I am in awe. Because I have a God that loves me. Yes, God is a scary God who can at any time destroy everything on earth, but he loves me. Real love. And the best part?? He created me... He made me me! Sometimes I feel like we let the world and its craziness affect our awe of God. We concentrate on what other people think of us and if we are doing things according to what the wold would want us to do. But ya know what? It doesn't matter. If we are doing what the world thinks is right and what the world finds appropriate but aren't following what God wants us to do then we are wrong! Because God created us for a special purpose. God created us to do great things and to worship him. Why aren't we willing to step out of our comfort zone and live in the confidence of who God made us to be!? Life as a Christian is hard, it is supposed to be anyway. If we look at the life of Jesus while he was on earth, it is readily evident that his life was not easy. From the beginning to the end. Jesus came from heaven and became a man so that he could save us from eternity in hell. Because humanity is so sinful, Jesus had to live a difficult life in order to save us. Jesus had to become our sin on the cross. Sin is ugly, sin is unhealthy, and sin is painful... I watched the Passion of the Christ last Sunday and through that movie realized many things that I hadn't noticed when I watched it years ago... 1. Jesus was not only beaten, he was UNRECOGNIZABLE. He was bloody and taken to the point of death through whippings and pain. And yet he continued on. In some places they had probably beaten him down to the bone. Can you imagine???
2. Jesus was ridiculed. The majority of people did not believe that he was who he was. But he continued on. He continued suffering. Jesus could have at any moment decided that he wasn't going to do what God asked him to do. We do it everyday. But he didn't Jesus loved us too and above all he loved his Father and so he continued in the will of God no matter how hard and painful.
3. As if the beating wasn't painful enough, he carried his cross and then they DROVE NAILS INTO HIS HANDS AND FEET! Have you ever stepped on a nail?? It hurts! and that is just a little nail. But these nails were HUGE!!! and they were driven through his hands and feet into wood by a sledge hammer!!!!! I cringe just to think of it.
So why aren't we willing to talk to new people and be the person that God has created us to be? He suffered unthinkable pain in order to give us the opportunity to live in heaven for eternity. What an amazing God we have! I am in awe of the sacrifice and love that God has shown and given us. We live in our comfort zone, loving God from a distance. We don't get closer because that requires sacrifice. So lets sacrifice for God! After all, he has given everything for us!
God Bless!
