Let's just say that recently God has really been busy in my heart. It hasn't been the most fun, but it has been stretching and I'm thankful for that! God always wants to grow us and mould us to look more like His Son Jesus! So after I got myself into a silly situation, made mistakes, didn't use all of my brain, allowed my emotions to dictate my decisions, and ultimately ended up hurt, God opened my eyes to His hand moving in my life. Take note of this please: God does use our mistakes for His ultimate good, but He doesn't desire for us to make those mistakes in the first place (Thank you daddy for reminding me of this). God is gracious and He does make everything work for our good, but He never wants us to stray from Him at all. He wants us to be in tune with His Holy Spirit so that we can avoid sin, bad decisions, and ultimately heartbreak. I strayed. My quite time with Jesus diminished. My prayer life was rare and often self-centred and out of desperation. I focused on my desires rather than Christ's. There was no consistency with our relationship.. I loved Him when it was convenient, trusted Him when I had all the answers, and indulged myself in earthly satisfactions to fill the hole in my heart. Too bad everything else in light of Christ is only temporary satisfaction.So what did I learn? And what in the world does this have to do with relationships? Jesus. Satisfaction. Those are the answers. I hadn't realised how desperate I was for love, yet I looked everywhere but God. Maybe it had something to do with my childhood. Maybe it had to do with feeling like the Jesus freak outcast in high school. Maybe it had to do with the teasing that I experience day in and day out. Maybe it's because I'm insecure and want people to think well of me. Maybe it's because I hold myself to an unrealistic standard. Or maybe it's simply because I am sinful and am determined to turn away from God (Hosea 11:2). EITHER WAY, I wasn't satisfied in God or His love. Not because His love wasn't satisfying, but because my mind was focused on being satisfied by earthly and temporary things: PEOPLE!
Relationships are beautiful. People are awesome. But they are NOT God. They never can and never will fill you the way that a relationship with God will. And I don't just use that word relationship lightly, I mean an intimate, daily, even hourly, communication with the God of Heaven, and the Jesus who lived and died for you, kind of relationship! I had to learn this the hard way. You cannot go into any type of earthly relationship looking to be filled with love or security. You will simply drain that person and put unrealistic expectations on them, because ultimately you are expecting them to fill a hole in your heart that only God can fill. Healthy relationships are made of people who have been made whole by Christ's love, and are then able to love others because of God's love in them! They don't come into any type of relationship as needy or insecure, expecting love in return for their love. That isn't unconditional, that's conditional! And we are NOT called to love people in that way!
Maybe I'm rambling and making no sense, but this is what God has shown me over the past few weeks.. He is all sufficient, all satisfying, and everything we need. Allow Him to fill you with His love, and learn to be satisfied in Him. Draw near to Him. Know the truth that is in His word. Take His promises to heart and trust Him. Learn more about who God is, and allow Him to reveal Himself to you more and more. Trust me, you'll stand in awe of Him and your heart will be AMAZED by the beauty and glory of who He is! You were created to know the God of heaven and earth! He is Emmanuel; God with us. He is El Shaddai; All sufficient!
I'm praying for you...the same prayer that Paul prayed in the book of Ephesians: I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19
You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. Psalm 16:11 :)
"God surpasses our dreams when we reach past our personal plans and agenda to grab the hand of Christ and walk the path He chose for us. He is obligated to keep us dissatisfied until we come to His plan for complete satisfaction." - Beth Moore
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. Psalm 28:7
Whom have I in heaven but You? And the earth has nothing I desire besides You. My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever! Psalm 73:25-26
As Frank Baker says; Jesus doesn't make freaks, He makes men & women of God in His image!
ReplyDeleteYou are a gifted writer my Girl. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo