How much of our lives beolong to God and to ourselves?

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Permalink Reply by AAG Netguy on July 25, 2008 at 10:09am

Hi Valerie! Great question. A short answer to your question... ALL and EVERY PART of our lives are interesting to and belong to God. He created us for a relationship with himself. God is interested in your thoughts, your dreams, your desires, your work, your spare time, your family... everything. He is the best friend you will ever have. In Jerimiah 31:3 God tells us, "I have loved you with an everlasting love."

In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve and put them in the garden and walked among them. But when they broke God's commandment, mankind started living life independently of God. Jesus came to restore that relationship we had with God in the garden so we can live dependently upon him and interdependently with one another.

Jesus is our model of how to depend on God. He said, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." (John 5:19-20). In other words, Jesus only did what His Father God wanted Him to do.

We learn about God's will for our lives by reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on the Bible. It will tell us what are major things God wants us to do and what to avoid. With God's Word in our hearts, the Holy Spirit can communicate with our spirit to give us specific direction in our daily life. This is called the "Spirit-filled" life; where the Spirit of Jesus is living in us and guiding us.

Permalink Reply by Marsten Chezlof (aka Aurumnius Finesmith) on August 8, 2008 at 11:54am

Greg hits the nail on the head: Jesus "did nothing that [He] did not see the father doing," and we are called to be like Jesus.

Quite simply, this means doing what Paul talked about in Rom. 12: offering ourselves as living sacrifices, not conformed to our culture but open to transformation by the renewing of our mind--through the spirit of God and his Word--that we might know and be able to walk in His perfect will.

This means there is no short path or easy way or one-time event. We only know we are living right by knowing God as a daughter knows her daddy or a wife knows her husband; The closer the relationship, the better the happiness and harmony.

That being said, with all the prophecy of the bible, especially around Jesus, it becomes clear that God is the master of history--and Hebrews, Proverbs, etc. show that God disciplines (that is, creates situations for learning and growth) those whom he loves. Every situation you encounter God allows...but not all are enjoyable; in fact, many are painful, like pruning a tree. However, all of them are there to heal you and make you grow more...like pruning a tree cuts off the sick, dead, and ineffective branches so the good ones will produce more fruit.

So, here it is, long story short...the two questions I ask myself in any new circumstance (usually daily, sometimes more): What opportunity does this give me to know more about God? What opportunity does it give me to be like Him? If you can answer these questions with action, you are indeed on the path of blessing and joy.

Permalink Reply by Ramona P. Jacobsz on September 5, 2008 at 12:46pm

My dearest childofgod1944
You are so wise. God has endowed you with wisdom and knowledge far beyond your years. It is a blessing for an old lady to see a young child develop at such a pace.

I often think of you and I am truly so fond of you. I spoke to my daughter and told her of the young lady who is so blessed with the spirit. Be blessed my darling child and know that I truly love you. You must also be the apple of God's eye!

Stay blessed in Jesus
Fond love
Granny Ramona P.