Is it really that easy?

The other day I ran across scripture from 1 John 4:15, “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the son of God, God lives in him and he in God.”  I thought “wow God sure did make it easy for us.” All we need to do is acknowledge that Jesus is the son of God and God (the Holy Spirit) will live in us.  But just because we believe Jesus is the son of God and God is living in us does not mean all our anxieties will disappear.

There is this thing called free will that God gives us.  It is our decision (free will) whether or not we want God to run the show.  For some people letting God run the show is easy, but for me it is a daily and/or hourly walk.  If I don’t do certain things every day then it is “self will run riot” for this poor sap.  I was the “strong willed child” in our family.

I’ve witnessed a lot of Christians over the years who never seem to be at peace.  They are always in search of something more.  I was there several years ago and found that I was simply trying to have the best of both worlds…mine and God’s.  It doesn’t work that way. 

You see, there is no such thing as “life in between” with God; you are either in or out.  Oh sure he still loves us no matter what we do but selectively asking God for help is a recipe for instability and possible disaster.  There is not a worse place to be as a Christian than on the fence…and it really hurts your crotch area if you know what I’m saying.  James talks about sitting on the fence in James 1:6-8 “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.  Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.  Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”

Are you feeling unstable and insecure these days?  Is serenity nowhere to be found?  Try saying “Not mine but Thy will be done” as many times a day as you have to.  Write down everything you are dwelling on, share it with another person and dump it in their lap and refuse to take it back.  Make this a daily “dump” if you have to.  Do the things you need to do spiritually, mentally and physically in order to stay spiritually fit.  Get out of yourself and help others.  These are all ways to get off the fence a day at a time.

Remember how Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”  divided loyalty between earth and heaven is a recipe for instability.  Take the easy way out and give it all to God a day at a time.

P.E.A.C.E.

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