Back to the Basics!

Have you ever found yourself feeling like you're in the middle of nowhere? You feel stranded in your own mind. You're confused often, and you have no idea why you're feeling that way. I know I have. That confusion is one of the most frustrating feelings you can have. You feel this void and you have no idea why you feel that way, because it seems you have it all together. Your job is going great, school is going just fine, you actually have money in your bank account, there's no drama in your life. You spend your days full of laughter and accomplishments. But it's in those very moments when you allow yourself to be still and quiet, that one moment when you haven't distracted yourself with some task to keep you busy, that you feel the loneliness and confusion creep in. You have this strong desire yet you have no clue what it is you really want. When you have that feeling, do you seek God's voice? Or do you try to clutter your mind with thoughts of things you need to get done so that you don't have to think about the fact you're neglecting Him? Notice I didn't say that He wasn't there. Because He's always there. At this very moment, while you're reading this post, God is here. He's beside you, inside of you, He's all around you. But you ignore Him. Why is that? Why is it that we try to push away the only one who can give us true happiness? Why do we neglect the very one who gave us the very things that make us feel accomplished? The concepts you have that take your job to a new level, the papers you write for school, the money in your bank account all come from Him. Why ignore the one who can give you even more than you have? Why settle for material things when you can have peace?

I'll tell you something that you may not know...that void you have? It's you yearning. Not yearning for more accomplishments. If you're single, it's not even you yearning for love. It's your very soul screaming out for God. Your flesh is satisfied, but your spirit is not. Your spirit is drained and deprived of what it needs most. God. Without Him, you yourself, are nothing. What can you do to change that? Well, I'll tell you a little about my situation to help. I personally have been having these feelings myself lately. I've been on top of everything in my life. I have a great job where I work with people I genuinely like. For the first time in a LONG time, school is pretty decent. Because of my job, I have money in bank account. I have great friends all around me and life seems great. Or does it? If life is so great, why is it I find myself stressed out and lonely when I'm surrounded by so many great people? Why is it that I feel this strong desire to have something, but can't quite put my finger on it? I can quote scriptures all day and pray and encourage others, but why is it that I cannot do this for myself? It's because I've been neglecting the very one who cares about me more than anything in the world. And if you're reading this and feeling the same way, I bet you are in the same boat. What can we do about it? The answer is much easier than you think. No you don't have to get rid of your friends and material things. No you don't have to pray 24 hours a day, although you definitely wouldn't have time to dwell on anything else. What you can start by, is simply speaking to God. Acknowledge His very presence. Tell Him that you miss Him. Let Him know you miss your relationship. Ask Him to take over your heart again. One of the things God did when He created us was give us free will. This means that although God is right there waiting on us to acknowledge Him, He will not force us to. He is waiting on you to make your move. There's nothing wrong with pouring your heart out unto God.

I encourage you (if you're still reading this, it is pretty lengthy!) to go before God and repair your relationship with Him. Make an effort to do better. Not because I told you so, not because you feel guilty, and not because you want to feel better. If you're simply trying to clear your conscience or not have that void, you need to reread everything again. You need to do this because you genuinely want and need to be closer to God. Am I perfect? NOT. AT. ALL. I make mistakes daily. I am not always a good representation of a Christian. But can I recognize my mistakes and realize when I need to get back to God? Absolutely. And the best part about all of this is that God loves me so much that despite what I've done, He still loves me! Think of something you've done that you consider to be your biggest mistake, your biggest sin. Think on how you would feel if others knew about a dirty secret you have. Do you know that God knows the things you don't want anyone to know about you, and loves you completely, unconditionally, and wholeheartedly anyway? Isn't that comforting? I'm not telling you to just take it for granted, but you should be comforted in knowing that He loves you regardless of your sins. So today, make the decision to stop being so busy and trying to pile up on accomplishments. Instead of being scared or confused by that void feeling or feeling of confusion, recognize it for what it really is, and do something about it! Talk to God today. Scriptures will be posted at the end of this post, and I hope that you will join me in going back to the basics. Going back to a real relationship with Christ. You're not in this alone, we all mess up, but God is faithful no matter what.

Until next time,
Peace, Love, and Truth. :)

"I, even I am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." - Isaiah 43:25

The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. - Jeremiah 31:3

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? - Romans 8:35

...Nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:39

Put Forth the Effort!

Sometimes the most common mistake we make as Christians is thinking that the smallest amount of faith will get us by. We think that as long as we read the Bible every now and then, and as long as we pray some times, God's got us. I can't tell you how many times this year ALREADY I have had several disturbing and sad conversations with people who honestly believe that they don't have to go to church every Sunday. They believe that they can have their own service by reading one scripture and saying a simple prayer. Although everyone has their Sundays where they are too tired to go to church because they are sick or they truly need to stay at home to talk to God, the saddest part about these conversations is people truly believe they can make it for the rest of their lives doing that. They believe that God does not require us to do more than crack open our Bibles maybe once a week, and that all we truly have to do is at least say grace. People, I'm here to tell you today that you cannot just talk to God when you feel like it. You cannot love God from a distance and expect God to bless you continuously. You have to put forth effort towards a relationship with Him just like He does with you. You cannot have half of your faith in God, and the other half of your faith in a significant other. That other half of faith cannot be placed in your parents, your friends, not even yourself. You need to trust Him with your whole heart. How can you place all of your trust in a person who had nothing to do with your being here? You were not created by a significant other! People deal with heartbreak every single day. Heartbreak HURTS. It truly hurts. To know that all of your time, effort, and love seems to have been wasted is a horrible feeling. But do you know what makes that pain 10 times worse? Loving that person more than you loved God! People are constantly trying to fill a void inside of themselves by giving all they love they have to another human, all in the hope of receiving it right back. That is the mistake we make, and that is what gets us hurt. If you would first focus your energy on loving God before all else, then loving yourself just as you are, you can then go and love someone else. But because you love another person more than you love God, you are constantly disappointed and miserable. God knows your heart better than you do. Why are you so selfish with something that He truly longs to care for? Make the choice today to put more effort into your relationship with God. We have no problem wanting to work harder to keep a person around because we love them, but why do we have a problem working to keep God near? We take His presence for granted daily, but the truth is, He can take it all away from us in an instant! Learn to love Him wholeheartedly, and spend more time with Him. Stay in His word, and talk to him continually. You'll see results, I promise! Sometimes we feel God has abandoned us and we shouldn't try harder to reach Him. The truth is God is RIGHT THERE the entire time, buried under all the things we place higher on our list of importance. He's right there, waiting on us to come back to Him, to yearn for Him, to love Him, to turn to Him and live for Him. All God wants is your agreement and effort. Allow Him to do the rest! I hope this post has helped someone make the decision to draw closer to God and has encourage someone. God loves us dearly and always wants what is best for us. That is better than anything any significant other could ever give us or do for us. Be blessed!

"Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'" - Matthew 22:37