Striving
Yesterday, I posted about God being present in our enjoyments, about our enjoyments being a form of worship.
But today I've been contemplating what makes us think that God could not be present in our enjoyments. Why, for so many years, did I personally feel that enjoying myself was somehow sinful?
I hit on one reason yesterday. I believe that we are afraid of making something we enjoy - whatever it is - into a replacement for God. I think another reason is we have this idea that we have to strive to please God. We think that in order to please Him, we have to prove ourselves to Him. So we develop a list of rules that we feel will please Him most. We turn His grace into legalism.
The Bible tells us over and over that God chose us; He shows us grace; even before we were formed in the womb, He knew us. He entrusts us with His calling. He knows we're going to mess up sometimes. But, as Romans 11:29 says, "For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable" (NASB). God is pleased by our faith in Him, not by our trying to prove ourselves. When we try to prove ourselves, we are, in actuality, showing our own distrust of our Maker. Jesus taught that the very hairs of our head are numbered. Do we not realize that if He knows the hairs of our head, He knows our heart, our actions, our motivations as well? We do not need to strive to prove ourselves to Him. That reduces God to the level of humanity - a level that says, "Show me so I can trust you." God on the other hand says, "I created you. I know you. I trust you. Have faith in Me."
Just something to think about today.
But today I've been contemplating what makes us think that God could not be present in our enjoyments. Why, for so many years, did I personally feel that enjoying myself was somehow sinful?
I hit on one reason yesterday. I believe that we are afraid of making something we enjoy - whatever it is - into a replacement for God. I think another reason is we have this idea that we have to strive to please God. We think that in order to please Him, we have to prove ourselves to Him. So we develop a list of rules that we feel will please Him most. We turn His grace into legalism.
The Bible tells us over and over that God chose us; He shows us grace; even before we were formed in the womb, He knew us. He entrusts us with His calling. He knows we're going to mess up sometimes. But, as Romans 11:29 says, "For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable" (NASB). God is pleased by our faith in Him, not by our trying to prove ourselves. When we try to prove ourselves, we are, in actuality, showing our own distrust of our Maker. Jesus taught that the very hairs of our head are numbered. Do we not realize that if He knows the hairs of our head, He knows our heart, our actions, our motivations as well? We do not need to strive to prove ourselves to Him. That reduces God to the level of humanity - a level that says, "Show me so I can trust you." God on the other hand says, "I created you. I know you. I trust you. Have faith in Me."
Just something to think about today.
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