#4: Standards

r i p t i d e

Standards are a good thing, right? We all have our standards. We won't go to these places. We won't consume this substance. We won't watch that movie.

Standards can keep us safe. Sometimes: We won't venture that far. We won't talk to these kinds of people. We won't trust without this proof. These are the kind of standards that can wreck us-in a bad way. I just want to touch on the last one mentioned. "We won't trust without this proof." This can be a very good thing. With this thinking you can protect your family, your finances, your life. But when we use this one on God, it doesn't work too well. That's not how God does things.

I was having a period of doubt-actually it was right after I posted the last blog called "Doubt". And I was either at church or trying to pray or something and God just gave me a wonderful thought, a phrase, really... and it was "Jesus, You are worthy of my unseeing faith." I think we forget that sometimes. We get caught up in the "needs" God hasn't met, or the desires He hasn't fulfilled, or the things He hasn't "fixed". We sometimes set standards that we may not even notice. How many times have you doubted God in a difficult situation? How many times have you ran from a fear? How many times have you given up? I've probably done it just as many times as you have, if not more. But we need to realize that God doesn't work on out terms-or standards. His ways are higher than ours and His thoughts higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:9)

Let's just let go of our doubts, fears, and difficulties... Is not out FATHER worthy of our unseeing faith? God doesn't need to accomplish anything to be God in our book. He has no standard He has to meet. He is God. In the words of a great friend:

" He is I AM; I am not I AM." 

- Justin Kendrick

This isn't to say God can't work if we don't have faith, because He can, but sometimes we hinder ourselves and get less than we could be getting because we don't have faith for more. So let God be God, No requirements, No terms, No conditions, No standards. Why? He is worthy.

2 Corinthians 5:7 "We live by faith, not by sight."

Hold on for the ride...

#3: Change

 

r i p t i d e

Some of us look at change with remorse. 

Others look at change as a positive aspect of life, where there comes renewal. No matter how we look at it, God sees change as a beautiful thing. He works all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28) Change is when we are the clay and He is the potter. It’s when we are the paper, and He is the writer. It’s when we are the canvas and He is the painter.

Sometimes change is forced upon us. God helps us through it, but regardless, we don’t have a choice. But it’s more than that. Think about love for a moment. Romantically speaking, when you are in love with someone, you want to do whatever it takes for them to fall in love with you. Take that one step further. You want to change for the one you love. It comes as part of the package. You aren’t forced to change-you want to. If you have this big, ugly stain of your shirt, you’re not going to want your crush to see you with it. You’re not goin to try to seduce your spouse in a state they find repulsive. That’s what sin is to God. Repulsive. John 14:15 says:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

When we fall in love with God, we DESIRE to change for Him. Suddenly change isn’t such a big deal. A sacrifice, yes, but the desire to please your lover will overtake the desire to be comfortable with the way things are. It’s romantic. Beauty captivates us. Excitement drives us. Romance entices us. A relationship with God is a breathtaking view, a heart-pumping adventure, a pure relationship.

Let’s become changed by this romance. Love makes us do crazy things...

Let’s go insane.

Hold on for the ride...

#2: Doubt

r i p t i d e

Doubt... doubt, doubt, doubt. 

The past few days I've had doubt. Un-expected, yes, but doubt, still here for its periodic visit. I suppose I should start from the beginning-though doubt has been rearing itself forever, a recounting of a more recent occurrence might help make my point. 

About a year ago, I woke up one Tuesday morning to an immediate feeling of the presence of the enemy. Things like that weren't unusual for me, though it didn't happen all the time, but I was used to fighting spiritual wars. So  started rebuking him and when it came to saying "In Jesus' name", doubt consumed me. This doubt was probably the strongest doubt that I had ever experienced before. I mean doubt. Like "There is no proof that God is real., (which there is), and "How do I know He's real?", "How do I know Jesus is real?". So I sat up and looked out my window, and for the next half-hour or so I reasoned with myself. I convinced myself that God was real and the Jesus really did die for my sins on this earth. 

The week that followed was probably the worst week of my life. I was butting heads with the enemy and doing more self-convincing than I had probably ever done before. That Saturday night I was at a friends graduation party where I got to catch up with some old friends and hang out with some new ones, and I can just say, there is not much I enjoyed about that party. Don't get me wrong, the party would have been fun any other time, but I couldn't enjoy myself because the attacks from the enemy were so persistent that I had to keep excusing myself to walk down the street so I could talk to myself and rebuke the enemy.

That night, I got home and finally told my mom what had been going on. Five days of fighting by myself and I'd had enough. I was worn out. So I explained what happened and we hung out in my room and talked for a while about doubt and my faith. After we talked, she prayed with me and claimed me as a child of God and rebuked the enemy. 

From that night on, life was getting better and better-slowly, but better, still. My faith was growing and doubt was fading. But, I did feel like I had to re-learn everything I knew before, basic Christian principles that I was surprised to have to "re-learn".  So I asked God why all of this happened and I felt it was because I had to know what I believed, and believe it and learn it and live it for myself, not because it's what I've always believed/known/done. 

Christian, let me ask you this:

What do you believe? Why? 

I don't want a canned "Because it's how I was raised" answer. "Because it's how I was raised" isn't an answer that keeps us grounded in our faith. We need to know what we believe and why we believe it. It takes faith. We don't have all the answers, and we don;t need them. That's where God comes in. We need to be okay with not seeing all the evidence. In Romans I like what Paul has to say about hope, and we can say the same about faith:

"For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." - Romans 8:24-25

Here's the thing: We should know what we know we know, and have faith for the rest of what God tell us, and sometimes, it takes faith to believe what we know we know. Just let God work on you, and like the father of the demon possessed boy, ask Jesus to "help your unbelief." (Mark 9:24)

peace.

Hold on for the ride...

#1: Beginning

r i p t i d e

God has set a calling on my life to teach His ways. I want my life to reflect His love and His life. Everything I do should be for His glory, and I'm choosing at this moment to go after Him with ALL I HAVE.

This blog is about me and my life and what God is doing in my life. He's constantly moving in me and working in me, shielding me and teaching me, loving me and pulling me. Therefore I am in a riptide-though I am never left stranded. God has given me a journey, and I want you to hear about it.

Hold on for the ride...