Did You Frame It?

1 John 1:5
[ God Is Light ] This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

As I begin a new chapter in my life today, I am listening to an inspirational cd by Linda Toupon, Independent National Sales Director for Mary Kay.  One thing really struck a cord with me about believing messages people feed into your life.  Everyday someone is speaking into your life, be it uplifting or degrading, you get to choose if you receive it.  One of the points she made was that whether the  person sending you negative feedback about your life or speaking negative things over your life, you can still love them yet throw the message away.  I am taking this to the next level and applying it to our relationship with God.  How many have received the message of Jesus and just thrown it away yet still profess to by a follower?  I know, tough subject, but here we go!

How does this happen?  We choose to accept Jesus into our lives and then we still live just like nothing happened.  Yup, we’re going to heaven, God’s grace has covered us so onward we live out our lives, maybe calling on God in times of need, but not really living a life worthy of being called a son or daughter of the King.  How many tons of promises are in the Bible for security, provision and favor?  Why are we not walking in these promises daily?  It’s not like they are one time use opportunities, they apply to all of our  lives, all of the time!  God wants us to be prosperous, happy, provided for and just plain feeling good about ourselves all the time, not just sometimes or when it is convenient, but ALL the time.  God is good and His message is for all of us, even for those who at the moment are unbelievers.

God wants to give us the desires of our hearts for example, then why are we grumbling when we are the ones settling for what we have instead of going boldly before God and asking for favor?  If for some reason He does say no, trust it is for your own good or He is making it possible for what you asked for to come to pass.  Better yet, He may have something grander in the works because often we only ask for the minimum when He wants to give us the maximum!  Yes, waiting on the Lord sometimes seems to take forever, but if we allow Him to be on control of our lives, we can trust He has it all taken care of.  For instance, me wanting a new home.  Seems like it is taking FOREVER and I feel it is the last step I need to take to get over my past for good.  So many things are holding me back in my trailer, and yes I know most of the issue is my flesh, however, I just want a fresh start, a chance to do things right.  Maybe God is waiting for me and I will only discover this through prayer.  Perhaps the right house is just not ready for me yet, if He is preparing a place for me in heaven and I am praying His will be done here on earth, then why would He not be preparing a place for me here?

What other things are we ignoring about The Message?  Are we living  a life worthy of being a Jesus follower?  If we accept Jesus and then just continue forward in the lifestyle which is unpleasing to God, how can He possibly bless us?  Here I again let me use myself as an example.  I was saved at six years old, at 13 I started smoking and by 15 I was experimenting with drinking and by 17 making very wrong relationship choices.  Now I had received The Message  but by the choices I made I clearly was not listening to it.  I wanted to do things my own way, not going before the Father and asking for direction.  I had this attitude for YEARS!  So now I am in a place where I need to overcome myself and forgive me for making some of the choices for my life.  God has wanted to bless me all along but because I chose to walk a different path, I limited God.  How silly?  Why on earth would we want to limit God?

The Bible says, all provision comes from God.  This being true, why do we even think for a moment man can fulfill any of that?  Why can’t we believe in this?  What stops us from listening to God?  There are many answers to these questions and you can fill in your own, however the key importance here, we did not follow God to where we are.  After wandering around aimlessly in my Christain walk, I am ready to listen, obey and pray!  I am no longer wanting the things of this world.  I no longer smoke, drink, party or watch television.  These are choices I am making, maybe not for everyone, however I more clear headed and focused than ever before.  Our life is but a whisper and we will soon be whisked away from this earth and with this in mind, I ask my final question:  Did you just receive The Message and then throw it away or did you frame it and make it your life goal?