Independence…

In an earlier post on another of my sites this morning, I was talking about this idea of independence. Those of us who live in America have embraced this idea for most of our lives. We have watched movies and read about how our country fought for its independence many years ago. We have also been taught to be independent in one way or another in our lives, whether it is being this way from our parents or just able to do things “on our own”.

The biggest problem with independence, especially with men, is that we take it seriously. We act as if we don’t need anyone and sometimes we take that to the extreme. So much so that we even push our parents, our siblings, even our spouses away at times. Sometimes we will push so hard that we end up being truly alone and isolated. That is not how God created us to be.

ARealManwhoLeads We need each other. We need a woman as our spouse in order to have a son or a daughter to fulfill God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply”. We need friends, male friends. To keep us on track in our lives and in our relationships, with each other and with our families.

It is great that some men can go out into the wilderness and live, alone, with no other person to help them. But, after a while being alone is not good. Even “God said that it is not good for the man to be alone“. He did not create us to be alone, whether we are married or single. If you are Christian, seek out someone who is a Christian too. Men, start a Bible study group for men. Meet in each other’s homes or meet at church and bring pizza and some Coke or Dr. Pepper or something. Discuss what is going on your lives in context with your study, then pray about it. Make sure that each man in the group has the other’s phone numbers just in case you need to talk.

Because, you know men do talk to each other. We don’t grunt like apes or fight like dogs, we actually do have conversations which don’t center around which team is going to the playoffs. Men, whether you admit it to yourself or not you know that you need this and your son needs it too. Include him in your group, because sitting at home talking to mom is not the same as talking to Dad, even if it is during a Bible study session. It needs to be done during a Bible study session because you are the high priest in your home or at least you are supposed to fill that function according to the Bible.

Don’t neglect your duty as a father, a husband, a friend or as a spiritual leader in your house because who else can fill those roles if it isn’t you?

The end and the beginning

When you consider that, for a Christian, or anyone who is looking forward to eternal life in Heaven, death in this life is the beginning of eternity. Immortality is something that many people would like to have, but nobody wants to die to get there. But…that is the way this works. We don’t get to sample the “Tree of Life” until we are in Heaven. You can blame Adam for that little mix up if you wish. People for years have tried to blame Eve for it, but truly Adam was the one that God told about the trees in the Garden first so it is actually his fault.

The end of a life lived here on Earth is sometimes very sad for those of us left behind. Mainly because we won’t get to see the person who has gone before us into eternity, at least for a while. Remember that when we are reunited with them, the reunion will be glorious! Not only will we see them, but we will see them in their glorified body. Not the one with disease and aches and glasses and a cane, but a body which will last for an eternity!

There will not be anymore good bye’s, no more missing you, because we will be in God’s Kingdom. We will be together with all of our family and friends and even people we didn’t know in this life but we will know them in Heaven…isn’t that GREAT!! God will give us all of the perfection that He had given to Adam and Eve in the Garden. No more pains, or wheezing or dizziness and we will all enjoy this life forever!

Faith

FAITH

focused – focused on a goal

attainable – possible, practical goals

individual – personal goals

trackable – trackable goal

heartfelt – heartfelt goal

Faith…it is a gift of God, indeed, but one which must be realized and cultivated as any other gift if it is to realize the purpose for which it is given. (A.W. Tozer)

Consider that faith is something which is given to each of us by God through the action of the Holy Spirit to bring our hearts into alignment with His goals and purposes. It is not a magic formula nor is it something unique to Christians. Many people have faith in their jobs or their religion or even in their government..at least to an extent.

Faith is the belief in something which is hoped for yet is unseen at this point. Just as Abraham had heard God tell him to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering. He knew that God has also promised him that through Isaac a people, a nation would arise. So, he followed God’s command to go to the mountain and build an altar to sacrifice his son upon it. He likely felt that if he did take Isaac’s life, God would raise him from the dead in order to fulfill His promise. God provided another sacrifice in the place of Isaac, but it was by the faith of Abraham that God did that too.

Faith is powerful in our lives today because it is by faith that we believe in Jesus and in the atonement granted to us by His death on the cross and His resurrection as our Savior. We couldn’t believe in this or any of the promises from God’s Word without faith. Also, faith in and of itself is not a “magic” word nor is praying in the name of Jesus. Even though you hear it and learn it in church, these words only have meaning in your walk with your Savior.

If there is no relationship between you and Jesus then your faith and your prayers don’t accomplish much. Walking with Him, reading His Word and using the strength that you find in your relationship with Him to be more like Him is the best relationship that you can have! A marriage with Jesus holding the two of you together is also the best and most rewarding marriage that you can have as well.

God designed each of us to want a relationship with Him but many people try to fill that feeling of emptiness with other people or things and just like a puzzle piece in a jigsaw puzzle, only one fits in that spot. That is where Jesus goes. Don’t let “feel good” preaching tell you otherwise and don’t think of any book, other than God’s Word, as being your guide in this life or as a guide to eternity!

We have God’s Word for a reason. The acronym that best describes it is this: Basic Instructions for Believing and Living Everyday!

Read it, study it, pray about it and through it and live by its wisdom and your life will have a purpose which is given to you and ordained by God our Creator Himself. Living by His Word can only be accomplished by FAITH so make sure that yours is grounded in Jesus and His Word.