Obedience

For a while now the word "obedience" has been on my heart in many areas in my life (i.e. prayer, relationships, and studying His word). I know that God has bigger plans for my life than what exists right now. I pray, although not faithfully. I read and study His word, although not faithfully. Someone once said you can read every book out there by Christian authors as well as secular authors, but you still will end right back in the Bible for "the answer". The Bible contains an answer for every situation and circumstance in my life. My problem is that I want it "right now". Let me look for the answer in God's Word. It's there, but I cannot seem to find it sometimes. Then this verse comes to mind... "Be still and know that I am God..." I can't hear Him because I am too busy with life and won't be still long enough to listen. I have a really bad habit of judging others. For example: (1) a person who claims to be a Christian, yet every other word from their mouth is a filthy curse word; (2) a person who does what they want during the week, partying on the weekend, but they are in church on Sunday morning; (3) a person who says they pray all the time, yet nothing fruitful is being produced in their lives. Basically a person that lives like hell during the week, and comes to get their Sunday fix with Jesus.

Before you strike me down, hear me out. One of the things that God has pointed out to me, is judging others. That is NOT my job, nor my right. I don't have a clue as to where they are in their walk with Christ. He may be waiting for me to get myself right so He can use me to get to them. What I do know is that anytime I get that critical spirit within me to judge others, I must take a mirror and look at myself first, and say "Do you have yourself together... are you doing everything you should be doing according to God's word?" The answer would be a big fat NO! But I'm ready and willing to change. I want to change the things that are not in God's will. I want what God has for me in this life, therefore I must be obedient and willing to be used by Him.

In service yesterday, there was a sweeping of the Holy Spirit through the church. You could hear it and feel it. After the worship team stopped singing, everyone started praying and worshiping... no music, no singing, just praying in the Spirit. It got louder and louder and then all of a sudden everyone got quiet. Pastor Stacy got up and talked about when the Spirit came in, something/someone in the service grieved Him and He left. She told us that there are some that live like hell all week long, and then walk in there on Sunday mornings to get something from God to make us feel better. She told us that she loved us, which is why this must be said because just like her children, she's not going to let them just "get by" in life and risk not making it to Heaven. Pastor Brian told us what he saw, which was that He opened the window and let His Spirit in to see what it "could" be like, but then all of a sudden shut the window. God was showing us that if we'd do service with Him, instead of trying to do it by ourselves, that He would open the windows of Heaven and pour out His Spirit upon us.

My kids are up now and I've lost my train of thought of where I was even going with all of this, but stay tuned, because I love to share what God is doing in my life.