Welcome to my blog. I mostly write about Christian Living, but I enjoy the Kentucky Wildcats, New Orleans Saints, and a good cup of coffee.
All tagged joy
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that I don’t think Barnabas Piper intended for his new book, Hoping for Happiness, to be as timely as it is. However, in God’s sovereignty, this is a book that 2020 really needed. In fact, I hope you’ll pick up a copy because you don’t just need this book for 2020—this is a constant reminder you need in your life.
Life on earth is a gift. It can be such a good gift at times that we lose focus on our true treasure. We can get caught up in relationships, the things of the world, and our own agenda. These things, while good blessings, are not to be our true focus. Jesus is our treasure.
A theme that I constantly see recurring on social media is that of self care. It’s the thought that I need to take care of me before I can take care of others. I need to make sure I’m good before I can worry about anyone else.
God is concerned with your holiness, period. The natural question or objection then is, “But I’m His child, shouldn’t He want my happiness?”
I can remember being in my parents basement and waking up in the floor in the middle of the night with Desiring God still open because I had fallen asleep reading so late. The truth that my main purpose was to glorify God and enjoy Him forever captivated me.
How humbling is it to think that you didn't choose anything about yourself at the beginning of life? You didn't choose your hair color, eye color, nose shape, or the size of your ears. Even more than that, you didn't choose the country, city, or even the family you were born into. All of these things were given to you by God.
It happened again. I found myself eating until I was too full. I found myself eating when I wasn't hungry. I found myself eating because I was stressed. I found myself eating because it tasted good and I just wanted to experience a little bit of comfort.
The question I want to pose is why do you behave morally? There is no doubt that for some the reward of heaven is what motivates them to try and obey God. For others, it is the fear of hell. In fact, I think for many years I called myself a Christian and tried to obey God because I didn't want to go to hell.
Waiting on the Lord is hard. Longing for God can be work. I want God here and now. I want to know what He has for me now. I want to experience His presence immediately. Where are you God?
Have you ever just felt dry? The gospel is the good news of what Jesus did for us, in fact, it's the best news. But, if I'm honest, I can just feel dry at times. I can lose my joy. The gospel can grow cold and stale. The problem here is not with the message, it is with my heart.
