Quotes from Sunday

“To those who don’t know God the things of God are foolish” Neil

This is so true! How many times have people obeyed what God has called them to people (and I’m not just talking about strangers – but family and friends) have thought they were out of their mind. God doesn’t always call us to things that are safe and considered “normal”. No, He calls us for his purpose.

“The hardest thing to do is continue doing what you know you’re supposed to do” Neil

I have to say that I agree wholeheartedly with this. I’m the worst at starting a million new things and never seeing them through to completion. I like immediate results, and when they don’t come or the shiny starts to wear off it’s generally time for me to start looking for my new shiny object/ “fun” task. I’m happy to say that with time this has become a lesser and lesser offense on my part. However, it’s a constant struggle and there are times when I don’t succeed. It’s a work that God is doing in my life. Goes back to the book I read – that I need to read again - Long Obedience in the Same Direction.

“Salvation is not feeling – it’s a reality” Neil

How many times have kids/ ME been at camp and had that religious high. When the music is just so, and the lights are dimmed, and there are people all over crying and people are flooding to the stage to beg for forgiveness until they leave camp and forget their Thursday night promise. Salvation isn’t about us/ me – it’s about God calling me to him, and there won’t always be dimmed lights, or music, or crying, or angels singing the halleluiah chorus above our beds, but God will always be there. Feelings change. You can be sad, happy, confused, in love, confused, in hate, vengeful – but reality doesn’t change. God is not fickle – he is true. Salvation is not fickle. Once God has you he doesn’t let go – THAT is the reality.

“I’ve never had a genuine religious experience. Oh I’ve given lip service to the idea, but a devastating, ego destroying, ontological epiphany I simply have not had” Sting

This quote from Sting I think is amazing and thank you to Neil for pointing it out. Being a Christian is ego destroying. Once you become a child of God it’s no longer about you, it’s about the call and direction that God has for you, and it will be a long bumpy ride until you understand that. You are nothing in and of yourself – but only who God has called you to be. Your identity is no longer what name you made for yourself in this world as the school jock or cheerleader, or most successful businesswoman or businessman, it’s not even mom of the year. No you are a child of God and there is nothing in this world that compare. The ontological epiphany simply means that it’s an out of this world realization – and that my friends can only come from God!! I’m glad to say that I have had the pleasure of this last part and am working on the ego destroying. It’s a hard thing to not care about the things of this world but as your view and understanding of God and the things of God grows the desire for the things of this world; wealth, popularity, being politically correct, having stuff all fade away until there’s nothing left but the desire to be with God and do his will until you can be. Don’t get me wrong – it’s much easier said than done, and it’s a daily struggle – but a struggle that is getting easier bit by bit.