It’s So Simple…

Kingdom
Part Five

Your Kingdom come: Humm, am I to believe that the Kingdom of God will come to earth? Well let’s take a look. If I believe the Bible, which I do, then I am told that once I become a born again Christian that Christ is living in me, which He is.

What does His kingdom look like? Don’t I wish I knew? But there are times when I feel as if I have just a glimpse. I’ve had moments where I’ve felt or given unconditional love. Holding a sleeping baby, watching a loved one being completely happy, giving freely without any expectation and feeling as if my heart would explode with joy. That’s a glimpse.

I contemplate how many occasions have I wasted as I focused on the three most important people in my life, me, myself and I? Instead of the three most important things, righteousness, peace and joy. Far too many I fear. The Bible says in Romans 14:17-18 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.”

The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy? That seems doable. Pleasing to God? Isn’t that the goal, to be pleasing to God? So if I serve Christ in this way I am pleasing to God. Cool! Once again I am reminded that it is I who complicate things. When I serve Christ and keep focused on Him, I am pleasing to God. It really is so simple!

It’s So Simple…

Hallowed

Part Four

Hallowed be Your name. Hallowed, sounds like the kind of word one should drag out. Haalllloooowwweeedddd. Does anyone even know what hallowed means? I looked it up, it means, sacred, holy, blessed, sanctified, deified and consecrated. Ok then, now I know. I glean from this that I am to bring honor to the name of my Father in heaven. Do I?

I have at least reached the point in my Christian walk where I do not take the Lord’s name in vain. I also cringe when I hear someone else do so. Does this bring honor to his name? I think it’s a start.

When I think of all the wonderful things my Father in heaven has done for me I am humbled. By contrast I sometimes think I use him as the emergency room. I have a problem, or a need and so I go to him looking for help. I’m trying hard to remember to just say thank you. Thank you Father just because you are worthy. To honor him in all I do. To be, as they say, a living sacrifice. I’ll be honest; some days are better than others.

It is very easy to become so self focused that it takes all the energy I have just to get out of bed. Then I start to whine about everything. Of course I call it prayer, but it’s really just whining with reverence. But guess what? If I persevere the whining really does become prayer. I start to think of others and their needs. I am no longer the focus. Instead I focus on others and then on God.

Now that I have stopped whining and started praying I am giving honor to my Father. It is during this time that I believe God hears ‘Hallowed be your name’. Again I am reminded that when I start looking at God and stop looking at me, I see the truth. And isn’t it so simple!

We interrupt this blog… to… well, blog!
August 22, 2009

Way back in the month of May I was on a roll. I was blogging a series about the Lord’s Prayer. I thought I was so cleaver. But then as usual, while I was busy blogging, life got in the way. We all know how it happens; I had to work the weekend so I didn’t have time. Before I knew it, it was August. I’m pretty sure that yesterday was May something but my calendar insists it’s August 22, 2009. Either I had a really long nap or once again I allowed my life to run me: instead of me running my life.

So here I am getting back on track for the trillionth time. Before I would have said millionth but since trillion is the new million! Sorry I digress. Where was I? Oh yes getting my life back on track.

Perhaps one of my problems is my attention span? You think! It’s not that I can’t pay attention it’s just that I get bored quickly. There’s always something new to try. But I realize that the only way to stay on track is to be a plugger. And if there is one thing I know how to do it’s be a plugger.

I say all of this to explain my absence from the blog world. Like most people I have good intentions but we know what the road to hell is paved with!!! If I followed all of my good intentions I’d be rich enough to pay someone to blog for me. All who know me realize that one can’t pay another to have a brain this fragmented. So on I march to a renewed commitment to be a part of the blogging community. Need I say more? I think not!