Embrace the Within no. 143

'But, yee beloued, edifie your selues in your most holy faith, praying in the holy Ghost, And keepe your selues in the loue of God, looking for the mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ, vnto eternall life. '

Jude 1:20-21 GNV

This week has been a long one for me. I don’t know how it’s going for you BUT, through the Lord, I made it to Friday as did you. There are ever increasing reasons to give up on faith, hope, and charity if you look behind you or to the sides. If my eyes are not focused on the Way of the Lord and seeking communion with Him, then I can easily get pulled from the right path. I can easily find more and more reasons to act contrary to His Word. I can easily find reasons to give up on Him and my fellow image bearers. BUT I don’t.

I am in what seems like a constant conversation between what is happening around me and the Spirit because that is the only way to ensure what I am doing is right and true and just. If I was making the decisions on my own, then I would rely on my incomplete understanding. I need to be in contact and unity with the Truth. And I can’t do that praying twice a day or praying only on Sunday or praying only at banquets. I need to keep that conversation ongoing.

It can be a long week BUT I can always rely on the one conversation to bring me peace. It can be a long week BUT I can always rely on the one conversation to bring me hope. It can be a long week BUT I can always rely on the one conversation that will bring me joy. And, unfailingly, I never feel worse for talking to Him.

I know that there is a lot going on in our lives that can make us lose focus. Life is messy. Life is hectic. Life is distracting. BUT I never want to lose the promise that God is only a prayer away. That all I need to do is simply seek to have a conversation with Him. I don’t need to go somewhere. I don’t need to see someone. I just need to talk to Him. And I need to remember that He is never too busy, never too worried, never too distracted to take time to hear what I have to say. He created me to talk to Him, He created me to walk with Him, He created me to share this experience with Him on this side of eternity and beyond.

I pray that we all take more time to talk with You. Help us to remember that we were created to be with You. Help us to take time to worship, praise, and honor the creation we are and the creation You made to better walk with You. Remind us that no matter what is happening, no matter how insignificant or consequential, that we can talk to You about everything. And remind me that it is always a good time to pray.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

Embrace the Within no. 142

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].

Matthew 6:24 AMP

I can’t serve two masters BUT I try to serve the world and God every day. I get distracted from the light that is my goal by the diversions to the left, to the right, and behind me. I put my time and effort into things that do not bring God glory. I do these things because I am a human that is fallen.

I try to have the best of what God has to offer and the best of what the world has to offer. Sometimes it is for the worst the world has to offer as well. I try to keep my foot in the ways of the past me rather than in the new creation me. Why do I do that?

Why do I trust in the Lord BUT not fully submit to His Way? Why do I believe in Christ and love God BUT want to keep my old self as well? Why do I want to be a slightly modified creation and not a new creation?

There are a lot of reasons why I hold onto things that are not moving me forward. And one of those reasons is comfort. I have become comfortable with the way things are in this world. I have become comfortable with being comfortable. And change does not ever come from a place of comfort. Change comes when I am made uncomfortable by myself, by others, or by God. I can’t change in comfort.

When I first started this journey, I was really uncomfortable with a lot of things. Prior to that, I was okay with the way things were in my life even though the world made me uncomfortable. What moved me to change into a healthy person was the uncomfortability of the situations around me. I was uncomfortable with being unhealthy. I was uncomfortable with being powerless. I was uncomfortable with being surrounded by emptiness. Wherever I looked were hypocrites and lies. I was uncomfortable with living a life like that.

Are you comfortable? Are you settled into an acceptance of your situation in life? Are you resigned to your situation?

I pray that I never again feel comfortable with where I am in the Kingdom of God. I pray that I am always striving towards being better for the Lord. I pray that I always serve as an Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Lord. I pray that I serve no king BUT Christ daily in my walk with the Lord.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH