For thought and meditation

[rl69]

He took the twelve aside… LUKE 18:31
Oh, the bravery of God in trusting us! Do you say, “But He has been unwise to choose me, because there is nothing good in me and I have no value”? That is exactly why He chose you. As long as you think that you are of value to Him He cannot choose you, because you have purposes of your own to serve. But if you will allow Him to take you to the end of your own self-sufficiency, then He can choose you to go with Him “to Jerusalem” (Luke 18:31). And that will mean the fulfillment of purposes which He does not discuss with you.
We tend to say that because a person has natural ability, he will make a good Christian. It is not a matter of our equipment, but a matter of our poverty; not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a matter of natural virtues, of strength of character, of knowledge, or of experience— all of that is of no avail in this concern. The only thing of value is being taken into the compelling purpose of God and being made His friends (see 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). God’s friendship is with people who know their poverty. He can accomplish nothing with the person who thinks that he is of use to God. As Christians we are not here for our own purpose at all— we are here for the purpose of God, and the two are not the same. We do not know what God’s compelling purpose is, but whatever happens, we must maintain our relationship with Him. We must never allow anything to damage our relationship with God, but if something does damage it, we must take the time to make it right again. The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the one thing that is continually under attack

[Pine Baron]

Amen.

[USMC87]

Amen, exactly what I needed!

[Blackwater]

Wow! This makes me think of my young cousin with Down's Syndrome. She was a handful early on, and for quite a while. But her Mom and Dad continuously held their emotions and tempers back, and just guided her as gently as the situation permitted, to where she ought to be. And years and years of that kind of training, along with liberal expressions of love and apppreciation, have created one of the most loving and well behaved people I know now. And she was raised in church, and the parents MODELED Christian behavior between themselves and toward others. And her Faith is as strong as anyone's, and she's a picture of lady-like Christianity. Being a Christian isn't all that hard, really. It's just distasteful to us in so many ways. But we all make the decision of what path to take, every day of our lives. Thank God for repentance!!!