My Christian radio station of choice has lately put on a challenge; listen to nothing but Christian music for 30 days. Well due to my need for music during study time (when I find myself thinking WAY too much listening to Christian music), I've taken that challenge and modified it slightly. Basically I've edited my music selection. And so far, I couldn't be more thrilled. It's an interesting experiment that I recommend...and none of that is the point of this post.
Okay now to the point. KLove was playing a song called "Waiting for Tomorrow" by Mandisa. I'm not super familiar with the artist or her walk with our Savior, but that's not mine to judge anyway. What I do know is that this song discusses the difference between actively pursuing what's already been so graciously given to us and squandering it (much like the younger son in the Prodigal Son parable). And although some of the lyrics are not specifically applicable to my life (at this moment), I thought I would go ahead and share it. I could not find an original music video by her, so I attached this one since she wrote about it and loved it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ezrFxWjyZQ
I suppose the line in this song that had the most influence on me is straight from the chorus:
"I can't live my whole life wasting all the grace that I know You've given cuz You've made me for so much more than sitting on the sidelines."
God bless.
1 Peter 1:23
(No copyright infringement intended. All rights belong to Mandisa and Sparrow Records.)
Monday, January 23, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
The First Step
Well friends, here I am. I decided that I wanted to start a blog today. I definitely don't plan on this being widely read or incredibly eloquent, but simply a place to communicate what God is doing in my life.
I suppose the idea came from a number of places. I've recently been watching my brother start a new series of posts, and that gave me the idea to blog. And the content of this blog is meant to be a reflection of what God calls us to. Contributors include recent conversations, services I've attended, and songs I've come across. I'm currently working my way through a book by John Piper called Don't Waste Your Life. (Brief interjection. If you haven't read this book, I would highly recommend it.) So starting with this entry, I will probably post anything from poetry to articles to songs, or just thoughts about books I'm working through (including the Bible).
The service I attended last Sunday was about how we, as Christians, need to pray and act boldly as children of God. Things don't get done by us sitting around and living an ordinary life. In fact, we are called to do just the opposite of living an ordinary life...and yet we still do. Then this Thursday, I attended our college-age service where our pastor discussed pursuing the talents that God has given us for his glory. And finally last night, I was watching a sermon by John Piper about not wasting our lives.
If by now you are not seeing a trend, let me be a little more clear. The pattern that God keeps showing me is to actively pursue him (through prayer and through reading his Word), to actively see how he would have me live and who I am called to be, and to act according to his calling. And honestly, it hit me last night that if I were to die right then, what could be said of my life? Would I stand before the God of everything and tell him I had done so many things for his name? Do I have a life that shouts from every mountain top that JESUS is alive, that JESUS is coming again, and that the only thing that gives us life, hope, or a reason for being is the grace that God so very graciously bestowed upon us through the gift of his son JESUS? Or has my life been purely guided by my wants, desires, frustrations, etc.?
The point is, life is a gift from God! And if I'm not living each and every moment of it for him, then I am wasting it. So I will leave you with this. What is your number one passion? What is your current pursuit? If you don't answer God and his glory for each of those, then I exhort you to spend some time before your maker and reconsider your life. I know that I am.
God bless.
Philippians 1:19-22
I suppose the idea came from a number of places. I've recently been watching my brother start a new series of posts, and that gave me the idea to blog. And the content of this blog is meant to be a reflection of what God calls us to. Contributors include recent conversations, services I've attended, and songs I've come across. I'm currently working my way through a book by John Piper called Don't Waste Your Life. (Brief interjection. If you haven't read this book, I would highly recommend it.) So starting with this entry, I will probably post anything from poetry to articles to songs, or just thoughts about books I'm working through (including the Bible).
The service I attended last Sunday was about how we, as Christians, need to pray and act boldly as children of God. Things don't get done by us sitting around and living an ordinary life. In fact, we are called to do just the opposite of living an ordinary life...and yet we still do. Then this Thursday, I attended our college-age service where our pastor discussed pursuing the talents that God has given us for his glory. And finally last night, I was watching a sermon by John Piper about not wasting our lives.
If by now you are not seeing a trend, let me be a little more clear. The pattern that God keeps showing me is to actively pursue him (through prayer and through reading his Word), to actively see how he would have me live and who I am called to be, and to act according to his calling. And honestly, it hit me last night that if I were to die right then, what could be said of my life? Would I stand before the God of everything and tell him I had done so many things for his name? Do I have a life that shouts from every mountain top that JESUS is alive, that JESUS is coming again, and that the only thing that gives us life, hope, or a reason for being is the grace that God so very graciously bestowed upon us through the gift of his son JESUS? Or has my life been purely guided by my wants, desires, frustrations, etc.?
The point is, life is a gift from God! And if I'm not living each and every moment of it for him, then I am wasting it. So I will leave you with this. What is your number one passion? What is your current pursuit? If you don't answer God and his glory for each of those, then I exhort you to spend some time before your maker and reconsider your life. I know that I am.
God bless.
Philippians 1:19-22
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