Thursday, August 20, 2009

Thankful Thursday


Yawn! I was up again last night until the wee hours. Not sleeping is NOT fun!
However, it gave me some time to write out my thoughts while I was waiting to feel sleepy enough to try the bed again.

I am SO thankful that God continues to teach us. As long as we're teachable, He'll teach. He doesn't come to a point in our lives when He hands out a diploma, shakes our hand, and wishes us success in our Christian walk.

We have been so blessed to be in a church where God's Word is taught in a way that makes you want to implement what you've learned...and I could go on and on about the things the Lord has been teaching me since attending our church. However, our pastor recently mentioned a book in one of his sermon's that intrigued both my hubby and I. So, we meandered over to Amazon.com and found it at a discount price and bought it.

My hubby and I read books together several nights a week. It's been a habit of ours for several years now. So as often as possible, we've begun reading this book, one chapter at a time. It is entitled The Hole in the Gospel by Richard Stearns, the president of World Vision. I highly recommend it.

Mr. Stearns not only tells the story of how he was called to World Vision, which is a great story all by itself, but he asks us to think about how much we truly believe in God's Word. Do we believe all of it, or just the parts we are comfortable with. Do we act on all of it, or leave out the difficult, life-changing stuff? You know, the stuff that might make a course-change necessary.

He asks an a question he had been asked as a child in catechism classes. Why did God make us?
The answer is simple - to love, serve, and obey Him. Hmmm....IS that simple? It's easy to say, but is it easy to do? This is what God is teaching me now.

When I wake up in the morning, IS my agenda "to love, serve, and obey Him"? Frankly, that requires checking in with Him and finding out how He wants me to DO that today! I don't know about anybody else - but I have a habit of formulating an agenda long before I ask God what He wants me to do today. So, I want to know, Lord, how CAN I show my love for You today? What things can I DO to serve You today?

And what about that obedience part? Again, that requires thinking things through, making right decisions, deciding against my own way - choosing to obey even when it wouldn't be my first choice (yes, that happens)! Again, I have a habit of acting first and then thinking afterward - that maybe I shouldn't have do this or that, eaten this or that, said this or that. Help me Lord, to think about what You'd want me to do, and give me a desire to DO just that.

So, that's my reason for being thankful today. He sees a need in my life to be more tuned in to His desire for my life and rather than letting me go on my own way (the wrong way), He teaches me through a sermon, through a book, through an old catechism question. He loves me enough to not send me on my way, he continues to mold me and make me into the person He wants me to be. Thank you, Lord.

If you'd like to read other Thankful Thursday blogs visit Grace Alone at http://www.eph2810.com

2 comments:

Denise said...

Praying for God to sweetly bless you.

i said...

How true! Many a times I go my own way too and yet God keep leading me back to where I'm supposed to be. I'm thankful that we have such a patient God and never gives up on us eventhough we fail him time and again.