Why We’re On The Planet…

When I was about 7 years old, I asked my Dad some spiritual questions.

While I don’t regret asking, his answers make me wonder where he is right now.

“He who dies with the most toys wins,” he used to tell me.

I had no idea then, and neither did he, how very wrong he was. I deeply hope he was just kidding.

And… for nearly the first decade of my Christian journey, I thought the point of faith was ONLY salvation. I thought the reason we believed what we believed was to not end up in hell at death. And God put up with that superficial and immature understanding from me (how’s that for letting someone think they are wrong?) for nearly a decade. He even let me tell others about Him, with salvation being the primary message.

I just love Isaiah 43:7, as it clearly communicates a significant part and purpose to the Christian message:

⁷Bring everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made. (GW)

The emphasis is mine. The Words are His. And either we choose to believe them, make Him Lord, and then obey His Word, or we don’t.

Free will and all that.

What this means is simple, but not easy.

It means the daily pain that I endure is to be walked through well, because if I don’t, well, He doesn’t get the glory. Oh, and did I mention that I miss peace, joy, and His comfort when I’m trying to do it on my own, or fight the lessons He has for me?

It means that even though my marriage used to be a painful place (for both of us), choosing not to walk through the conflicts and despair with my husband meant that we wouldn’t be on this side now, where I can look back and see what God did. And how much I didn’t know at the time.

I didn’t even know what I didn’t know.

But now I do, and His glory shows up in a relationship restored, renewed, and reborn into a new creation, not one barely patched up and hardly held together, but one that shines a light of hope to others.

“A person without knowledge is no good,” and “A sensible wife is from the Lord.”

I think our sensible knowledge is developed over time. Join me in the pursuit of wisdom as you read Proverbs 19 with us this morning. Dare you to read the passage, and listen to what He has for you – double-dog-dare you to share it with someone or subscribe to the blog via email. J

Privileged to be walking with you!

~Nina