these verses spoke to me recently in a way like never before...
"anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on a solid rock. thought the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the wind beats against that house, it won't collapse because it is build on bedrock. but anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. when the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash."
you know, i always read this parable and thought, "oh yes, because i chose jesus, i will be ok. when things get 'bad' i will have Him to lean on." that's ok, but think of it this way...
He says whoever listens and follows His teachings...not just chooses Him. action. like the verses that say, "prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. don't just say to each other ' we are safe'...yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire." matthew 3:8-10
then think about this...i think when He talks of the rain, the floods, the wind...He's not talking about just physical stuff like illness and joblessness and money and marriage problems that come at us. i think He's speaking directly to our fear and faithlessness. He's telling me if i listen and follow His teachings and obey Him and let His Spirit lead me, then when the questions of "what if" and "how will we" and "what will people think" come into our minds, we can know what we built on. and that it is enough.
worries plus wealth equals no fruit.
4 comments:
I am really good at having faith intellectually. I believe that God does miracles, and I usually really believe that he answers my prayers. I tend to give God A LOT of credit for things.
However...
When I have to pick my butt up off the couch (figuratively) and DO something to show my faith, I have a hard time. I am getting better because at least I am paying more attention to the proddings of the Spirit. But, when it comes right down to it, I can be so lazy and downright uncomfortable in certain situations. (I guess this is the "fear" you speak of.)
I have the desire to do things, and I can have such faith in my brain, but getting over the hump to take things to the next level is SO HARD. How can we do that?
the action is scary. we get so comfortable and yet so afraid. i knwo that there are things i BELIEVE i'm willing to do, but when it comes down to it...i start the "what ifs".
i know that my faith is small, like the mustard seed, and i pray every day that He helps it to take off and grow! i'm also praying for open eyes, open ears, and open heart to His will (see matthew 12:15!) which gives me opportunities to step out in faith and not fear.
I have to say that I am right there with you, Becky. An example: For years and years, I have talked about having a "soup night" every month in our home. We would invite our neighbors to eat dinner of soup with us on a consistent basis and really start to make connections in our mission field (ie. neighborhood). However, I then always remind myself that nobody has time and they would think we are strange and it would be awkward to get to know these people who don't have any relationship with God and....it never happens. That is just ONE example. I know that I am responsible for shining God's light right here in my neighborhood and I will be held accountable for NOT being obedient. Why then, is it so hard to take that first step?
Maybe the key is that we have faith in God, just not in ourselves. However, it seems like not having faith in ourselves would go back to not having faith in God. After all, He made us. It's not like he screwed that up. Maybe if we didn't worry so much about ourselves and just let God do with us what He made us for, we (well, He) would start bearing fruit. We think, "I can't do it," and to some degree that is true. Without God, we CAN'T do it. We have to get out of the way and let Him work. However, we still have to "do" stuff in "real life" for that to happen. *Sigh* (Okay, I thought I had a coherent thought, but now I am just confused again.) :)
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