A Harsh Reality

I'm sitting here staring at a computer screen, honestly wondering how in the world I'm going to even begin to communicate what's on my heart...I guess that's normally how these things start. So, coffee in hand...I simply pray that it doesn't land on deaf ears...

It seems the Lord has made painfully obvious the theme for my life over the past year. It also seems painfully selfish to not share and to challenge.

What is it going to take for us to take serious the demand for holiness? When are we going to stop picking and choosing the areas that we would like to practice the immitation of Christ? Where is our self focus and spoiled "Christianity" going to take us if we continue to say our desires are of Christ and yet we don't have the actions to follow? Is a desire truly a desire if we don't act on it?
I'm guilty....

Lately it seems I've caught myself cheapening the grace and mercy of our Lord. It seems that I say I desire to love others, I say I desire to obey Christ, I say I desire to fight struggles, and yet my desire is all to quickly interupted by the wanting of my flesh. Oh, how that must pain and frustrate the heart of the All-Powerful Jehovah.
I'm guilty...

Friends, when are we going to view a desire to LOVE as a holy response directly from Love Himself, as opposed to a tainted response from mankind? I could be terribly wrong, but I feel that once our definition of love involves Christ more than the flesh, THEN and only then will we truly respond with a DESIRE that is HOLY and PURE. Until then, we will only be motivated by a misinterpretation of what love truly is, simply because God, in His perfect consistency, is love, and man, in his steady inconsistency, is not, nor will he ever be, love.

I'm understanding that picking and choosing the attributes of love, is limiting the reality of the Creator. What a dangerous place to be!! Our God canNOT be tamed.
The truth is, it's much more difficult to love as a response to the Father, mainly because it requires holy action, but the consistency brings about a holy attribute born of a holy restraint...peace.

But what happens when the desire that we have chosen is not a holy action. What happens when holy action meets selfish motives, and we have to make a decision on where we are going to rest? What happens when we come face to face with God's steadfast law vs a fleshy impulse? I think the real question that we must ask ourselves is, "Do I truly fear the Lord?"
Do I fear disobedience, or have I cheapened forgiveness and grace so much so that I continue with my selfish desires, knowing that the Lord is displeased? It seems these days, in a world focused on fulfilling our worldly needs, that concept is a harsh reality we rarely like to consider. But here is another harsh reality. We cannot expect success when we reject obedience to the Father's demand for holiness.

Oh, but we do, don't we? We disobey and then question why the Lord allows us to experience pain. We blatantly go against what scripture says and take the easy road, frequently traveled, and then wonder why heartache so quickly approaches.

Friends, dare we consider that maybe that pain and the moments of hurt are the Lord's hand having placed thornbushes along our path, that we might continue on the straight and narrow (Hosea)? Are we so foolish to think that the Lord will not prevail and name Himself "Lord", even in the midst of our disobedience?
Guilty...

What an honor to serve such a powerful God. And I ask you to challenge me with that statement. I pray that I truly act as if it were an honor to serve Creator. I pray that I fear disobedience. I pray that I find my place at His feet with each breath I take.

I want to seek and acknowledge Him in ALL things.

He is gracious. He is forgiving. All honor, glory and praise to Him who loves me with the purest love. But I pray that I always accept those gifts with full knowledge that I'm undeserving, except through Christ Jesus.

What will it take?
Was Christ's death not enough for me to die to self daily, and surrender to a holy lifestyle?

He is enough.
He is in me.
I pray that I would fear disobedience and pursue love so much so that He is the priority in me.
What an honor....