Balance

Well, I hope that everyone had a good New Year’s and resolutions are going well, maybe haven’t failed little pieces like I have… oops. Oh well anyways…

So I continue to prepare myself for Uganda and what that entails which to be honest is getting a lot harder as the days go on.  I start to feel more and more that I am going to be far away from family, friends and my fiancé.

I definitely was broken hearted attending my church down in SLO this past Sunday, really feeling how much I truly love everything about it and what a blessing a good church where I feel at home is.  I love the worship and need that so bad in my life to sing out to God as well as being spiritually revived by powerful preaching!  An absolute bitter sweet moment with the Lord there and probably similarly this Sunday as I am going in front of the church to share what I will be doing and possibly a piece of my testimony.

Now to what hopefully is something encouraging, thought-provoking, inspiring, who knows, hopefully God can use this and open hearts and minds like He did for me this morning in this text.

I was reading through 2 Peter chapter 3 this morning and God just really put this on my heart…

So I feel like this verse 4 really pops out as the church to whom Peter was originally writing with is having trouble with false teachers, false prophets, or in today’s context all these other religions or lack of religious beliefs with atheism becoming more and more popular.  These are the “they” referred to in this verse.

They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”    ~ 2 Peter 4

This just set a series of thoughts off for me of different people’s beliefs throughout the world, one of those being just like this verse is asking.  Many choose to believe that there is some sort of being or creator or something that set the world in motion, but since then it has been just sitting back and watching.  Or maybe that God set the world and motion and just sits back to see what happens like God created everything and now is sitting back with His popcorn watching us and enjoying.

Of course, this is heresy.  This is not God.  However, Christians will be mocked until the end for believing in the promise as stated at the beginning of verse 4 of His (Jesus) coming or return revealed in the book of Revelation.

I got to thinking of other tough questions that Christians may get asked.  First of those, being often times a piece of Atheism, “If there is a God, who loves and cares about His creation, then why are there so many just atrocities and awful things all over the world.”  This is true and a very hard question to answer and the only thing I can really pull from is from Shane Claiborne in The Irresistible Revolution (an Amazing book that everyone should read).  He basically says well we are Jesus’ hands and feet so as Christians it is our job to help these different things and injustices.  God will give us the means, strength, or whatever is needed to help these different atrocities in the world.  We just have to identify our call and God will help with the means.  We can’t just sit back and expect God to do everything.  We have to be willing and obedient servants that is our call.  Sherwood Carthen said, “There is only one position open and it is always open on Jesus’ staff and that position is servant.”   We are called to serve others.  Humble ourselves just as the One we follow.  We follow the Homeless Rabbi, the Servant to all, Jesus.

Sorry went off on a little tangent there, but back to Scripture that still relates

8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, [1] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repent.

God is beyond time.  God is also so patient with me.  I spent so long doing what I wanted pursuing my own selfish desires.  And this for me maybe wasn’t selfish as many would consider selfish because I really do feel like I was a good person, morally for the most part and by worldly standards.  This is not in line with the Gospel though.  This I feel is a huge and possibly one of the huge marks of why I feel Christianity has many problems because of people like I was that claimed to be a Christian, but lived as if I didn’t truly believe.  I didn’t understand though.  God in His Mercy and Grace opened my eyes to the weight of truth.  HALLELUJAH!

God, as Peter says at the end of verse 9, wants all of us to repent and turn to Jesus.  He is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes through the Father except through Jesus (John 14:6).  God is so patient to wait for us to just figure this simple truth out.  He doesn’t want anyone to not come to accept this and perish.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies [2] will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

This is where reality comes though.  There will be a day that Jesus will return.  Justice will be served.  Jesus is going to return like a thief.  One day I am sitting here enjoying all my things and toys (not that there is anything wrong or sinful with that at all, don’t get me wrong), then with the blink of an eye just like a thief who comes and steals all your stuff and there isn’t much we can do, Jesus comes and it is all gone and all over.  Jesus sets everything straight in the world.

Sadly, those who have chosen not to follow or their “secrets” or things they have been doing: cheating on their wife, stealing money, lying to whoever about whatever, using others for our own personal advancement and glory, all the corruption in politics and big corporations, we could go on forever…  All these are going to be exposed and out in the open. 

On the positive note, all the good people have done whether some noticed or not will be exposed, the times we picked up trash without others asking, the times we helped out the homeless, you name it.  We don’t need to brag about it or share all the amazing things we have done how great we are that we may become prideful, but also we don’t need to hide it to “seem humble.” 

There is a Balance, which is my new year’s resolution, finding balance in things.  Not being too strict disciplined, legalistic, or moralistic about things, but also not becoming too relaxed and having no discipline.

I struggle with this at times being too strict that I am like read my Bible every day, journal every day, pray every day,  all good things, but I see how quickly Satan will turn this on into pride.  I get to think I am better than someone, but I am not because now I am committing the terrible sin of Pride, the same one that caused Satan to be cast from heaven to earth. 

It’s all about balance.  I love all those things and love to do them every day.  It works for me and God has put those on my heart.  It helps me set my heart on Him for the day.  Does that mean I still fail and sin everyday… Yep!  I am human, but it helps me to work hard and by God’s Grace to strengthen me to fight my own flesh and live for Him.  Do everything we do, do it for the Glory of God the Father.

Please comment, respond, email me, call me, text me, anything, love to hear thoughts, opinions, anything, just love talking to people!

To Him be the Glory For Ever and Ever. Amen!

K2

Ps… I am amazed how off topic and all over the place my brain goes as I write, ha ha sorry if it is hard to follow.