Saturday, March 12, 2005
I don't want to be "that guy"
It seems a lot of my thoughts lately are judgemental in nature. I don't want to be how I see other people are. I must be better than them because I don't do or say those things. In fact, if God was picking people for his football team, I would probably get picked before they did.
"Them," Sheesh.
So let me just say Christ died for all sinners, of which I am the worst.
But I still don't want to be the person that goes around telling people, "You have to read this book! It will change your life!" I don't want to tell people what they need to do. I will only state the facts.
My life without Christ, despite all the things I had going for me, was a dissappointment that spiraled down and down, and until I completely surrendered my life to Christ, I have not known true contentment.
That doesn't mean that I am super-perfect man and that my sh*t don't stink. My wife knows it does. It means, that instead of fighting against what seemed to be an impossible tide of influences, many conflicting, to be a "good person", I have surrendered the fight and and am letting God change me.
If you think about it, there is no one else qualified to do so.
"Them," Sheesh.
So let me just say Christ died for all sinners, of which I am the worst.
But I still don't want to be the person that goes around telling people, "You have to read this book! It will change your life!" I don't want to tell people what they need to do. I will only state the facts.
My life without Christ, despite all the things I had going for me, was a dissappointment that spiraled down and down, and until I completely surrendered my life to Christ, I have not known true contentment.
That doesn't mean that I am super-perfect man and that my sh*t don't stink. My wife knows it does. It means, that instead of fighting against what seemed to be an impossible tide of influences, many conflicting, to be a "good person", I have surrendered the fight and and am letting God change me.
If you think about it, there is no one else qualified to do so.
Friday, March 11, 2005
Those times
I am sure everyone has had tough times in their life. It seems to be part of living. The ups and the downs. But at least to me, the downs seem to overwhelm everything and just drag me down, down, down.
I recall times where I have angrily shouted to God, why!? I thought you loved me and cared for me!? Why would you let me be like this!? There were times when I was so disgusted with myself that I would tell God that if this was the life eternal he was offering, he could keep it.
Fortunately for me, God is a very forgiving and loving God. I look back on these difficult times and see how God not only got me through it, but made me more in his likeness. It is a daily process, to be God's workmenship.
A very wise friend of mine told me that I just need to pick myself up, brush myself off, and continue ahead with my life
Philippians 3:12-14 -
I recall times where I have angrily shouted to God, why!? I thought you loved me and cared for me!? Why would you let me be like this!? There were times when I was so disgusted with myself that I would tell God that if this was the life eternal he was offering, he could keep it.
Fortunately for me, God is a very forgiving and loving God. I look back on these difficult times and see how God not only got me through it, but made me more in his likeness. It is a daily process, to be God's workmenship.
A very wise friend of mine told me that I just need to pick myself up, brush myself off, and continue ahead with my life
Philippians 3:12-14 -
Not that I have obtained all this, or have already been made perfect,
but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.
But one thing I do:
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God had called me heavenward in Christ Jesus
but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.
But one thing I do:
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God had called me heavenward in Christ Jesus
Sunday, March 06, 2005
That guy
Have you ever encountered someone in your life that is just so annoying but you just don't have the guts to tell him/her off.
If you are agreeing with this and thinking of me, just stop reading and go somewhere else.
There is a person in my past who was been, lets just say very, very troublesome. I met him when my brother, James, died climbing 4 years ago, apparently my brother had befriended this fellow, but to what point I don't know. This person was even there when my brother fell. For months afterwards he tried to console me, and then later he tried to tell me I didn't know how much he missed and felt pain over James. What an ass.
So yeah, here is this guy that I already am not a fan of, and he shows up regularly to campus crusade, so I felt that I needed to be nice to him, despite his ass-ness. We were all pretty nice to him, he walked all over us and we never had the balls to say anything about it except on the rare occasion. He decided he wanted to marry a girl in the group that already had troubles and was easily manipulated. Despite everyone warning against it, they got married. He skiped town after a little bit and she keept sending him money while he was hooking up with different boyfriends and girlfriends. (Did I say she was easily manipulated?)
So this guy has been out of my life for a couple years now, but he always calls on my birthday like we were old friends, maybe we were, I don't know. Today he called a week early to say happy birthday and also to tell me that he just got divorced. (Big shocker) I am actually somewhat relieved hoping his wife will move on and find someone not so manipulative and selfish.
I have all sorts of opinions and judgements against this guy and then it hits me, God loves him. Here I am sitting on my high-chair pronouncing judgements on this guy, but who am I to do that.
This guy told me that he was starting a ministry to mormons in Salt Lake City and I thought to myself, "right." "You are just fooling yourself," I said to myself. But who am I to know his true heart.
If God can work in a life as messed up as mine, why not work in one like his? Who am I to say what God can and cannot do. Before the apostle Paul, there was Saul, and he was a murderer and pharisee, and not a very good guy.
I guess my point in this rambling is that God changes us, we don't change ourselves. Our society is so good at judging what is good and bad, but there is only one judge with true authority and that is God.
So I look back on my old friend and think, okay, God is working in my life to change me, I hope he is doing the same in you. Maybe one day we will actually meet again and see what God has done in our lives.
But one thing won't change, no matter what, I will never share my toothbrush with you, ever, no matter how many times you ask.
If you are agreeing with this and thinking of me, just stop reading and go somewhere else.
There is a person in my past who was been, lets just say very, very troublesome. I met him when my brother, James, died climbing 4 years ago, apparently my brother had befriended this fellow, but to what point I don't know. This person was even there when my brother fell. For months afterwards he tried to console me, and then later he tried to tell me I didn't know how much he missed and felt pain over James. What an ass.
So yeah, here is this guy that I already am not a fan of, and he shows up regularly to campus crusade, so I felt that I needed to be nice to him, despite his ass-ness. We were all pretty nice to him, he walked all over us and we never had the balls to say anything about it except on the rare occasion. He decided he wanted to marry a girl in the group that already had troubles and was easily manipulated. Despite everyone warning against it, they got married. He skiped town after a little bit and she keept sending him money while he was hooking up with different boyfriends and girlfriends. (Did I say she was easily manipulated?)
So this guy has been out of my life for a couple years now, but he always calls on my birthday like we were old friends, maybe we were, I don't know. Today he called a week early to say happy birthday and also to tell me that he just got divorced. (Big shocker) I am actually somewhat relieved hoping his wife will move on and find someone not so manipulative and selfish.
I have all sorts of opinions and judgements against this guy and then it hits me, God loves him. Here I am sitting on my high-chair pronouncing judgements on this guy, but who am I to do that.
This guy told me that he was starting a ministry to mormons in Salt Lake City and I thought to myself, "right." "You are just fooling yourself," I said to myself. But who am I to know his true heart.
If God can work in a life as messed up as mine, why not work in one like his? Who am I to say what God can and cannot do. Before the apostle Paul, there was Saul, and he was a murderer and pharisee, and not a very good guy.
I guess my point in this rambling is that God changes us, we don't change ourselves. Our society is so good at judging what is good and bad, but there is only one judge with true authority and that is God.
So I look back on my old friend and think, okay, God is working in my life to change me, I hope he is doing the same in you. Maybe one day we will actually meet again and see what God has done in our lives.
But one thing won't change, no matter what, I will never share my toothbrush with you, ever, no matter how many times you ask.
