SPENDING LIFE

Image result for CLIP ART SHOWING SPENDINGI confess, SOMETIMES, as I spend time in the Word of God, I become convicted and very uncomfortable in my heart and mind.  Presently, I am reading 1 Peter.  It is written by the apostle Peter during his latter years in Rome, 64-65 AD, probably right before his persecution and crucifixion by Nero.  Christians in Jerusalem were undergoing great persecution and many had scattered throughout the then Roman controlled world. I am not sure why Peter is in Rome considering the persecutions, but he is thought to be present there.

There are several passages which challenge my mindset as I read, but today, at this minute,  1 Peter 4:2, which I personalize:  I should not spend my life (bios) in the flesh:  my wants, my needs, my desires, my plans, my comfort, my happiness, my, my, my but rather I must spend my life in the time (chronos, years) I am alive ...spend it to the will of God."  

Upon responding to the invitation of allowing Christ to come into my life and empower my life for His glory, I begin an eternal life.  In this time on earth, I can "spend my life" to please myself or I can "spend my life" pleasing Him.  I connect some dots. What is my attitude about spending money?  Is there a connection to how I "spend my life"?  Am I willing to yield to the control of the Holy Spirit and allow Him to "spend my life" for His purposes or am I going to grumble, gripe, and complain hindering His purpose?  Rats!  AND miss out on His blessings that have been purposed and planned for me?  Enough thought and written for now.  Forever learning.  In process.  #IHAVETHREESONS

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THOSE SEEING CAN BECOME BLIND

Image
John 9 is the story of the healing of the blind beggar.  Not only is it a marvelous story of the miraculous healing of the man as he is given his sight, but a sad story of the religious of whom Jesus said, "For judgment, I have come into this world, so that the blind will see, and those who see will become blind ." The religious have seen the miracle, even though it has taken place on a Sabbath, and they interview the man and his parents for their stories and understanding. I find it so thrilling that the healed man speaks so articulately and logically with the religious in their "interview" with him.  His statement, " Now that is remarkable!  You don't know where HE comes from, yet HE opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners.  He listens to the godly man who does His will.  Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." What truth he has spoken to the religious wh
Read more

REHEARSALS

Image
  I wonder how much time do I give to rehearsing God's goodness and how He has intervened in my life to "save" me from myself?  How alike the Israelites I can be, complaining about what goes wrong, how it affects me, and what I lack.  As a Christ follower, I have the Indwelling Holy Spirit to give me remembrance NOT of my complaining and grumbling, but of a recall of God's faithfulness to me.  It is recorded in Psalms 78 and 106 that " They forgot what He had done, the wonder He had shown them", "They did not remember His power--the day He redeemed them from the oppressor...", "They did not remember Your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.", "But they soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His counsel.", and "They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt...". Contrast with me, God's remembrance: Ps. 106:44-46, "But He took note of their distress
Read more

ORDER AND DESIGN

Image
    I do not have OCD, but I do confess that I like order in my home.  Now that I am retired, I am not so much into spotless, but "picked up" and "kinda" clean. (Do not open drawers and closets!) I might go to more trouble when I know I am having company, but otherwise, I remove the clutter that seems to reproduce on its own.   When I began the reading in Genesis in January, I was again taken with the with the orderliness and design of God in creation, and have seen Him use Moses and Aaron to ORDERLY marshal the Israelites to move out of Egypt. How do you move some 600+ males and that is not even wives and children? Animals also?  They have been one year+ out of Egypt, and have been camped at Mt. Sinai where God has given them laws for their spiritual and physical welfare.  God gives Moses the design of the Tabernacle and Moses is able to bring together the workers to complete the Tabernacle.   The clip art at the top is the positioning of the 12 Tribes and the
Read more