Rich Mullins “There are many things in the Christian faith that are hard to get a handle on. And one of the things that I struggle the hardest with is believing that God really loves me. It’s too good to believe, but it’s true. Whether I can believe it or not. The fact is, I mean if you took the whole Bible and you shook it around and melted it down and said what is the essence of what this whole thing is saying, I think that it would just be that God loves you very much, that God in fact is crazy about you….To the degree that you can believe it, it changes things”.
“for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God”.
~~~John16:27 (ESV)~~~
“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.
~~~Romans 5:8 (ESV)~~~
“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him”.
~~~1 John 4:16 (ESV)~~~
“Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever”.
~~~Psalm 136:26 (ESV)~~~
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”.
Do you have bragging rights as a Christian? And do you take advantage of these rights? Do you tell others of God’s glorious goodness in your life? Or,…are you ashamed, embarrassed, fearful of what others will think of you? Is what others may or may not actually think of you, based on your testimony, more important to you than sharing God’s goodness with them?
“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe” Proverbs 29:25 (ESV).
What I have discovered over the years is just how camouflaged our real feelings actually are. Oftentimes the impression others give us, is seriously not what is truly in their heart of hearts. Yes, we spend so much energy being busy, careful to avoid those quiet and contemplative moments for fear the silence will overtake us, forcing us to actually give thought to what is truly important.
“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation” Psalm 62:1 (ESV).
And, what I have also discovered is just how much I am quietly being observed by those seeking a closer relationship with the Lord. Oh, sometimes they don’t even realize it is actually a closer relationship with God they are seeking. Sometimes it is merely a curiosity, wondering just what it is about me that is different. Sometimes I am asked just how I can remain so calm in the midst of my circumstances.
“Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:5-7 (ESV).
I remember my husband and I being in Nanyuki, Kenya several years ago. Our African friends liked to refer to us Americans as wazungu, a Swahili term meaning going in circles. You see, their concept of time was much more relaxed than ours. The important question to ask when planning on meeting up later was, is that your time or my time, for their time was definitely not ruled by the clock. The point is they lived a much slower and quieter, more relaxed lifestyle than we Americans who thought being productive meant constant motion. And, this relaxed pace afforded them the beyond valuable opportunity to be contemplative and to really hear from God.
“Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you” Psalm 116:7 (ESV).
Do I have life all figured out? No, but will continue to lay claim to what the Scriptures say,
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV).
It is this wonderful and glorious Truth which gives me the boldness to humbly say yes, I have bragging rights and will not remain silent, but will share my testimony of God’s goodness. For this I am eternally grateful.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16 (ESV).
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Blessings!
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