Being spoken to (listening)

Through this journey of life as a Disciple of Christ, it is very similar to life not as a follower, but completely different. Most people tend to make decisions on spurts or an impulse. Though have you ever asked for Christs help in a situation? I mean any situation. Marriage? A new job? What about your tithing? How about what you should do for a weekend? That's a tough one. To ask God for his will and his direction in what were going to do this weekend. God truely moves in amazing ways in our lives. He helps us grow as a Christian, a spouse, a mentor, as a person. But to listen to what God wants is very difficult at times.

I just finished a book called Epic. It was a short read but good. I got some good thoughts/ideas out of it. In the book it talks about how Adam and Eve were told not to eat from the forbidden tree. So, Satan comes along in the form of a snake. He questions Eve if God had really told her to not eat from the tree. He tells her of what wisdom she could gather from eating from the tree. So she does, out of questioning her own faith and what God had told her. Thus we have sin.

In my life currently, it has been difficult to "hear" God. I've been putting alot of effort into listening to him, but I seem to fall short. I have really come to an understanding that I am definantly trying to hard. For with trying to hard I tend to "push" God into saying what I want him to say. It's a very odd and difficult thing to explain in words. But, try thinking of it as if you asked someone if they wanted to go get coffee. But, you cut the person off from answering before they could even give an answer by saying "Great! lets meet at Caribou!" Though they were already in Lake Michigan searching for Ole' Nessie.

What if God told you that he wanted you to leave your amazing job to work at a grocery store. You had no idea why. But, what your really missing out is the positives in the new job. The amazing amount of people/employees he will put in your life to witness to. We don't want to leave our job that we make so much money at to go work at grocery do we? No... But again, we don't know what God has in store. It's tough....I know.

There is a huge differnece between what God wants us to do and what we want to do. We have humanly and earthly desires. He does not....

I think this is a huge factor in or difficulty in hearing/recieving/doing what God wants us to do. We want our human desires. God's will is simply not good enough for us.

John 8 (The new american standard)

12Jesus once again addressed them: "I am the world's Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in."

13The Pharisees objected, "All we have is your word on this. We need more than this to go on."

14-18Jesus replied, "You're right that you only have my word. But you can depend on it being true. I know where I've come from and where I go next. You don't know where I'm from or where I'm headed. You decide according to what you can see and touch. I don't make judgments like that. But even if I did, my judgment would be true because I wouldn't make it out of the narrowness of my experience but in the largeness of the One who sent me, the Father. That fulfills the conditions set down in God's Law: that you can count on the testimony of two witnesses. And that is what you have: You have my word and you have the word of the Father who sent me."

What we really don't see in God's will is truely the testimony we will have in going to the job at the grocery store. But what an amazing expierence it turns out to be. I would like to encourage people to seek God's will in general things in their lives. So much more is gained in life when seeking his will in casual situations. I truely love God and I love following him. But, I won't lie when I say I sometimes wish he would ask me to seek his will in different ways at times or manners. Though through my expierence when I look back. I truely would not want to have it any other way. Seek God, Trust God.

James 1 (The Message)

5-8If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

Our options open....
Keeping our options open so God can push us where we need to go for him.
Just a thought..

Lord,
I seek your will. I ask for the grace of your hand to guide me through life altering decisions and everyday life. May your will be done. Use us in our everday life. I pray for strength in your will and endurance to stick with it. Bless you Father, for you have shined your light on our lives in many more ways than we could ever know.
Love,
Ben

Beginning(')s

So, I have seem to find myself falling into a trend? I have really enjoyed reading some of my close friends blogs. It is awesome to see their true thoughts from their hearts on certain topics, aspects, etc. I have been learning how to, well "re-learn how to learn" on a personal aspect. For me to go into depth in thought, reading, or on a topic is a difficult task. I have grown in different ways to learn. I have been keeping a somewhat personal thought journal that has helped my relationship with Christ and helped myself to benefit myself. For me to be able to write things out has really benefited myself. I am able to be much more of a thankful person and thoughtful person. I hope that some may find this blog interesting to themselves, maybe entertaining, heck maybe even inspiring. Ha!