Sunflower Faith

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“Isaiah 55:8. “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord.”.

I want to but I can’t.

I want to but what will people think.

I want to but I don’t want to lose my friends.

I want to…..

I want to….

I want to….

How often do you feel this way about your faith and just even sharing your faith with others?

How often do you find yourself either second guessing yourself or censoring yourself because you are more afraid of what people will think if you talk about your faith then you are afraid of what our Heavenly Father would think.

Being a Christian in modern times, is a challenge because we find ourselves under pressure to conform to the world and what the world wants and a struggle with living for and with and by what our Heavenly Father wants which unfortunately in many times, translates to unpopular opinion.

I chuckled as I read this passage from a devotional,

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As Christians, we also wish to discover God’s will for our lives. Surely He is already laying the groundwork for our lofty aspirations in life. Then, when things don’t quite meet our expectations, we are perturbed. And if they take a dire turn into disaster, we are perplexed. What went wrong? We missed the point.

The thing is, God’s will is just that – God’s will. He tends to do thing His way, in His time, according to His own plan, and with His own purposes in mind. God often ignores our agenda! Over and over the Scriptures bring up an important theme: “My ways are not like your ways!” Sometimes we need a gentle reminder that He’s not like us”

Trouble is that many times, we try to box God in a way that makes us comfortable or feel in control, instead of just GIVING Him that control that is His not ours and having faith that no matter what, all things work out to His glory and is to be for His glory,not ours.

The thing is that we have to learn to step down and remember that even if we are at work, we don’t go into the bosses’ office and run things, we let our boss do his job and the same with our Heavenly Father.

He knows our hearts better than we know our hearts, but when we find ourselves willfully hiding His work or our walk from Him, is that not a display a lack of faith in well…Him and if we go..okay,”I’m going to pray to You, but I’m going to be in control”, isn’t that kinda trying to tell Him what to do.

Human nature is that inevitable we try to take care of ourselve, but we have to remember that once we accept God’s grace, it’s ALL Him and not just part of the time or on Sunday, but ALL of the time and a lot of time, it’s not going to be a comfy feeling.

It’s going to be a ride on a roller coaster but we can’t forget that He has HIS hands on the control and HE is not going to let go.

Just because sometimes things don’t work out the way, WE want it to, doesn’t mean God has failed us or hasn’t heard us…We have to remember that He has already seen the end of the line before we do and HE does know what is better for us.

Like children, it’s easy to want to pout and throw a tantrum and rebel, but that’s how we got here in the first place and if we are going to say, “God,I’m going to let You do what YOU need to do,”  we have to hold our end of the bargain,take a deep breath, grab His hand and just trust Him.

Heavenly Father, I ask that you give us more strength and discernment to trust You and Your word and instead of trying to compromise Your word to fit our lives that we compromise our lives to fit YOUR word.

Lord, give us maturity and strength that if we are going to walk the walk, that we are going to do more than just talk the walk, but show it in our lives and in our trust in You.

Gentle Friend, if you are finding yourself on the balance beam, ask yourself, what are ways you can live a life that reflects God more and less about making compromises just because you want to keep friends, live in the world or to be in control.

God doesn’t want you to be a hermit, but He also doesn’t want you to feel like you are falling either.

What are ways you can share on how to strive to grow and mature as a Christian?

Be not discouraged because of your soul's enemies. Are ye troubled with
thoughts, fears, doubts, imaginations, reasonings? Yea, do ye see, yet,
much in you unsubdued to the power of life? Oh! Do not fear it; do not
look at it, as to be discouraged by it; but look to Him! Look up to the
power which is over all their strength; wait for the descendings of the
power upon you; abide in faith of the Lord's help, and wait in patience
till the Lord arise; and see if His arm do not scatter what yours could
not. So, be still before Him, and in stillness, believe in His name;
yea, enter not into the hurryings of the enemy, though they fill the
soul; for, there is yet somewhat to which they cannot enter, from whence
patience, faith, and hope, will spring up in you, even in the midst of
all they can do.-Isaac Penington
qhpress.org/texts/penington/

Sounds like something we can all use in these days and time.

We live in times of uncertainity and questions; our economy is in turmoil, we don’t know if we want to know what will happen tomorrow, but through it all, though the storm is raging high waves around us, Our Heavenly Father is in the center of it all and saying, “Be still”.

It seems easy sometimes to go, God can’t solve this but the reality is that He has and He will.

He has seen far worse and far better than we ever can, so what seems a storm to us, is but a raindrop to Him.

In the midst of lifes turmoil and an uncertain times, share how or if you feel this draws you closer to our Heavenly Father and His word and if not, what ways do you think, you can do for yourself and your relationship with Jesus Christ, to “Be Still” and grow closer to Him rather than feel as if there is a rush of worry, pushing you along?

