With God Expect the Unexpected
I just got off the phone with Kettering University. I am going to finish my Thesis and get my degree. That I have decided, and Kettering is allowing me to, nearly seven years since I last stepped foot on the campus. I have been praying for God to show me where to go and what to do since my income has ceased at my current position in life. I have been open to anything, any job and schooling. I have told God that I would do what ever he wants. The only answer I have gotten has been to return to school and finish what I started.
My only option right now is to do a School Thesis through Kettering, in a sense I will be working for Kettering. I will have to go to Flint, MI at least once. This is a place I thought I would never go back to. But I am willing to do whatever it takes. And God is testing to see how far I will go. I have to laugh because the Thesis project they have come up with involves one of the subjects and areas I hated the most when I was going to GMI. And that is computer programming/database management. That's how God works. To see how far you will go for him, and I am willing. This was my least successful area of study, but I am ready for it(I think) I am totally convinced getting my degree finished is the way I am supposed to go, and I am going to do it.
So be careful when you ask God to be apart of your life, because He may take you where you least expect it or want it to go. His way is not the easy way. As Jesus said in Matthew 8:34 "And when he had called the people [unto him] with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."
One of the misconceptions I believe Christianity falsely portrays is that once you believe and accept Christ, life becomes easier. I have found through personal experience and through others, this is not the case. That it can and does at times becomes harder. Why? These are just some of the reasons I have come up with, and I know there are more. First, once we accept Christ we gain enemies, mainly, the Accuser, Satan. His desire to discredit, wrong, hurt and destroy our faith becomes his main focus. If you don't believe me, then why was life easier when you didn't believe? Now don't get me wrong, Satan is not the cause of all of our problems, but he does have an effect.
Another enemy we get are other people, non-believers and believers alike. Yes to an extent, even believers. Because we all know how well all the different denominations get along and agree on everything. And just look at the many ways we have persecuted others through out history. But mostly, one of our "enemies" are the non-believers. I am not saying we consider them an enemy, but we immediately become theirs. Just look to Hollywood, news and TV, not to mention how some people react when you just say Jesus at work. God is not totally taboo, but mention Christ and yikes!
So Satan and others can make life harder for us, but I propose that isn't who makes life the hardest for us when we become Christians. I say it is ourselves. Each one of us when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior makes a decision to follow Him. We choose to deny ourselves, our flesh, our old life and immediately adopt a new life and a new set of morals and codes. What we had no problem with before we no longer want, or at least we feel we shouldn't. But it takes time and we all still sin and fall short of the glory of God. We always will during this life.
When we become Christians, we raise the bar for ourselves. We set higher expectations for ourselves. And we feel the eyes of others. That means we put new pressures on ourselves we no longer had before. We strive to meet and/or exceed them. We want perfection, we want the life we were meant to lead. And so we make life harder for ourselves when we should be listening to Jesus as he says in Matthew 11:28 "Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "
When you start to feel life get hard, when you start struggling with your beliefs, and your faith. And, believe me you will labour and be heavy laden, as it is written. You can go ahead and talk to another believer to voice your concerns that is a good thing to do. But, I feel you must do as Christ says and take it to him, first and he will hear you and give you the rest you so need and desire.
If we let him. If we stop listening to others. If we stop going to books and sermons. If we will just STOP, BE QUIET and LISTEN for him. And not just once for five minutes. But ceaselessly at all times and for all occasions. Have you got something that is really bugging you right now. Then turn off the TV, the radio, your cell phone and yes even this computer and give God an hour a day of your time. As long as it takes to hear him. Listen to your heart, He is there.
Pray to him honestly and openly. And always expect to hear from him. But don't put him in a box and only listen for what You want to hear. Expect the unexpected. I did and I am now facing one of my biggest obstacles. But I feel confident I will succeed, because I have involved God in the process. And I have every intention of keeping him involved.
My only option right now is to do a School Thesis through Kettering, in a sense I will be working for Kettering. I will have to go to Flint, MI at least once. This is a place I thought I would never go back to. But I am willing to do whatever it takes. And God is testing to see how far I will go. I have to laugh because the Thesis project they have come up with involves one of the subjects and areas I hated the most when I was going to GMI. And that is computer programming/database management. That's how God works. To see how far you will go for him, and I am willing. This was my least successful area of study, but I am ready for it(I think) I am totally convinced getting my degree finished is the way I am supposed to go, and I am going to do it.
So be careful when you ask God to be apart of your life, because He may take you where you least expect it or want it to go. His way is not the easy way. As Jesus said in Matthew 8:34 "And when he had called the people [unto him] with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."
One of the misconceptions I believe Christianity falsely portrays is that once you believe and accept Christ, life becomes easier. I have found through personal experience and through others, this is not the case. That it can and does at times becomes harder. Why? These are just some of the reasons I have come up with, and I know there are more. First, once we accept Christ we gain enemies, mainly, the Accuser, Satan. His desire to discredit, wrong, hurt and destroy our faith becomes his main focus. If you don't believe me, then why was life easier when you didn't believe? Now don't get me wrong, Satan is not the cause of all of our problems, but he does have an effect.
Another enemy we get are other people, non-believers and believers alike. Yes to an extent, even believers. Because we all know how well all the different denominations get along and agree on everything. And just look at the many ways we have persecuted others through out history. But mostly, one of our "enemies" are the non-believers. I am not saying we consider them an enemy, but we immediately become theirs. Just look to Hollywood, news and TV, not to mention how some people react when you just say Jesus at work. God is not totally taboo, but mention Christ and yikes!
So Satan and others can make life harder for us, but I propose that isn't who makes life the hardest for us when we become Christians. I say it is ourselves. Each one of us when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior makes a decision to follow Him. We choose to deny ourselves, our flesh, our old life and immediately adopt a new life and a new set of morals and codes. What we had no problem with before we no longer want, or at least we feel we shouldn't. But it takes time and we all still sin and fall short of the glory of God. We always will during this life.
When we become Christians, we raise the bar for ourselves. We set higher expectations for ourselves. And we feel the eyes of others. That means we put new pressures on ourselves we no longer had before. We strive to meet and/or exceed them. We want perfection, we want the life we were meant to lead. And so we make life harder for ourselves when we should be listening to Jesus as he says in Matthew 11:28 "Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "
When you start to feel life get hard, when you start struggling with your beliefs, and your faith. And, believe me you will labour and be heavy laden, as it is written. You can go ahead and talk to another believer to voice your concerns that is a good thing to do. But, I feel you must do as Christ says and take it to him, first and he will hear you and give you the rest you so need and desire.
If we let him. If we stop listening to others. If we stop going to books and sermons. If we will just STOP, BE QUIET and LISTEN for him. And not just once for five minutes. But ceaselessly at all times and for all occasions. Have you got something that is really bugging you right now. Then turn off the TV, the radio, your cell phone and yes even this computer and give God an hour a day of your time. As long as it takes to hear him. Listen to your heart, He is there.
Pray to him honestly and openly. And always expect to hear from him. But don't put him in a box and only listen for what You want to hear. Expect the unexpected. I did and I am now facing one of my biggest obstacles. But I feel confident I will succeed, because I have involved God in the process. And I have every intention of keeping him involved.
posted by JC Boggeman | 11:59 AM
1 Comments:
as always, I really appreciate your reflection and thoughts.
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