Yesterday I shared the books I have been reading lately. My heart has been busy working overtime with what I think is the biggest take away I have had so far from reading these three books...
God does not bless us for our own glory... but for His.
This has been huge for me. For a long time I have been so thankful for the abundant blessings God has given to me and my family. We have three beautiful and healthy children, Nick has a well paying, stable job. We have 2 payed for cars, and a house that is much bigger than what we need. We are blessed. And I have always been so thankful for that. But, I am realizing that I have been so thankful that God has been blessing me and it ends there. But, although God loves me, he doesn't bless me just for me. He blesses me so that I can be a blessing to others and so that I can bring Him glory.
And I have been failing at this miserably. I have been feeling pretty good about myself for giving tithes and offerings. I have patted myself on the back as I wrote out a check for that 10%... or given a little extra to a good cause. But, I have not been striving to be a blessing with all that I have and to bring God glory in everything that I do.
I have compartmentalized my life into two seperate boxes. I have the life I live for God in one neat little box where I take someone a meal, write a check to a good cause, serve at church, write an encouraging letter to a friend... And then I have another box (and a much bigger one) where I want to save money to buy a really nice minivan, where I dream about fancy vacations, where I try really hard to fit in and be just like everyone else around me, and where I worry about what I want above all else. And I live a double life.
I am not okay with living this way. I don't think it is wrong for me to save to replace our vehicles... but am I considering how I can bring most glory to God in this area? Have I really considered how I can use my home that is so much more than we really need to bless others (aside from having my Christian friends over that I really enjoy over for parties and get togethers)?
I want to seek to glorify God in every area of my life. And I want to use every blessing that God has given me to bless others. I have no idea what this looks like or what forms this can take. I do know that it starts with a lot of prayer and asking God to reveal a whole lot of selfishness that is inside of me. I am nervous, but knowing what I know, I can't keep living the way that I am.
In Kisses from Katie, Katie Davis says often that God "wrecked her life" and I am starting to see what she means by that. Once we learn Truth we can't even enjoy living for ourselves anymore. We feel uncomfortable living a comfortable faith.
And sadly, the people whose lives seem radical to many of us Christians biblically are not radical at all. They are just doing what the Bible says. So, I can't help but wonder if the Christians who I most look up to who are living a "radical" life are not really that radical, what does that make my very comfortable, mainstream life?
Great thoughts, Katie... and well written! You are not alone in thinking this way. God is refining His Bride... sifting if you will, the hearts of those who truly want to serve and bring Him alone glory. For some of us, that comes sooner and some later... but there's definitely a sifting taking place. I've seen it in my own life and those I know around the country. God bless! :)
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