“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you.”
–John 6:27

When I came across this via my email, I thought this would be a fantastic thing to share for Sunday’s “Praise and Worship”.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not shouting “I’m clean living’”
I’m whispering “I was lost”,
Now I’m found and forgiven.

When I say …”I am a Christian”
I don’t speak of this with pride.

I’m confessing that I stumble and need CHRIST to be my guide.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing that I’m weak
and need HIS strength to carry on.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting I have failed
and need God to clean my mess.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
but, God believes I am worth it.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I still feel the sting of pain,

I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not holier than thou, I’m just a simple sinner
who received God’s good grace, somehow.

(Share this with somebody who already has this understanding, as reinforcement. But more importantly, share this with those who do not have a clear understanding of what it means to be a Christian, so that the myth   that Christians think they are “perfect” or “better than others” can be dispelled.)

““The devil is aware that one hour of close fellowship, hearty converse with God in prayer, is able to pull down what he hath been contriving and building many a year.-John Flavel

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What comes to mind when you read that?

The enemy is always on the outlook to find ways to pull ourselves away from Our Heavenly Father; In the form of earthly tempation, influences by others who are not of the faith, maybe just internal influences of ourselves.

Notice how when you spend time in the bible, go to church for worship or have fellowship,that along with the uplifting feeling, “things” seem to happen to keep us from continuing.

Maybe it’s coming from ourselves, or we much rather go shopping or watch t.v. because there is something just too good to pull ourselves away.

The trouble is that anything that keeps us from going to church, from reading God’s word, from spending time in prayer with Him, is a win for the enemy and a loss to us and our Heavenly Father.

When it really boils down to it…there is no excuse than are we going to perserve and continue to pursue our Heavenly Father as He continues to pursue us, or are we going to give in to the enemy’s attempts to convince us we don’t have time, a place or a way?

Unfortunately watching church on a t.v. is no true subsitute to the actual prescence of a fellowship of believers and the only one who is winning when we find reasons we can’t do this, or go there, is well…the enemy.

We live in times where there is too many tempations and too little reasons NOT to go to church or read God’s word.

“ Psalm 19:35, “You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.”

Isn’t it comforting to know that our Heavenly Father is there, yearns to be there for us, and calls to us, to let Him be our strength, our source of hope and faith.

How many times when we say, we can do it on our own, and rather than fly,we often find ourselves, wondering where did we go wrong?

The first step often, is by realizing, that it is not us who can guide us, but well, Him.

Without our Heavenly Father, often we risked being lost, prideful or..well just a mess, but when we really let Him into our lives and be the guiding light…notice how things seem to open up.

Share your thoughts about this verse and more than anything, ways you remind yourself, that your not in control, but He is.

““Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew: 7:24-27 (NIV)

I reflected on this verse and the words from this devotional that I had read that went,

“Just because we’re Christians living out God’s principles for life, does not mean we won’t face difficult circumstances. The difference being a Christian makes is how the difficulties affect us. If we are hearing and heeding God through our prayer time and reading His Word, then we will be able to stand strong in the storms of life. Our faith will not be shaken and our identity will not be rattled.”

I have known people in my life and, yes, I have even done it myself, that face with a difficult situation, rather than pick myself up and face it, I instead just curl up in a ball and go, “Why bother, I’m only going to fail.”

The moment I say that and do that, I have already failed myself and let my Heavenly Father down, by first not trusting in Him enough that He has seen me through so many tough times that I shouldn’t have made it but did, but that He kept through with His promise and yet at the slightest touch of the wind, I’m already ready to just give up.

How often are we like ourselves?

When times are great, oh we are on fire, but when life gets us down, wow, it just gets us down; We talk the talk,but when it comes time to walk it, a snail would have made it to the finish line before us.

The hardest part, but the reality about the Christian life, isn’t when the storm is hitting us the hardest, but in the moments before it that really defines how strong we are in our faith and how weak we really are.

If we trust Him as we say we do, rather than sit around and think, “Why try”, we go,”I don’t care how hard this wind is blowing, my Heavenly Father has already seen me through the worse and this is nothing,” and we put on our rain boots and we trudge forward not downward.

Maybe it’s not a bad day.

Maybe we’re just bored.

Maybe we just can’t handle the quiet.

Instead of making the most of the moment and saying,”Perfect smooth sails,” instead we complain and instead of lifting everyone else up, become so focus inward that we don’t see that, though the boat is sturdy and there are no waves, we are slowly sinking the boat and everyone around us, with it.

The trouble is that in the moment, people become a biggest judges of who and what being a Christian is about.

What makes a difference between a Christian who is making the most of it and a Christian who allows life to make the most of them?

One sees the life for the reality of what it is, yes there are going to be moments of difficult or stillness, but we already know of the hope and the promise after it, so whatever happens right now doesn’t matter and we push forward, rather than lay around and feel sorry for us.

The other, is never happy no matter what and in the process fails to see the blessing that our Heavenly Father bestows.

