"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5You and I are set apart. Our Father in heaven knew us before we were created. He knew you and I were going to be here and now.
Our God is sovereign, which means supreme authority. He rules over you and I; He desires for us to be His instruments, spreading His name among all nations.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
He is in control. He has it all in His hands. Let us continue to be set apart and follow in the path He is laid before and carry on.
Many times we let ourselves beat ourselves up, think we are inadequate and bow to fear. The Word of God says they we don't have to have these thoughts, but when we focus on Him we come to realize these two truths.
We are set apart. God wants to take care of you. He is all knowing.
God Bless.
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Obedience. Submission.
For most of my life, those were fighting words. Someone told me I had to obey or submit, and I stood tall, dug my heels in and started a fight.
And you know what? I never lost. No one ever forced me to obey or submit - I chose everything I did, based on my own thoughts, opinions, experiences and analyses.
I was forced to attend school, despite knowing then what I know now - it was a colossal waste of time, energy and effort. So I ignored what people told me I had to learn and sought out the things I knew I had to learn.
It is the things I sought out that have helped me the most.
I refused to conform or become part of the society that formed in schools - and as an adult, I am very glad of it. Without that rebellion, that absolute refusal to bow to authority I did not recognize, I was able to find Christ.
Christ - God - is sovereign, and His authority is the only authority I have ever recognized or really respected. I might have given lip service to other authorities, but I did so only so that I could get away with doing what I wanted to do.
Part of me wonders if I wasn't looking for Christ's authority the entire time - if part a part of me wasn't just seeing what I know to be true: I choose what temporal authority commands me.
I cannot choose to follow Christ and not obey.
(Talk about your identity crisis - that was a major stumbling block to accepting Christ.)
However, when I chose to follow Christ, I realized what I was doing. I was swearing to him the same way the knights and heroes of the stories I love swore to obey the people and powers they believed in.
I'm still not good at obedience...but I'm learning, and God is very patient with me. (And is also good at slapping me upside the head when I need it. Which is often.)
However, I recently came to a few conclusions - the first one is that (at least part) of becoming Christian is admitting, to myself and to God, that I am so freakin' fucked up that I can't fix it myself. I need God, because he can pick me up, straighten me out and put me on the right path.
I am inadequate to the tasks he sets before me - but it doesn't matter that I am. God is going to be right there, walking with me, guiding me and teaching me and making me into a person who is more than adequate for what He asks me to do.
If He's willing to give me all that and to make me so much better than I am - the least I can do is continue to try. Even if I fail, I can get back up and try again.
He's still going to be there.
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