Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Life
Why is it that some people struggle so much while other people tend to simply go through life and not struggle one little bit? I have had this question on my mind for some time. Any ideas? :)
Friday, October 7, 2011
"Lord, Change my Heart"
"Lord, change my heart from deep within;
purify me once again;
renew my mind to love Your truth;
make me more and more like You!
Lord, cause my will to choose Your ways
in each temptation that I face;
until Your glory's shining through,
make me more and more like You!
More and more like You;
more and more like You!
Do whatever You must do
to make me more and more like You!
Lord, now I rest in Your great love,
secure in Your own righteousness,
because Your Spirit's work of grace
makes me more and more like You!
More and more like You;
more and more like You!
Do whatever You must do
to make me more and more like You! "
This song has been the prayer of my heart for the past few days. God has been working in my heart on several levels, and I would like to take a few minutes to share some of what the Lord has been teaching me.
1. The first thing He has been teaching me has been about my love and His love for me. First, my love: for Him, and for those around me. I have been SO convicted on many levels over my love for my Lord and for my brothers and sisters in Christ. One verse that has challenged me has been 2 Corinthians 5:14 - "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:" I have been challenged to make this verse a daily prayer in my life. If the love of Christ for me is controlling me, then everything I do will be done out of love for Him. If God's love for me is controlling me, then ministry will not be a burden, but a blessing; a means of showing that love to other people. I have also been impressed with God's love for me. God's love for me is so great that it caused Him to send His Son to die for my sins; it is so great that nothing can EVER separate me from it; it is so great that it surpasses any sin that I can commit and loves me in spite of myself! What an intense love!!
2. The second thing that God has been teaching me is on the level of my heart. So many times I say the right things on the outside in response to my circumstances or to the people in my life, but in my heart I feel so differently. I say that God is good and loves me and has a good plan for what I am going through, but on the inside I am thinking "how could God allow things to come into my life that hurt me if He really loves me," and "God isn't good because the things He brings into my life are not good!" The problem I face is my definition of good and of love. My definition of good based on those two statements is "whatever makes me feel good or doesn't hurt," when in reality, GOD'S definition of good, which is the only one that matters, is "whatever makes me more like Christ and brings God the most glory." My definition of love is "not hurting me; giving me what I want," when in reality, God's definition of love is "giving me what I need; chastening me when I need it; doing what is best for me, not necessarily what I want." God has been teaching me that I need to look at my circumstances through His perspective rather than mine. My perspective is so messed up because of sin, so I do not always see things very clearly. It is like my vision being blurry, and God gives me a pair of glasses so that I can see clearly, and I choose not to use them. That pair of glasses is His Word. His Word shows me who God is, and THAT is what I need to base my view of life on. When I try to look at life through my perspective, I will never see the goodness of God, but rather, I will see a God who is unloving and who is trying to hurt me.
Well, these are just a couple of things I have been learning lately, and I hope they can be a blessing to you all who read this post! If there is ever anything you want to talk about or any way I can be praying for any of you, email me at stephanie.nielsen@ni.edu or facebook message me!
purify me once again;
renew my mind to love Your truth;
make me more and more like You!
Lord, cause my will to choose Your ways
in each temptation that I face;
until Your glory's shining through,
make me more and more like You!
More and more like You;
more and more like You!
Do whatever You must do
to make me more and more like You!
Lord, now I rest in Your great love,
secure in Your own righteousness,
because Your Spirit's work of grace
makes me more and more like You!
More and more like You;
more and more like You!
Do whatever You must do
to make me more and more like You! "
This song has been the prayer of my heart for the past few days. God has been working in my heart on several levels, and I would like to take a few minutes to share some of what the Lord has been teaching me.
1. The first thing He has been teaching me has been about my love and His love for me. First, my love: for Him, and for those around me. I have been SO convicted on many levels over my love for my Lord and for my brothers and sisters in Christ. One verse that has challenged me has been 2 Corinthians 5:14 - "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:" I have been challenged to make this verse a daily prayer in my life. If the love of Christ for me is controlling me, then everything I do will be done out of love for Him. If God's love for me is controlling me, then ministry will not be a burden, but a blessing; a means of showing that love to other people. I have also been impressed with God's love for me. God's love for me is so great that it caused Him to send His Son to die for my sins; it is so great that nothing can EVER separate me from it; it is so great that it surpasses any sin that I can commit and loves me in spite of myself! What an intense love!!
2. The second thing that God has been teaching me is on the level of my heart. So many times I say the right things on the outside in response to my circumstances or to the people in my life, but in my heart I feel so differently. I say that God is good and loves me and has a good plan for what I am going through, but on the inside I am thinking "how could God allow things to come into my life that hurt me if He really loves me," and "God isn't good because the things He brings into my life are not good!" The problem I face is my definition of good and of love. My definition of good based on those two statements is "whatever makes me feel good or doesn't hurt," when in reality, GOD'S definition of good, which is the only one that matters, is "whatever makes me more like Christ and brings God the most glory." My definition of love is "not hurting me; giving me what I want," when in reality, God's definition of love is "giving me what I need; chastening me when I need it; doing what is best for me, not necessarily what I want." God has been teaching me that I need to look at my circumstances through His perspective rather than mine. My perspective is so messed up because of sin, so I do not always see things very clearly. It is like my vision being blurry, and God gives me a pair of glasses so that I can see clearly, and I choose not to use them. That pair of glasses is His Word. His Word shows me who God is, and THAT is what I need to base my view of life on. When I try to look at life through my perspective, I will never see the goodness of God, but rather, I will see a God who is unloving and who is trying to hurt me.
Well, these are just a couple of things I have been learning lately, and I hope they can be a blessing to you all who read this post! If there is ever anything you want to talk about or any way I can be praying for any of you, email me at stephanie.nielsen@ni.edu or facebook message me!
"Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my ALL!"
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