Why? (Chp 7)

While this book is supposed help us find what we're here for, what our purpose on earth is, oddly enough this chapter touches on the subject of why things happen. We all know and say "things happen for a reason." What is this reason? Why do the little things happen? Why do the big things happen? We've said that life's obstacles are a test or a trust, but even then, why a test or a trust?

The answer, which I was completely unaware of and did not expect and did not ever consider in any of my actions throughout my life, is to bring glory to and to glorify God. Wow! My tests, my trusts, if I handle them the way God wants me to, I bring glory to God. That means, every moment is an opportunity to bring glory to God, and that's just one way to bring Him glory.

There are 5 ways to glorify God in our lives according to the chapter:

1) by worshipping Him
2) by loving other believers
3) by becoming like Christ
4) by serving others with our gifts
5) by telling others about Him

In worshipping Him, it commands a lifestyle of worship, not just prayer out of habit, its enjoying God, loving God and submitting to be used for His purposes. Prayers, rituals and habit play small part of worship, worshiping comes from the heart, and the Lord looks at the heart.

I have a small problem with the second point, I believe that we're commanded to love everyone, not just believers, Jesus commanded us to love our enemies, even those who crucified Him He loved. If we glorify God by becoming like Jesus then we are to glorify God by loving everyone as Jesus did, not only believers. Both loving others and becoming like Jesus are part of our tests in life. Tests give us the chance to ask ourselves the famous cliche "What would Jesus do?" and whatever it was that Jesus would do, He would do it with endless compassionate love.

God gave us all gifts, our trusts, and He wants us to use those to their full potential. Not for our own benefit and glory, but for His and for serving others. Again, this trust of serving others with our gifts ties in closely with becoming like Christ because Jesus spent His life in service of God and of others, even down to washing His disciples feet. There are countless ways to serve others with our gifts from teaching Sunday school or preaching to driving people to and from church services and activities to simply having a friendly ear for someone to turn to in their times of need. Whatever the nature of service, it glorifies God, even if you don't see what you do as a service, God sees it.

Word of mouth, one of the most successful marketing techniques there is, so why not use word of mouth to glorify the Lord? Tell others of His magnificence, of His power, His mercy and grace and most importantly His love. Reach out to people, a lot will turn away, but if one finds the Lord, you are blessed and God has been glorified. Telling others about God doesn't mean going door to door asking "Have you found Jesus?" Its your lifestyle, its part of your worship, its the way you live. People will see you and your actions and hear what you say, all this glorifies God and if its part of your lifestyle, people will ask you about God and about Christ and you can reach out to them.

One of my friends logged on to an instant messaging program and initiated a conversation saying, there are too many people on my contact list with a religious quote or saying for their nickname. Then he asked me if he was that religious to be surrounded by these people. I replied to him asking "Does it bother you that the Lord has reached into your life and surrounded you by people trying to spread His word?" There is nothing wrong with reaching out to others, and there is nothing wrong in being rejected when you do. Jesus himself spent His life telling others about God and was rejected and crucified for it. If you make a difference in one life, if you help one God's sheep return to His flock, the Good Shepherd has your reward for you in heaven.

The book named 5 ways in which to glorify God, I want to boil it down to one. You can glorify God by becoming like Christ. When you strive to become like Jesus worship becomes a lifestyle, love is in everything you do and its there for everyone, you serve others by giving of yourself and of your gifts and you tell others about the word of God. Live your life like Jesus to bring glory to God. That's the reason for everything; God's glory.

There's no place like home...(Chp 6)

I've lived in 6 countries, I hold 2 passports, never really assimilated to a culture and I don't know where home is. Its not a nice feeling to not be able to call somewhere home.

Growing up abroad, away from your country of nationality, you always know that in the back of your mind that this will never be home, you'll always be just a resident on a permit or at best a second class citizen looked down upon. And one day you'll have to go home.

A lot of people I know have experienced this feeling, though maybe not to an extreme that I've felt it, but eventually, they find a place to call home. They say home is where the heart is. If that's the case then home is hardly ever where I am. My heart is with my family, with my loved ones, and most importantly, my heart is God's.

What this actually means is, as Chp 6 says, I will never feel completely satisfied on Earth because its not home. Earth is temporary, we all die. However, death isn't the end of the line, it's the start of the journey home. The thing is, what you do on earth determines whether your journey after death will take you home or not.

What really surprised me and is important to understand is that our mission on Earth isn't the pursuit of happiness, its the pursuit of establishing ever ounce of faith we have in our Lord and God, Jesus Christ. Faith is your ticket home when our lives on this Earth are behind us and the journey to eternity begins.

