So tonight, as I go through some personal drama, I am reminded of the words of my mentor -- be grateful and have faith. And so, I am trying my best to look at life in that perspective.
God never promises us a perfect life...just that he will be there through the difficult times. I am also reminded of some verses that help me to remember He is in control.
Romans 13:1 says, "Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." In other words, God has full authority over all things. We can be assured that nothing can happen without God being in the midst.
Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." God takes even the bad and uses it for His glory.
What about people who appear to have no conscience? For example, they lie, cheat and steal; what does the Bible say about them? In Titus 1:15-16 it says, "To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. " I have a hard time believing that there are actually people who are without conscience and yet, I have met them. The answer to this lies with this verse. You can't love God and be a believer if you are deliberately out to hurt others. Romans 2:5 also addresses this. It says, "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God..." In other words, God will take care of it.
You know, I try hard to practice my faith. To be the best person I can be; I want to please God as He is number one in my life. I definitely fall short. There are days when I behave less than a Christian should; yet, I still strive to be the best I can. I have no concept of how one can take advantage of others and justify it in their mind. And so, tonight as I lie in bed, I will think about all the things I am grateful for; God's grace, my family, my friends, my job, a roof over my head and although not a lot of money, enough to pay my bills. God has been good to me. He gave me great strength and determination. He taught me to be courageous and to stand tall, even when I've been brought to my knees. He has taught me that regardless of what happens in life, it is about Him -- not us. We are saved by His mercy. Whenever you want to be humbled, think about how you conduct yourself in the day-to-day and then picture Christ on the cross; a particularly strong dichotomy.
My faith is stronger than ever, despite being brought to my knees once again. I know God is in the midst. I pray for the continued strength I need to look forward and not behind. I pray for my focus to be on Him and not the actions of others. I pray that He will right any wrongs. I trust in Him.
And so, tonight I go to bed and pray for sleep. I pray for grace to forgive once again, as I've been forgiven. I pray that God blesses those who are ill, suffering financial woes, relationship difficulties and anyone who needs Him in their life. I pray for hope and healing to those who are struggling; most of all, I pray that He will continue to build me up so that I am able to lift up others.
So, as you get ready to sleep tonight, pray for others; pray for your enemy, your friend, your children or even the person you don't know but who may be going through difficult times. As you lie there, think about all your blessings; I'm sure there are many. And then, take a moment to thank God for all He has done for you. It is moments like these that one can do nothing else but to pray, serve others and most of all, be grateful and have faith.
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