Embrace the Within no. 11

“My struggles are a testimony to the glory of God.”

Embrace the Within.

Up a little early this morning because I have a soul burdening my heart and I don’t know just how to get through to this person. I can tell that his heart is not where God wants it to be, however, he doesn’t see things that way. Dude feels like I am a person that has, “ . . . got his head stuck up his own ass and his self-grandizing himself just to placate his own ego because he used to children being Amazed by his intelligence when grown adults who are educated actually look at your logic and laugh.” And maybe he’s right about me from wherever he is in his walk with God.

BUT, I did what I am supposed to do and I told him where I thought he was wrong in his walk with God. I am praying for him and showing love despite his hardened heart. And that is a struggle I am going through right now. A struggle against a heart that thinks it is aligned with the heart of God. And I think a lot of us find struggles with folks that need to work on their hearts. I know it’s difficult to minister to someone else’s heart when they are attacking your heart. I can feel it, dudes. It is no easy task to keep a heart of love in the face of the opposition to that love. BUT we have to let go and let God work because I have no power to change anyone’s life. Only God has the power to work on my heart, his heart, and your heart.

And that is what I wanted to discuss and not my specific struggle. I don’t know about you BUT there isn’t a struggle that I go through that doesn’t bring me closer to God. And that is a great thing to find focus and gratitude when we are struggling and working to be more like Christ. I like to keep that idea in the front of my mind. That my struggle is going to be tough and they are only going to get more difficult as I go BUT in every struggle I face, God is going to get me to the other side of it and use that struggle to get me closer in my walk with God. And I don’t think I celebrate the growth as much as I should.

So, I want to spend today being thankful that God allows me to struggle. If I wasn’t struggling then God wouldn’t be working on me. If I wasn’t struggling then I would probably be off the path. Just like any video game, the bosses get more difficult and the path more complex as you level up and move forward. God wants to level up my faith and grace through even more and more difficult bosses and traps. I have to rely on God’s scripture, truth, and grace in those times that I feel that the game is getting too tough. I have the fellowship and love of brothers and sisters to help strengthen me in my walk as well.

I want to celebrate that struggle not that I feel that struggle makes me feel good or that struggle is easy BUT that struggle is important for growth. I pray you find strength and hope in your struggles.

Peace to your home. Bless your being. The reign of God is now. Have the day you want. I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyNepheshMyChoice #MakeYourselfGreatAgain #EmbracetheWithin

Embrace the Within no. 10

"Everyone chooses their level of involvement. We might share the same place BUT that does not mean we share the same space. Not everyone in the congregation is Christian."

Embrace the Within.

I think one of the problems I have and that I have seen in other Christians is that we forget that we’re human beings. We talk with God and study and get lost in living a better life that we somehow believe we have become better people. And that just isn’t the case. We are still flawed and broken and fallible. The only difference is that we have an ally in God to cover over those broken parts of our lives and embolden us to walk in truth. We start to believe we have something to do with our being special. And we don’t.

When the folks at the building you attend for praise aren’t perfect just remember that neither are you. When the folks you create as role models fail and fall just remember that you fail and fall too. I let the problems I had with the folks in churches get in the way of my relationship with God. And I see how dumb and silly and stupid something like that is. I wouldn’t allow the actions of other folks about another person get in my way with a relationship. How much sillier is it to allow others to be a stumbling block for my relationship with God? Other people have nothing to do with that relationship just like they don’t have anything to do with any of my other relationships.

Am I going to jeopardize my relationship because some biddies talk about folks? Am I going to jeopardize my relationship because someone isn’t doing Christianity the way I think they should? Am I going to jeopardize my relationship because someone thinks a different way about something biblical than me? It’s silly and pointless to act that way. No one can come between my relationship with God other than me. And to blame other folks for the failing of the relationship is the biggest lie I can tell myself. Because it isn’t what other people think that matters in any relationship. What only matters is between me and that other in the relationship.

People in the church aren’t making me leave my relationship with God and they aren’t strengthening my relationship with God, I am. What is between God and me is between us and no one else. My nephesh is responsible for making the choices for my nephesh and no one else. It’s time to stop acting like folks are gatekeeping our relationship with God. The only one that has control over that relationship is me.

Peace to your home. Bless your being. The reign of God is now. Have the day you want. I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyNepheshMyChoice #MakeYourselfGreatAgain #EmbracetheWithin