Abiding Christian is one of the media channels of After God Heart Inc.
With so much to deal with in the world, and the ultimate goal for all Christians to spend eternity with our Lord Jesus, we are responsible for guarding our hearts as we live in honor of Him here on earth. As we go through each day, our life should reflect Heaven so that when people see us, they see Christ.
“What do you see?” This question kept popping into my mind as I went about my day, and the more I tried to push it away, the more it pressed in. I didn’t understand the power of a simple question like that, or how much it could rattle me. When I finally accepted that God was trying to teach me something, I sat down and asked, “What do you want me to see?”
Moving from a place of familiarity to start over in a strange place is one of the most difficult things most people can do. I can speak about this because it mimics my history. I don’t like change; you can leave me with the same group of great friends, eating the same great meals for years, and I’ll be fine.
When I think about seasons, I think about what refined gold must endure. If the gold could talk, I’m sure it would complain about the fire's embers and the excessive molding. Yet if it could see beyond the pressure and recognize that it was becoming more valuable than in its rough state, it would embrace the process.
Walking with God is the most remarkable experience in anyone’s life. My daughter recently transferred from one college to another during her sophomore year. It was a God-thing, and we knew He was guiding her there. However, the change also brought the disappointment of leaving her friends and the familiarity of her first year behind.
I chose God! Those three words have become a hallmark of my life because I recognize the need to continually reaffirm my declaration in response to Joshua’s call: “Choose for yourselves this day, whom you will serve.”
The notion that obedience diminishes us in any way hurts us more by robbing us of the joy it brings. Unlike human rule, we are not oppressed subjects of God but children and heirs of His Kingdom.
The Bible says that God’s commandments are not burdensome. They are for our good and for God’s pleasure because His desire is to see our souls prosper. When God calls us to love righteousness, it’s not to punish us but to protect us.
To understand today, we must start at the beginning, and our beginning starts with God. There is nothing you can possess in this world that surpasses knowing God. All the world’s wisdom, riches, and strength are not worth the first step toward knowing God.