Point 1 from this chapter: Theology is either true everywhere or anywhere. Many times people get caught up in the "American Dream" mentality and think that is how God thinks. What about the single mom in Haiti? Does the fact that she is poor make all those promises of health and wealth to the faithful false? Just because she isn't married, does that make her not worthy? Try and think outside of your thoughts and stop speaking for what God thinks. God loves. He shows mercy and grace to all. We need to start thinking about loving everyone and not just who we think is worthy. God is the only one who has the right to judge.
Point 2: A calling... the dictionary defines it as: a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence.
Are you waiting on your calling? We all have a desire for a purpose in life. The key is to not pause our lives waiting on it. I can't tell you how many times I have said "When my kids get older"...."When the weather is better". Why do we do this to ourselves? We can live out our purpose in life now. The single, poor mom in Haiti does. She has no choice. She has to work and do her thing. She may not be famous and live a grand life, but she has a purpose, just like you and me. We are all worthy of the calling we have received, including her. Your calling may seem ordinary to you, but it might make a huge difference for someone else.
What if we actually stopped worrying about a calling and started thinking of our GIFTS? You might be good at praying for others, encouraging others, serving others, teaching others, helping others...whatever it is- do it TODAY. Don't wait for something miraculous. Pray and ask God to show you what your gift is and how you can use it to help others and live out the purpose He has for your life. When you truly surrender to what he wants you to do with your gifts is when great things happen. What is your gift and how can you use it to bless others?
I had a plan for today's blog and this what not it. We didn't go to church yesterday. We had a busy weekend, I was exhausted, Tyler was exhausted... we have a very busy week ahead. These are not excuses. It just didn't work out. Sometimes you have to listen to your body and soul and know when you need a day to rest. Even when we don't go to church, I listen to a sermon online. My go to online services are Life Church with Craig Groeschel or Passion City with Louie Giglio. Both are incredible. I decided to listen in with Life Church this week because they have a series right now called Relationship Goals. Since I spent some time on the blog last week talking about marriage and love and investing in your marriage, I thought it was a fitting way to end the week. I didn't plan on sharing it here, but after listening and reflecting I couldn't NOT share it.
Craig and his wife Amy have been married close to 27 years. Now, I don't know about you, but in this day and time- when people have been married that long- I tend to listen to see how they have navigated life and marriage. Chances are, they are going to have some good advice to tell you, or at least some good stories!
The sermon I listened to today was the first in this series- entitled "Christ Centered". There are four messages in the series. I think I will most likely go back and listen to the others as well. Craig started off talking about how man and woman were created, how man is not to be alone, and how man and woman become 1. (Genesis). The whole relationship of man and woman was created by God.
He then went on to discuss how we look at people's pictures and stories and lives on social media and in the world. We think "relationship goals"... we want that. What we don't see is the work that is put into those relationships. Anyone can post a pretty picture on social media, but behind that there are fights and miscommunication and misunderstandings, and challenges. It is good to want something other than what has become the norm today- anger, distrust, divorce.... all things that happen when two people are together but doing their own thing and not having a similar vision in life.
The number one thing that people mistake is thinking that you have to find the "one" to truly be happy in life. What we don't realize is that we already have the ONE, if we chose to have Him. God should be #1. He should top the list of priorities in all things we do. He should come before your spouse. Without him you wouldn't even be here to have a spouse. It is when we put other things before him that we start to see things unravel and our world tends to be scattered, a hot mess, unfulfilled. The key to that list is that your spouse should be #2! Not your house or job or money or material things or kids. Your spouse.
When you put God as #1, you have a truly Christ centered life. It is about more than going to church or reading your bible. It is about putting him at the top of all things. When you do that it makes an impact on your values and beliefs. Then, that impacts the actions and decisions that you make. With that, it changes the impact and influence that you have on the world around you. See how that has an effect? BUT none of that is possible if you don't have God as #1.
One thing that Craig truly believes helps couples to lead a more Christ centered life is praying together daily. I am not going to lie- I kinda cringed when he said this. While my husband and are Christ followers, we have never really prayed together. He does his thing and I do my own. We view it more privately. Well, as Craig said there are lots of things you do in front of your spouse that are private (like going to the bathroom- lol- did I mention he always makes me laugh in his sermons as well?). True, true Craig! If you can do those things, you can pray together. He gave three tips- Keep it short, keep it consistent, and if you miss a day, don't miss two. He said you can start simple and build up. It doesn't have to be 30 minutes of prayer. It doesn't have to be complicated. He just suggested you give it a try. The only thing it can do is build your relationship up and make it stronger! The devil is always on attack, especially to those who are true believers and have the faith. It is constant warfare. Wouldn't you rather have that prayer be something else to use in that battle? I know I would. I think we will give it a go.
My challenge to you this week: Pray with your spouse. See how it changes your week.
I have linked the sermon below. If you are ever in need of some faith, some Jesus....Craig is great.
https://www.life.church/media/relationship-goals/christ-centered/
I have been working on this post for a little while. I wasn't quite sure how to put my feelings and thoughts into words. As I discuss on my blog, I am a Christian wife and mom. God first! It hasn't always been that way for me though. Here is a little about my journey to where I am today.
I grew up Catholic. My grandmother started taking me to church when I was a newborn and I continued to go to church with her most every Sunday. I went through all the steps as a Catholic child- baptism, first communion, and confirmation. When I entered high school and got a job, the time I spent at church was less and less. I guess you could say I was like any other teenager and had "more important things to do".
On and off through my teenage years and early 20s, I would go to church occasionally or start going for several weeks and then stop. When a major hurricane hit my hometown in 2008, things really changed. The diocese decided to tear down the church that I grew up in, despite the efforts of many to keep it open and repair it as a community. There were other things that occurred, but all in all- it completely turned my off to the Catholic faith. I haven't been back in a Catholic church since.
I have tried non-denominational churches, spent some time at a Church of Christ, did some online church services, and much more. I have read through the Bible several times. I have kept my connection to God alive through it all. But I strayed..... I let the devil come in and get inside my head and thoughts. I wasn't sure what the plan for my life was. I let other things become more important. I always prayed and felt I had a connection with God, but it wasn't always deep and as solid as I feel it is today.
Lots of things changed when I met my husband. I truly felt God picked him out just for me. All the years of doubting and feeling hopeless were gone when I met him. I think that was a turning point in my faith. At that moment, I knew God was there, he had always been there, and would always be there. I ventured back to church services, online and eventually we have found a church home at our local Methodist church.
My faith is stronger now than ever. I chose to wake up every day and trust in God. I know the world is not perfect and I don't see how it will ever be. I just chose to believe that in the end, all will be ok and if it's not ok, it's not the end. I chose to wake up every day and look for the good and positive in the world. I am not naive by any means and I know the devil attacks constantly. I have just tried to train my brain to lean on faith, to pray, to devote time to God daily, and to believe that He is greater than anything here on this Earth. Many people out there might call that silly in the world we live in today. I know it's a risk, but I would rather risk everything on God than live for the material world and believe that is as good as it gets. There is better. Heaven is there and I can't wait to see it one day. Faith is a tricky thing. I am not always perfect with it, but I sure try.
How did you journey to faith? Are you a believer? I would love to hear about it.
