Chasing the wind.

It seems like with every good thing comes some sort of pain...not pain as in physical, of course, at least not all the time. However, the Bible talks about in Ecclesiastes that with knowledge and understanding comes pain. Also, if you imagine someone who completely lives for Jesus... wouldn't they probably be someone who was considered weird or "rejected". It is almost like with every good thing comes a responsibility. Knowledge creates a responsibility. Experience creates a responsibility or according to some a burden. So what do I strive for? Do I strive for good things when it seems all good things have some sort of pain? Do I marry when I know that life is but a breath and eventually I won't be married, so all of it seems futile? Do I seek understanding when it brings "pain"? What do I strive for? The only hope...the only desire left...the only comforting thing is striving for God...for God's will to be manifested on this Earth. So that people's perspectives might change. So maybe they can see the glory of God. So maybe they can see what matters. So maybe they will learn that everything we do on this planet should be in some form or fashion to honor God. There is no other point to anything...every facet of our life should be formed in such a way that we are set up to grow closer to our Father. That is the point of marriage. That is the point of friendship. The point of work. OF BREATHING. It is all to glorify God. Without that aspect or perspective, everything we strive for or attain is USELESS. Unless God is present in our life we are basically wasting away. We are living useless lives. We are chasing the wind. Why else would you want to live if not to know God?

Let us.

Let us have the boldness to trust that God truly uses everything for the good of us who love Him.
Let us not be blind to those around us because we are so full of pride that we cannot look beyond our own state.
Let us constantly, through prayer and serving, continue to develop a deeper heart for others and God.
Let us not only listen for God's voice, but also obey it despite the limitations we can place on ourselves.
God has such good things in store.

Amazed.

God knows what you need. He knows the right time to speak. He knows how long to wait. He knows what to speak. He knows how to speak to you. He knows you.
He knows your desires, your hopes, your dreams.
He sees through you.
Trust in the Lord always.
What He calls you to do, He will enable you to bear.
If you've come to the end of yourself, good.
If you are desperate, good.
If you are crying out for help, good.
If you don't think you can make it, good.
God will reveal what He needs to reveal at the perfect time.
He knows what you can handle.
He knows what you can bear.
He will not give you more than you can take.
However, He will push you to your limits to learn to trust and rely on Him and to lean not on your own understanding.
God is a good God.
Everything, every season we encounter is for our good.
Maybe sometimes He tries to bring us back from our complicated additions to our faith to kneeling in amazement at the cross.

Treasure.

Life is but a moment. At least sometimes that is how it feels compared to eternity; especially when we cannot even fully wrap our minds around how long eternity truly is. And if life is so short compared to our afterlife in Heaven, then why do we do what we do?
What do we do?
Everything we do on this earth should be to glorify God. It glorifies God to exalt His name by spreading the Truth...His love.
Therefore, if life is so short, then every single thing we do here is pretty much worthless unless we have somehow affected our eternity or another person's eternal position.

What is the point of friendship unless you encourage and build each other up to do the Father's will?

What is the use for marriage unless the person you are joined with strengthens and further aids you in growing in the Father's love?

What is the point of going to school unless you are taking what you are learning as valuable and learning to apply it to life to somehow take others with you to Heaven?

What is the point of a job unless you are showing the love of Christ to your coworkers and using your money to support God's children?

I think the point has been clearly made.

Everything in this world is useless...unless it is being used to GLORIFY GOD.

What are you doing? Where are your thoughts? Where is your motivation? Where is your treasure?

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:19-20

Trust.

God knows others more than I do. He knows their hearts, needs, and desires more than I do. Above everything, He desires even more than I do for them to know Him and His overwhelming love. Therefore, I am called to trust God. I can't mend broken hearts. I can't make a rebellious person become faithful to God. I can't break strongholds off of others' lives. So I choose to trust. I choose to love God above worrying about if I am adequate to help others. Trust.

Satisfaction

Stop seeking the things that satisfy you temporarily, and start seeking the One who will satisfy you for eternity.

Brother

I love my brother, and yes, that alone was worth a blog post.