Routine

I've been home over a month now. Time sure goes fast. I'm pretty pleased with how things have gone so far and those I've asked are also pleased with the evident change they see from who I was then to who I am now. My goal has not been to please others, but it is nice to hear that others see a difference.

I'm amazed at how simple but profound Gods word really is. I once heard that the greatest act of faith is obedience to Gods word. So true. I can sum up the transformation that has taken place in my heart in two words: Gods word.

I'm sitting in front of the computer with four different bible translations in front of me but I think The Message says it best.

Romans 12: 1-2 'So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking-around life-and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.'
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Couple things about this passage. The first thing that sticks out to me is 'God helping you'. I can't do it apart from Him. He wants to help, He enjoys helping. He wants to be apart of it ALL. He isn't going to set me up to fail, He will never ask me to do something that He knows I can't do. How reassuring? The second thing I really like, is He tells you what to do and also tells you what you will gain by doing it. It's almost as if He is saying, 'test me, go ahead and try it...see if it works'. He tells me plain as day right in Romans that if I fix my attention on Him I will be changed from the indside out. I am a living, walking, breathing testimony of that.

The important thing here, and the thing that is most pressing on my heart right now is the word routine. Making sure that I'm not just going through the motions with no real meaning behind it. Going through the motions isn't enough. Going through the motions wont produce a lasting change. Going through the motions wont bring me joy. Going through the motions will get tiring. Going through the motions will bring me right back the the place I started.

God has a plan. His plan will continue with or without me. I would hate to sit on the sidelines and watch while I could actually be playing in the morst important game ever and on an all star winning team at that. Being picked for sports in middle school was a tough time for me...the captains always picked the biggest, fastest, strongest person first and then would trickle down from that to whoever is left over. I was usually one of the 'left overs'. Everyone wants to play with the person with the best record. We've got the option of playing on the team of the undefeated champion of the world. There is no match for Him and the best part...He picked us. Not only did He pick us but He made us, so to Him were the best of the best. It honors Him to have us on His team. But even if we don't choose, He is still God and He still wins.

So...Are you in or out? Are you playing or watching? This passage in Romans tells us how to play. Give God your life as an offering...things wont just become routine if I'm activelly allowing Him to be apart of it all.

Come play with me.