No Excuses

Recently I came to realize that God requires nothing short of complete surrender from us. I did post about this before, but then, I didn't yet understand the depth of the surrender necessary. Even though in that post I denounced the necessity of 'balance' by saying that our every thought should be about God, I had yet to do this in my own life. This blog is about my struggles as well as the good news of God. And to be honest, I have been finding it very difficult to surrender myself completely to God. I kept telling myself that it's okay for me to watch just ONE episode of this show I really liked, that that's not a bad thing. But every time I came to watch my episode, I would feel seriously guilty.

So, I have been praying and asking God to help me come to dislike the things that are not good for me, and to lead me towards a deeper relationship with Him. If there's one thing I've said, it's that God answers prayers. I'm still tempted, no doubt. Every time I open my laptop, I want to go straight to that particular website and watch the shows I love so much. I even go so far as to open the page to go watch. But then, the Holy Spirit speaks to me and warns me off. And I'll be honest, I've blatantly ignored the Spirit before and just did what I wanted to do. But I came to realize how scary that is. I became afraid of the fact that I was capable of hardening my heart to that extent, to drown out the sound of the Spirit speaking to me.

I believe that if my belief in God is true, if I believe truly in His word and His promise of a second coming, then NOTHING else matters. All that really matters is God. The things of this world are all fleeting, if they cannot help me gain salvation, then I should not indulge in them. And sometimes, I make excuses and I say, I can do it tomorrow, just for today I'll indulge and do what I want. But then I also ask myself, 'If God is most important, why would you waste time with other things that have nothing to do with Him? Why not give yourself wholly to Him NOW?' Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

And not just that, but when I think about the love of God, and His sacrifice for me on the cross, it becomes so much easier for me to do His will. When I sit down and really meditate and think about Jesus and what He did, and that He loves me so much no matter what I do, that gives me strength to press on. The least I can do for Him is obey, and try my best to love Him back. The Christian life is truly a daily struggle. Because every day I go through these temptations, and every day there is that possibility of failing. We must ask God for strength every day, and call on Him every time temptation knocks on our door.

"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:12.13

'There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

The Requirements of God

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
With ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
And to walk humbly with your God.

Who is a God like you,
Who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?

You do not stay angry forever,
But delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God.
Your sins have been your downfall!
Take words with you and return to the Lord.
Say to Him:

"Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously,
That we may offer the fruit of our lips."

"I will heal their waywardness and love them freely,
For my anger has turned away from them."

-Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal #814