Although some people can say they’ve never really gotten themselves in to bad spots…I can’t. There were many times, before my story of LIFE CHANGE began, where I got myself in some bad spots!! I can’t thank God enough for how He kept pursuing me, protecting me and saved me!
I can relate to what Paul said…”I of all people am not worthy of my salvation…”
When I look back on some of those unfortunate situations that I seemed to get myself into, I remember always saying something to God like “if you’ll just get me out of…., I promise to NEVER …. again.”
Although they may not be “bad spots”…don’t we all still do it today thought? Maybe in those situations where we’d “let go” for too long and couldn’t dig out quick enough…
- “If you’ll just give me more energy, I promise to read my Bible everyday”
- “If you’ll just help me lose this weight, I promise never to let myself get like this again”
- “If you’ll just help me get better again, I promise to take better care of myself”
- “If you’ll just help me do my job better, I promise to put my family first”
- “If you’ll just help me get a better job, I promise to love that one more”
- “If you’ll just give me more money, I promise to tithe”
- “If you’ll just get me through today, I promise to be more thankful for everyday”
- “If you’ll just…
The list could go on and on. We’ve all been there. Why is it we feel as though we can bargain with God? Or worse, why is it we feel we live such a “justified” life that we never feel the weight of our sin to bargain with God?
All that to say, I’m learning two things more intensely as I grow in my faith…
1) MY GOD LOVES ME
Yes, disobedience has it’s consequences. The stories in Scripture prove that over and over again. However, the comfort we also find in Scriptures is that we serve a God that loves us, wants to provide for us and wants to see His joy overflowing in us more than we do!!
2) I’M CALLED TO LIVE WITH DILIGENCE
God created us all for a purpose. If we didn’t have a purpose anymore, we wouldn’t be breathing. With that, we are called to live our faith out daily with diligence….meaning, we live out the details of our faith, in the details of our lives each day with the goal being God’s GLORY, not ours. We have a choice, we don’t have to wait until things get “bad” first because we lived for ourselves for too long.
We’re human…perfection isn’t attainable, but when we live life with a knowledge of who God is and how He wants us to live, it may keep us from the bargaining table and more simply thanking God at the table.
I’m not there yet…but I’m learning.