As a distinct part of God's family deeply submerged in work for Him, what do you think our Lord truly wants from us within the next twelve months?
Meditating on our God and His works has led me to believe that God is not really asking from us for a charter of accountabilities at this point of time. He is not requiring us to present to Him a plan of what we intend to do in His Name. All He wants from us is to look deep into our hearts and try to assess our own discipleship in Christ, how well we have pursued our covenant with Him and how much we have contributed to his cause and purpose.
In a wonderful message written by George Carlin (as sourced from our Church bulletin), he stated the paradox of our time in history. He spoke the truth behind our present world which only revealed how we have lived out our lives, how we have been drawn to the world than to our Lord.
He shared, "that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways but narrower viewpoints. We spend more but have less. We buy more but enjoy less. We have bigger homes and smaller families, more conveniences but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine but less healing"
"We drink too much, smoke too much, spend recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, love too seldom and hate too often. We have learned to make a living but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years."
"We've been all the way to the moon and back but have trouble crossing the street to meet our new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We have done larger things but not better things. We have cleaned the air but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom but not our prejudice. We write more but learn less. We plan more but accomplish less. We've learned to rush but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less."
"These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses but broken homes. These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies and pills that do everything from cheer, quiet and kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom."
That was quite a mouthful but nothing could be more true than what was shared. It is a regret that man's focus on the world rather than on God has caused us to be more of the world and less of God. Instead of being new creations in Christ, bowed down low before God with hearts and minds full of love for Him and genuine humility before His grace and mercy, we have been snared by worldliness. We are so full of pride and arrogance that we have not left space for our Lord and His works. When we become a friend of the world we become God's enemy. We become infidels as we break our covenant with our Lord. We fail to love Him with all our hearts, souls and strength.
Let us be reminded that we have a God Who puts to death anything that does not add up to our being His children and gives life. He casts down to the nether world and He raises up again. Jesus did not come to destroy us. The Lord makes poor and makes rich, He humbles, He also exalts. He raises the needy from the dust, from the ash heap he lifts up the poor, to seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage.
Can't we give God space in our hearts so that He can work in us?
Direction
Let us examine how faithful we have been to our covenant with God and re-commit and dedicate our lives to Him.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I pray that you will bless me with the grace to deepen my relationship with You through Jesus, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
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