So as Christians who are broken, sinful people, we are constantly caught between living for God and living for ourselves. Sure, sometimes we are living to please other people too but usually the root of this is selfishness because we just want approval or attention from those we are trying to please. That's how it is for me, anyway.
Coming to college has really opened my eyes to just how selfish I am. I have this new independence and so many choices, that I must choose every single day to deny myself and choose the Lord's way. The sad truth, though, is that a lot of times I have chosen my own way. I often choose what will make me the happiest or most comfortable in the moment even if I know it goes against the will of God. This has ranged from sleeping in instead of going to church to gossiping with my friends to trying to date a guy when I know I'm not fully ready for a relationship.
I've had to learn that as a Christ-follower I am not entitled to comfort or happiness. Sometimes I must suffer and sacrifice so that I can fulfill God's will. Sometimes I must step out of my comfort zone so that I can follow what God is calling me to do and grow in my relationship with Him. As a shy girl, who likes resting and alone time and being comfortable...this is HARD sometimes. But I know that staying cooped up in my room watching Netflix all day or only hanging out with my close friends and family will never cause me to grow in my faith and is not living purposefully at all.
The other day at my church service, our pastor shared this verse with us and it just really stuck out to me and I've been dwelling on it ever since.
"I will make you into a great nation. and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing." Genesis 12:2
God was speaking this to Abraham when He told him to leave his country and all his relatives to go to the land He would show him. Two things stuck out to me from this...
- Abraham was probably happy right where he was. He was 75 living with his wife and with relatives close by. If anything, I'm sure he was comfortable. But God had bigger plans for him. God needed Abraham to leave his comfort zone so that He could use him and make him into a great nation. Abraham would have to make a sacrifice, but the outcome would be exponentially greater than if he were to stay right where he was. The takeaway I got from this is that sometimes we must sacrifice good to experience God's BEST.
- The Lord told Abraham that He would bless him so that he could be a blessing to others. God loves all of his children the same, but obviously some of us are in more fortunate situations than others. I always question why I get to live such a great life, with family and friends that I love and food to eat, a place to live, and the opportunity to receive an education while others don't have any of this. This verse opened my eyes to the fact that the reason God has blessed me so much is so that I can go and bless others. If I have few problems of my own, I have more time to help other people with theirs. If I have more money than I absolutely need, I have room to be generous with it.
I hate that I can be so selfish and ungrateful that I just want more and more and often use my resources like time and money on myself instead of others. My prayer is that, like Abraham, I'd be willing to step out of my comfort zone and follow God's calling to bigger and better things. I also pray that I'd recognize the blessings God has given me as a reason to turn around and bless others. The whole reason I am on this earth is to bring glory to my Maker and to live out His purpose, but as long as I am living for myself I won't experience His best for my life. Thanks for reading!
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