James 1:19 tells us that we should "be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger..." These are the thoughts God places on my heart.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Becoming the person you want to be is not an easy job. Being of the world rather than in the world leads us to make many choices that do not assist our spiritual journey. The message is very fuzzy at best when you are operating in the humanistic realm. Should we collect worldly goods? Is my car and house good enough? Why is that person making more money than me? God's message is clear on the other hand. We are to love and honor God. We are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Jesus even gave us beatitudes to give us something to do while on earth. So as we choose our path to become who we want to be, these choices are the very things that turn us into the person we become. That is why it is so important to make our decisions carefully. I suggest you make them in consultation with God. He is here to help us on our journey. I know it is very easy to ignore the Godly path. We are offered so much in our world, especially in the U.S. but not here alone. How often have you found yourself stuck down a path that you did not even know you were choosing? We learn how to make choices but very often leave out the most important step: prayer. By praying we are asking God for help but we are also stopping the process long enough to notice that there may be consequences for our decisions. Did we anticipate that twist? Does this path really accomplish what we thought? God wants to be in conversation with us. But it is not the human conversation we hold with one another. It is between our Creator and us. That is a conversation that takes place on many difference levels. It may come from your conscience. It may be a guardian angel that is sent to help you. It could be a book that you are compelled to read. It could be an interruption to your day that stops something else. Allowing God into your life allows you to be more thoughtful in your decision making process. It makes you think for a higher purpose. It makes you make decisions for eternity rather than for the next day, week or month. Ask God to be in conversation with you. Then the choices you make will start to become the ones that will help you become the person you want to be rather that what you have merely become.