Saturday, March 29, 2014

It's All For Jesus!

It's all for Jesus, what does that mean really? I imagine a world where you open your eyes in the morning and the first thing you do is to dedicate your day to God. An opportunity to put God first in everything you do, in everything you say. Our existence here in this world is all about Him, and should in every way glorify Jesus. How do we manage this in the world we reside in? When life takes a turn from the direction we thought it should be headed, how do we know we are still on God's path for us. Faith is the key ingredient in staying God focused. All in, that's how God wants us to be. When the Dixon's made the move to Guatemala, we went all in for God. We didn't prepare a plan B, we didn't make a list of what ifs. We came all in for Jesus. Even though we were prepared to stay here forever, that wasn't necessasarily the plan of God. Now as we prepare for the next phase of our journey we get to take along a whole new collection of experiences that will prepare us for what is ahead. It is not easy to set aside fear and uncertainty when following God's will, but in the end He will see us through.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28esv
What a comfort to know that "all things" will come together for good. God is not finished with us yet. He is continuously working on us and in us to build us up for his purpose. That is all of us! You may be in a valley right now, that on your own you see no way out of, but friend please know that God is the way. When you emerge from the place that you allow him to bring you out of you will be stronger and hopefully closer to God. Recognize that on your own you are not capable of even taking a breath and surrender yourself to the fact that you need God. 

Maybe you think you are on the top of the world, having all your needs met. You have more than you will ever need. If you do believe in God, you may even call yourself blessed. What you call a blessing could actually be a burden. Maybe God is telling you, I have given you all of this, what will yo do with it? Will you use it to help others? Will you share it? Will you hold it close for comfort? Read Matthew 5:1-12 to find out who Jesus called "blessed". All for Jesus, is not always an easy path. This way has many difficult decisions to be made. 

I am writing these thoughts and comments for my own benefit, to remind myself "it's all for Jesus".
As the absence of my family fills my house with silence, I will spend the time with God. When someone offends me or is unkind I will remember, I cannot control the actions of others, I can only control my reaction. When my expectations are not met, I will remember that I am to live for God and not for me. 
Please pray for me that can strive to live a life that's " all for Jesus".

Fred