Having a boring, everyday is not a curse nor meant to be.

Having a boring,everyday is just as exciting and powerful as a busy day, because it’s God’s way of answering our prayers to help us get the rest that we say we crave and He knows we need.

When we have true faith in the promise and hope that our Heavenly Father has for us, there really isn’t a bad day.

It’s next to impossible to have a bad day and the amazing thing is that it’s not hard to attain.

No special tricks.

No special place in society.

Life isn’t always going to be exciting but when we are truly honest with ourselves and with our relationship with Jesus Christ, we look forward to those storms and quiet days, like they are the most exciting gifts from our Heavenly Father.

It is then that in the litmus of the Christian Faith, we can truly find out how strong or weak we are.

People who are looking at us as testaments to the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ isn’t going to look and see how we handle ourselves when life is exciting and grand, but when life is boring and mundane and difficult.

That will make and break our testament about our Heavenly Father.

As much as we may yearn that life is as exciting as a Hollywood movie, the reality is that life can sometimes be as simple as going to work,coming home and nothing else happens.

How we handle those days and just any day, tells not only others, but when we are honest with ourselves, what our true relationship with our Heavenly Father is.

So instead of grumbling…be thankful and give praise. Be surprised how much a simple act of enjoying the blessing God has thrown your way can turn a day with no winds, into a day of perfect and smooth sailing.

Heavenly Father, help me appreciate each day you give me, exciting, bad, happy or sad and treat each day as the blessing that it is; Not only remind me that it bears testament to others about our walk but our relationship to You.

Remind me that you don’t give us a boring, everyday, just because You are trying to bore us, but that maybe our bodies or our minds just needed that much needed rest, and You, in Your divine wisdom and state, sought to give us the relief that we so desperately needed.

Share some ways you make the most of days when it seems so average, there is nothing better to do.

How can you use those days to draw closer to our Heavenly Father?

He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven (Ps 107:29-30).

Often times when we feel that lost of energy that is so often associated with the Christian faith, we immediately may think that God has forgotten us or not listening,but maybe for a change, have we ever stop to thought that isn’t the case?

Maybe it’s not the case of God forgetting us or not listening, but rather, He IS listening to us and just given us a chance to reflect on what He has done so that WE would learn what He is trying to teach us and He WANTS t listen to us so HE is keeping still to give us a chance to talk.

The next time we feel like there is a lull, don’t panic. God never leaves us or walks away; He is always still there; He is more than likely giving us a breather to go over what He is wanting to teach us and instead of panicking…relax…and use that lull to talk to Him.

He is listening.

Share how you can use those “quiet times” to grow closer to our Heavenly Father.

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (Phil 3 13-16)

It’s the end of 2008 and the start of a brand new year.

Traditionally, this is also the time, when many people make New Year’s resolutions, only to find themselves failing a few days later or a few hours later (come on, can we really resist that scumptious just made chocolate chip cookie?).

How about our personal relationships with our Heavenly Father?

As daunting as it may sound, this is something that we all try our best to make but find ourselves, not so much as failing as just giving up.

Why?

There is a great site called,”How to memorize Scripture” and it brought up something that had me thinking when it recommended,” I recommend you not to bother to even keep track of the number of verses you have learned. Rather concentrate on perfection. Discuss the things you struggle with and the solutions you have tried. Make note of your progress, our feelings and ideas. If you give your whole heart to the pursuit of godliness, you will soon realize that you at war with your self.”

Studying God’s word, memorizing scripture, just spending time in God’s word and in His prescence, are things that take time and it takes discipline that has to be cultivated and isn’t just there, but in the end, the “prize” is worth the effort.

With the start of the New Year, what “Christian Resolutions” have you made regarding strengthening your relationship with our Heavenly Father and making it deeper and stronger?

What are ways you can suggest with others to have a stronger, more faithful and a relationship that allows our Heavenly Father to live in and through you so that others who see you, don’t see you, but see our Heavenly Father.

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:21-25)

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,^[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life..” John 3:16

No words have been most used..most memorized, then John 3:16; A simple but strong statement of the power and the love our Heavenly Father has for all of us.

With the upcoming Christmas season coming up, away from the commercialization of what the essence of Christmas is about; Away what type of tree, should we or should we not put up a tree; And away from what to buy or not to buy, Christmas served as a reminder of what this verse, John 3:16, means to all of us.

We will not know the exact day or moment until the day we are blessed to stand and praise and worship our Heavenly Father and be before Him, but what better time to share the word and message of our Heavenly Father, then to use this time to reach out to everyone and tell them about the lifesaving grace of accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviuor.

This is a very simple post because, honestly, the words do speak for themselves.

Share the ways you share the message that Jesus Christ is alive and living and want to have a living, personal relationship.

How can we, strip aside the commercialization, the almost generic “Merry Christmas’ and truly reach out and touch other lives and share with them why God wants to have a personal relationship with them?