Belonging
Galatians chapter 6 verses 1-3.
If a Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help them back onto the right path, remembering that next time it might be one of you who is in the wrong. Share each others troubles and problems, and so obey our Lord's command. If anyone thinks he is too great to stoop to this, he is fooling himself. He is really a nobody.
What do you belong to? Is it a family or the job that uses your knowledge and wisdom?
Belonging to something gives us purpose. With purpose we can make sense of everything because collectively we have guidelines that show us the right paths to take. We are still individuals with our own thoughts and ways of reasoning but by bringing our part together with others we can be successful in accomplishing our goals.
Belonging to something means we understand where we are and what it is we are there to do. There are rules and discipline is needed. If we try to push our own ways through without listening and observing those around us then we will find attitude. And attitude leads to confusion, uncalled for words and loss of direction.
How many times have you spoken out and then realized later that the words you spoke and the pumped up way you spoke them were wrong? It would be nice if we all got along but it is very hard to do and requires a lot of self control. It requires focus on our goals, discipline and patience. Have you got what it takes to be a follower of Christ?
Our daily lives are tested and challenged. There is not a moment when we can let our guard down. Our thoughts work with our eyes and play upon the things of our past. But that does not mean you lose focus of your goal. For example, your job or your family. In order for there to be peace and happiness there has to be love. Love means there is forgiveness, a willingness to listen and how to be humble in adjusting your views in order to get along.
It's not easy or is it? God has given us Jesus as an example of how to live our lives. Jesus trusted God for everything, He talked to God about everything and sought after God for His love and compassion. The words of Ephesians chapter 4 resonated with me because they reminded me of my own past. Even though I had come to God and asked for His love, it was not long after that I found myself wandering and losing sight of God and found myself making mistakes that could have changed the direction of my life. Thanks be to God for love in helping me realize that I had lost focus and had given into the old ways of my past.
I had wandered from Him, but He was there when I looked back and found that my wandering was leading me away from Him. Now I hold tightly to Him, because out there is not where I wanted to be. It is easy to have a wrong thought, it's easy to make a mistake and it is easy to turn to God, just as Jesus did.
I just read Lamentations chapter 3 verses 52-56; they say: "My enemies whom I have never harmed, chased me as though I were a bird. They threw me in a well and capped it with a rock. The water flowed above my head. I thought, this is the end! But I called upon Your name, O Lord, from deep within the well, and You heard me! You listened to my pleading; You heard my weeping! Yes, You came at my despairing cry and told me not to fear."
The enemies are whatever is holding you from talking to God and when the time comes that you are at your wits end, then you will find God waiting. He will tell you not to fear and that He will be with you as you win your battles with Him. He wants you to belong to Him and His family. You are and always have been His child. You may have wandered and you may have found yourself backed into a corner, but God's arms are open wide and ready at any time to welcome you home.
Psalms chapter 20 verses 4 and 5 say; "May He grant you your hearts desire and fulfill all your plans. May there be shouts of joy when we hear the news of your victory, flags flying with praise to God for all that He has done for you. May He answer all your prayers." Wahoo! Something you never thought possible but it happened and God is real. His promises are true and you are the living story of His love through Jesus.
Thank You Father for Jesus. Thank You for Your mercies and grace. We are lost without You, but more alive then ever with You. 😊
1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 27.
Now here is what I am trying to say: "All of you together are the one body of Christ and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it."
Luke chapter 17 verse 10.
Jesus said to them; "Just so, if you merely obey Me, you should not consider yourselves worthy of praise. For you have simply done your duty!"
Ephesians chapter 4 verses 17-23.
Let me say this, then, speaking for the Lord: Live no longer as the unsaved do, for they are blinded and confused. Their closed hearts are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds against Him, and they cannot understand His ways. they do not care anymore about right and wrong and have given themselves over to impure ways. They stop at nothing, being driven by their evil minds and reckless lusts. But that is not the way Christ taught you! If you have really heard His voice and learned from Him the truths concerning Himself, then throw off your old evil nature---the old you that was a partner in your evil ways---rotten through and through, full of lust and sham. Now your attitudes and thoughts must be constantly changing for the better. Yes, you must be a new and different person, holy and good. Clothe yourself with this new nature.
Proverbs chapter 3 verses 5 and 6.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understandings, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.
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