#MoreofHIM #Lessofme

“The mind of the soul is strong when the pleasures of the body are weak.”

-Athanasius

I think of his thought as monastic in belief. I was reminded with the same practices of the other Bible schools wherein their cellphones were being confiscated and can only be allowed to use it once a month. It’s no that I was judging them. I was still just soaking this kind of perspective and may ask---why? I’m not saying that I was against it. Well, we can’t deny that we are prone to temptation/sin and we have that tendency to give in. Because deeply we know that we are sinful in nature. But by God’s grace, we are being saved from it, changed, and set free. So, there’s no longer reason for us to let it overcome us because it’s no longer I but Christ who lives in us. On \the other side, it is helpful for us to be focused only I’m not saying that I was against and do not waver in our faith. By the grace of God, we have been set apart from this world. But let’s not make it as an excuse, which we will no longer minister those who are unreached and unengaged people group that deeply needed Christ in their lives. Though it is not obvious in their daily living, but we can be sure of it that their inner being were seeking for something that can really satisfies the emptiness they felt within. And as for me, I firmly believe that being around with the unbelievers is not bad. What makes it bad is when we let ourselves be among them or go along with the norms/mainstreams. Either ways, it’s very important to minister with Christ than to minister for Christ in which we have a proper view of our self in the light of God’s Word before we expose socially.

"The man is naturally idolatrous at heart that Lord directs every steps of men."

           Basically, I can't deny that all of us were sinners. None is perfect from the inside and out for all of us knew that were bound to fail and to hell---worst of all. But, it's so good to think that there's a One True Living and Loving Heavenly Father out there, who is watching over us every seconds of our life. I know that we may think about it as crazy because we are talking to someone that is invisible and/or can never be seen by our two naked eye.  But believe me, it's called faith even though we don't have all the facts. In various ways, God has revealed Himself or even His ways to humanity. I was so delighted upon knowing that God is faithfully directing our steps even if He already knew at the very first start that we are idolatrous at heart. I can barely imagine His great love and care to us, a rebellious people. Each day, He is making us to be a better person of what He wanted us to be---in character, action, and will that His purposes we would fulfill. He is devotedly reminding us to seek Him first and His righteousness before anything else. As a matter of fact, we are totally nothing apart from Him. That is why, we need Him to take full control of everything of us. So that, the thoughts of our mind, the words of our mouth, the meditation of our heart, in everything we do, we can bring glory and honor to His Name in all of our days. I was struck of the truth that reminds us to put ourselves in the standard of grace and not perfection because it’s only by God’s grace that we’ve been changed, saved, and set free from the bondage of sin.

           "No one can thwart or alter the plan of God."

         I've been through a lot of hardships, joyful moments, challenges, and disappointments in my life---in fact there are still more to come--- that there has never been time that God's plan was not fulfilled. Truthfully, even how hard I tried to do my own thing, still His great will and purpose in me prevails. All throughout my days, He's been faithful in guiding my every steps in His right track. Although we have limited understanding of His plan in our life's story or even in  world's history, He has still show us His ways in order for us to have increase knowledge of who He really is. Probably, some says that they were/did things by their own. But I don't think so. Because what I have realized then and now within that God allows things to happen in our life. Whereby, it just seems that it's our own plan, but it's not. It's just happened so, which it abides in God's will and plan. First and foremost, God is our Creator, in whom we are bound to Him and that includes His plan, will, and/or purposes in life that He has already set before us. Unfortunately, we tend to do our own staff that resulted to disobedience. Bu thankfully, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. In fact, He is willing to save us from eternal damnation wherein He had sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. And that is part of His great redemptive plan in history. So, I've pondered again and again with this thought that even a thousand times we fail to obey His will, but still His mercy remains.