And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8
When you relate to God you always deal with abundance, for God does nothing in half measures! This is true regarding His grace. The Lord is not miserly when it comes to providing grace to His servants. When you seek to perform a good work that God has asked you to do, you will always find an ample supply of God's grace to sustain you. If you begin to lose heart in the work you are doing, God's grace upholds you and gives you the love for God and His people you require in order to continue. When you face criticism and are misunderstood, God's grace enables you to forgive your accusers and to sense God's pleasure even when others do not understand what you are doing. When you make mistakes in the work God has appointed you to do, God's grace forgives you, sets you back on your feet, and gives you strength to continue the work. When you complete the task God gave you and no one expresses thanks for what you have done, the Father's grace surrounds you, and He reminds you that you have a heavenly reward where everything you have done in the Lord's service will be remembered. God does not promise to provide all you need for your dreams and projects. He does assure you that, for every good work you attempt, you will never face a shortfall of His grace in order to successfully complete the task God has given you. - Blackaby Experiencing God Day by Day
Transitions often mess with me. It's been a subject that until this very morning hadn't had enough light to be seen in context. I likely suffer from OCD and being an introvert at the same time. Ducks just have to line up, be in a row and be the same ducks in each row.
I had been thinking about my adjustments to this new life in my new hometown. It has been hard. I am the opposite of what my Wife's experience is right now.
I looked back this morning and can see some examples of the proof of the OCD and Introvert thing. Regardless of how bad it was in Columbus, it was actually consistent. It regular and there was a routine to it. Even when changes happened it wasn't extreme. Then last year happened. I have been going through nothing but changes that are far from consistent and up till now there's little signs of it stopping. Not the best of things for someone like me. God's seeing me through it and by all means we can see we're blessed by what He's doing. I am just beside myself in dealing with it. In some ways my nerves are still on edge. I struggle with all the changes and will until they hopefully settle down.
I am hopeful that I will find where it is God's wanting me to be serving and doing for Him. To me, that's more important than the stuff around the house or at work. Those things can and have shown themselves to be, easily replaced. What I do for the Kingdom of God is what lasts, it's what endures.
I never was one to be comfortable around a lot of people. It's taken years to get to where I am now. God's still working on me. I have a third, not so insignificant issue, that's not necessarily a problem. I am driven to improve things.
I am an Introvert with OCD and a strong desire to not just fix things but to improve them.
So that makes it interesting in finding out Spiritual gifts and where to serve.
I look back on my time in my serving in Elyria. I was constantly working on making things better at what I was doing in the Church there. I was in the Audio-Visual Ministry for over 20 years. I kept working at making it better because that would help keep distractions away from the service.
Something simple here in this place we now live. I get a used trailer. Can't just use it. It's been getting fixes n upgrades.
God sort of does the same with you and I.
He loves us too much to leave us the way He found us. His desire isn't hidden in His Word. His desire is right out there for any and all to understand. He desires that we all come to the knowledge of needing to be saved in Christ Jesus. After we do, His desire is that we live obedient lives in Christ Jesus. Then comes the best part...we are transformed into the image of Christ Jesus by the work of the Spirit.
Change is inevitable to all who are in Christ Jesus. For me it literally is an act of God to deal with the changes He brings.
I freely admit that changes scare me. Big changes scare the life out of me. Lots of changes...well...expect me to struggle a lot in dealing with it.
On many occasions in even this last year God's gotten behind me and shoved me forward in life. I have been forced into changes and it's been close sometimes to shutting me down. I accept them eventually but many certainly don't make me happy. But the prayer is the same. His Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
What we do in life is indeed important. Why we do things in life is important.
Read Romans 13...that part about giving an account before God of our lives.
I, like you, can be easily redirected by temptation in this world to go and do what only makes us happy. There's going to be times when what God wants us to do isn't going to make us happy. I highly doubt that the idea of being restrained in a prison up off the floor for Peter and Silas was physically enjoyable. They indeed were delivered and indeed they focused on what we read about.
I indeed have been blessed in regards to several desires being fulfilled in my hobbies. I also know that I have a mission to fulfill in Christ Jesus. I like what's been provided but know that I must keep the right perspective. What God has provided God CAN take away.
We can indeed put things, and yes even family, ahead of the life that God has intended for us to live. We can put hobbies and sports fandom ahead of our walk with Jesus. Putting them on a higher priority than our relationship with Jesus. A very good test for me was realizing just what I knew more about. The things that I enjoyed in life or my relationship with Jesus. I was ashamed that I knew more about worthless things than what I knew about my Savior. It's what drove me to praying more, to reading my Bible consistently, to being more of the man of God that God desires of me.
What we do...is has far greater repercussions than we realize. It either drives us towards Christ or away. It either exalts us or Jesus. It either displays a love of God or a love of the world. This is what began with Adam and Eve.
Look at the things that you do.
Look at the things that make you 'tick'.
Look at what YOU think are important. Are they things that Jesus says are important?
What we do...will be revealed.
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