Some Thoughts and a Poem

How often do we say we love God?

As MewithoutYou has put it, "When they swear their love is real, they mean I like the way you make me feel."

I honestly think that people are very prone to using God for their own purposes, when the truth is that we must give ourselves entirely to Him, to be used for His purposes regardless of what we think we want. Should we wear God as a badge, should we wear our crosses like a crows, should we love God for no other reason than because He lets us do whatever we want and still loves us? Don't cheapen His love.

This God is no joke, He can't be diluted. He demands everything from us. All of our heart, our entire being, must belong to Him and Him alone, and there's no other way that we can say we are worshippers of Him.

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

This doesn't mean, "if you're a Christian, God will make your life perfect."

I believe it means something much closer to, "When God becomes the only thing that you desire, you will finally be content and know true joy."

See how those are kind of opposite of each other? One uses God for our own ends, the other says that we want to be used by Him for His own ends, which are better. Our joy is simply a byproduct of worshipping God because He is holy. We don't worship Him because of how He gives us joy.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

It costs everything, changes everything, means everything to us.

I believe that runs a lot deeper than any of us realize. Be challenged and encouraged to seek God's heart as if it were something so valuable, you would sell everything you have for it. Because He is that valuable.

I speak these things to myself. If God is real, and we believe that He's real, we must act like He's real. And there are so many ways I see myself and others not doing this. God help us to see Your path and not our own, and to truly love You with our whole hearts.

It’s all pretty upside-down, can’t you see?

Besides the fact that You’re You, and I’m me.

All the fake things shine brighter

Than the dull things we need

And the mountains, they’re uprooted

By a tiny mustard seed.

Those who win the race

Are the ones who give up first

And the people with nothing

Are so full they could burst

The rich have no rest

While the simple are blessed

And the smarter you get,

The harder the test.

Children boldly speak

Elders stand in fear

Infants understand more

Than those with ten times their years

We desperately hoard shadows, ghosts and dull shapes

While the actual substance stands right in our face

Those who try to climb high always come crashing down

And the blessedly low wear the most brilliant crown

The most precious things aren’t much more than dust

While men live and die for what will decay and will rust.

We hate those we love, and love those who don’t care

If we can even call it love... well, I’d hardly dare.

The love that we feel is the love that matters less

Than the love that we do, cause that’s the true test.

Our anger burns hot, and forgiveness lies cold

Though we’ve been given more grace than could ever be told

The things we can touch are what all float away

And the invisible stuff is the stuff here to stay

What seems the most real is what changes and dies

I still can’t see more than an inch past my eyes

We want what we can’t have, that’s a universal rule

And I literally feel dumber, the longer I’m in school.

There’s lots you can see, but only when you’re not looking,

And the food will never cook, if you try to watch it cooking

That clock will only move slower, the longer you stare

But boy will it fly, if you ask the hands to stay there.

We work ourselves to death for the trivial, pointless, and vain

But never try for what matters, cause we’re too scared of the pain

Should we give the least time to the One we claim to love the most?

I’ll happily sacrifice for myself, but with Him, I’ll just coast.

We’re quick to speak and slow to act,

Our sinfulness isn’t a theory, but fact.

We will break a promise before it’s even off our tongue

But when someone lets us down, “tie a noose, they must be hung!”

A stray pebble falls in a river, and it may change direction

All its mass thrown around by the little round stone

A great insurrection caused by a small imperfection

But try to change it yourself? Nope. Not on your own.

A clear little slip of plastic or glass

Is the difference between blindness and sight

Try the Snellen chart without it, you’ll never pass

Squint and strain as you might

This world is maybe just a little absurd.

If you are bought as a slave, you’ll be free as a bird.

The King of Kings was glad to stoop low and to serve

When we beat Him and mocked Him, He said not a word.

This King, the Holy One, His blood was spilled

But His love defeats death. God cannot be killed.

I hope you see a bit of what I’m trying to show

Though words can’t do much, as we all too well know.