Thoughts

Thoughts for the new year. After being a Christian for many years, I have been discipled by Christ through the Holy Spirit and have been "slowly" moving upward by stages toward spiritual perfection. However, I am not there yet. Reading the Old Testament as well as the New Testament, the same cycle of learning and forgetting, sinning and repenting that after 2,000 years, myself as well as other Christians are still at it. Great faiths were disciplined, seasoned, familiar with their weaknesses and understanding what God wants that they valued their days and the years. Am I doing the same? "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). I know that my days are under mercy of God which means I do not earn my days because they are undeserved/not worthy. With God's grace, I am able to enjoy life. Do I feel unappreciated because I am not contented with God's grace? Each DAY is a gift of grace and each day an "unearned" bonus. Often, I know I am taking my days for granted and I am very sure that I am not alone doing this. Reading Ecclesiastes have reminded me that people have been taking "life" for granted. There's a right time and way for everything. It's true that no one knows what's going to happen, or when. Life leads to death that life, while it lasts, will soon be over. There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth.

Am I forgetting my resolutions, growing bolder and arrogant of self rather than Christ as I serve Christ. How am I REALLY serving Christ? Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.—Psalm 39:4 I do KNOW that God uses unqualified people to accomplish God’s spiritual purposes however, great faiths understood their weaknesses and served without reservations. What "reservations" do I have that are (or have been) blocking my service to God? Someone has said “There’s no higher calling in the world than to be an instrument of God’s grace.”

This is my own "self-examination" regarding my relationship with God because "personal interest" is the motive behind all conducts that foolish decisions and proudful. How can I distinguish my motives? Scriptures states that wrong motives before God is sin which means that our hearts' motives should glorify GOD, not us. It is a grave responsibility when we take upon ourselves when we seek to edit out of God's true character for the benefits of ourselves. As Christians, our hearts should have holy motives to serve God through the Holy Spirit. If we do that, we will be motivated to fellowship and serve with other Christians without reservations. We should all take a long hard look at what things we consider to be important from God's perspective. Ecclesiastes 7:14 "When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future." James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds"

Time to ponder, think, pray and submit.
Happy New Year