God leaves his door open, while you shut and lock yours. Why? Are you afraid God will see what you're doing in there? Afraid the sin you are performing will make him move out? As humans, both of those answers are Yes.
It's not easy living for God. In fact, very few people in the history of the world devote every ounce of energy to him. Very few humans spend their lives pleasing him. Even I must admit that Sin has controlled my life more than once. Even as I'm typing this I realize that I, too, have often locked my door so that I think that God can't see. God asks us for our lives, wholly. My major is theatre in college. And I don't plan to change that. But I will do everything I can to make sure that my talents are used to enrich Him. Because that is what He asks.
I can say, from experience, that it will NOT be easy. It's not supposed to be. We were cursed with the free will to think and make decisions on our own. We were not blessed with simple actions and asked to perform them over and over and over again. No, instead we were given minds. We have the power to decide where we want to go. Sadly, when we live with God we don't always take the same road he walks. When we are on the highway of life we take many exits toward sin. We walk along next to God, talk with him, hug him when we need comforting, clutch him when we need help; yet, we keep a small thing of sin in our pocket. We keep it there so that we can pull it out at anytime and play with it. When we turn back around, God is still there. Because He is trusting. He is merciful.
Think of it this way. A kid goes to a carnival. He sees the clown with the balloons. He begs and screams until his parents finally pay for him to have that shiny red one he has had his eye on. All day long we walks around with the balloon. You see, we are the child, the clown is Satan enticing us with Sin, and the balloon is, of course, the actual Sin. We walk around with the balloon connected to our wrist with string. Even though God is there, and we feel the sin is put away, we can still pull on that string until it comes back and we can have fun with it. What we must do is cut the string. Not just leave up in the air tied to our wrist. And we can't even pop the balloon, because, the truth is, we can still repair it and blow it back up and create the sin all over again. We have to cut the string. Yet, we must leave on that sliver that is still attached to our arm as a reminder. A reminder of the pain that we cause God every time we bring that balloon back down; or every time we take the sin from our pocket.
You can take as many exits down the highway of life as you want. What really matters is what direction God will tell you go when it dead ends. That's why we must not stay beside God on the highway and 'meet back up with him.' We must stay behind him; perpetually following him, and living for him. Because at the end, I want to go the direction he's going, not the other way.
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i don't think anyone can devote every ounce of energy to God, although we must work to put God first in everything we do. it gets eaiser as we consciously do it everyday. it helps to surround ourselves with people that do the same. if you find yourself in an environment where sin is widely accepted, it gets much harder to loose focus of God. that's when we must define the relationship. What does God ask of me? and What does God offer me? the answer is the same to both questions: Everything. you are right it's not easy living for God, but He's the absolute best thing to live FOR.
ReplyDeletelove your blog.