Faith guarantees your ticket home, but it doesn't guarantee success in this world, and that's where the struggle arises. Your faith may be as solid as a rock, yet life may not be rewarding in the least, and you look around you and you see others, (Forgive us for judging God), but you see others weak in their faith or people who don't believe altogether leading rewarding lives, having successful careers and living very happily and comfortably. That's your test, to keep your faith despite all these worldly temptations. Warren writes that millions of faithful people have been martyred, have lost everything, or have come to the end of life with nothing to show for it.

Worldly wealth isn't a sign of ones faith. However, a sure sign of one's faith, despite all the Earthly trials and tribulations one might experience, is the feeling of inner peace and the knowledge that despite everything, God is there and looking out for you and keeping track of every little detail and making a note of it for your heavenly reward. Remembering that this world ends, knowing that it's not home, and that you will go home in the end helps you keep that faith. God bless you and may He plant the seed of faith in you and nurture it until its in full bloom.

Life is a...(Chp 5)

This chapter asks you how you see your life? For me the first word that comes to mind is Revolution. I see life as a Revolution. Or more correctly, a series of Revolutions. I see my progression in life, my own personal internal growth as happening in bursts. A small explosion inside invokes a drastic change that takes a hold of me. That's my little Revolution. And then after that is a long period of calm and then I feel like the status quo has been maintained too long and that prompts another internal explosion, another Revolution. This isn't a conscious progression, this is just how I see my life happening. In fact, I may be completely wrong. Either way its totally irrelevant.

Life is a test and a trust and temporary assignment according to this chapter and according to the Bible. This chapter is only on the test and trust bit. Both facts are pretty straight forward, and easily comprehended. The importance of it isn't in the understanding, but in fact, its in the implementing. Its not enough to know that life is a test and a trust. Life has to be lived as a test and a trust. Every moment you live is a test or trust, sometimes both. Everything we're given form talents and intelligence to health and fitness to time is all a trust. Gifts, if you will, from God to utilize in the best possible manner. Personally, I've wasted a lot of God's gifts and I have not been faithful with what He has entrusted me with. I regret it. But my next second is another gift, I will not waste it on regret, I will make the best of it because what you do with what is entrusted to you, is a test in itself.

The chapter says that nothing is insignificant, everything is a test, even the smallest of incidents. Major tests in life can be significant changes, delayed promises, unanswered prayers, impossible problems, undeserved criticism and even senseless tragedies. But the biggest test is how you act when you can't feel God's presence in your life.

There are 2 points I'd like to make from my own personal understanding. First, I don't think God leaves prayers unanswered. Though we may often not hear Him or comprehend His answer, it does not mean He didn't answer. Sometimes His silence may be an answer. Sometimes the answer is there and we cannot see it because its not the answer we want or its not the right time for us to see the answer. Whatever it may be, I'm convinced that God always answers, sometimes on His own timing, but He always answers. My second point is something I cannot fathom. I can understand that we sometimes fail to feel God's presence in our life maybe because of lack of faith or a preoccupation with something of this world, but the chapter sites 2 Chronicles 32:31 as saying that sometimes God steps back from us to test what we would do without Him. I cannot see that as possible, not with the way God loves us and not with the promises He's made to us. He's promised never to give us a test we cant handle and all our strength and guidance comes form Him, so how can He possibly let us go? I cannot understand it, this feeling I have inside me because of Him tells me He will never let me go, so how then can He step back.

Lord never let us go, we are you lambs, you are our shepherd, you would not leave us to wander and get lost. Please hold us close and guide our every move. Never take your eyes off us. Have mercy on us. Amen.

An everlasting promise...

I haven't been here recently. I haven't been reading like I want to and I haven't been writing like I said I would. I got caught up with this world, things swept me away. School, my friends, my laziness...all really just excuses.

And though I feel really bad about all of it, inside I jump for joy. I'm jumping for joy, not at my own lack of discipline or my inability to help myself grow, I'm overjoyed by the realization of a small promise that weighs more in our lives than can ever be comprehended.

I've been away from here for one month, and in that month, one thing has stayed the same, in fact, its been the same for the last 25 of my years. As far as I know, its been the same for over 2000 years.

God's word has been consistent, His promises have been fulfilled, His heart has been open, forgiving and merciful for the last 2000 years. Its an incredible promise, that no matter what happens, no matter where you go, no matter what you do, He will be right where He says He is, He will keep all the promises He's made to you and He will always have open arms awaiting you. No matter if you deny Him, if you lose touch with Him, walk away and forget Him, He's waiting for you. Until the instant your soul leaves your body, you have every chance to find your way to Him and He will never turn you away.

It is His love for us that makes Him wait so patiently for us to let go of our lives and submit to Him. It is His amazing, everlasting, pure, fulfilling love that is His promise to all of us. It is that love that hasn't changed in the month I walked away. It is that promise of forgiveness, of mercy, of always being there despite what we say and do that has brought me back here. It is for that promise that I jump for joy. For the fact that because of God's love, its never too late.

God bless you all to feel His love. +