Saturday, January 21, 2006
thoughts (sunday 15th Jan)
There are lots for things we have to face in life that really can take us by surprise, overwhelm us, and make us feel we cannot possibly cope, but God said that he would never give us more than we can bear. It can seem that when your faith is low, everyone else around you seems to have it all sussed; God's really working for them and not for you. I know I've felt that. But I can say with a smile on my face that God is working in every single one of us, whether we recognise it or not! The last time I really gave my testimony was at the congress last year, and I was really struggling to find something positive to say, I was hanging on to my faith as best I could, but only just. I remember thinking at the time, why me? What am I going to say to encourage anyone in this state? I still have no idea why I said yes to doing it but I did anyway, and I remember afterwards speaking to some officers, I didn't even know the couple that well but I was really touched by what they said, maybe that's all God wanted was for me to hear those words? I don't know, God works in ways I don't understand, but I trust him to keep me, and that's enough for me.
Praise is a key part of our lives, not the praise we give when here in our meetings, though that is important, but how we live our lives, for me, God has shown that it doesn't matter what I say up here, it means nothing, if my life does not match it, and that is why I struggled so much to give my testimony at the congress, because I had to be honest, there was no point disguising how I felt, I would have been lying to myself and everyone else, and what kind of faith would that be? Even though I felt that telling people I was struggling was pointless, pretending everything was fine and dandy would have done me no favours, just made me more desperate. Having a faith is by no means easy, and there's no point pretending, that just gives others the false impression that life's a breeze when you're a christian. When those tough times come, we need to know that we will come out the other side, we need to hear that people have gone through what we're going through, it gives us hope, something to hold on to. The tough times are what shape us, and often we need to go through painful times for us to realise how much we need God.
The best way we can praise God is just simply by living our lives for Him, there's no greater testament, through good or bad, just hold on, God has done, is doing, and will do, great things!
I just want to share with you the words of this song, which speak of both reality and hope.
You promised meThat You'd never leaveOr let me goYou promised meThat You'd love me throughThe highs and lowsYou promised meYou won't give me moreThan I can bear You promised meThat when I cry outThat You'd be thereThe shadowlands are what I knowSo I'm hanging on to Your every wordThe shadowlands surround me nowBut You walk with me through the cloud Into the sunInto the sunYou promised meIf I sow in tearsI'll reap in joyYou promised meThat You will breathe lifeInto my soulI know it's trueAll that You sayI believe in You And I am standing onThe promises You've madeYou promised me and I believe
Praise is a key part of our lives, not the praise we give when here in our meetings, though that is important, but how we live our lives, for me, God has shown that it doesn't matter what I say up here, it means nothing, if my life does not match it, and that is why I struggled so much to give my testimony at the congress, because I had to be honest, there was no point disguising how I felt, I would have been lying to myself and everyone else, and what kind of faith would that be? Even though I felt that telling people I was struggling was pointless, pretending everything was fine and dandy would have done me no favours, just made me more desperate. Having a faith is by no means easy, and there's no point pretending, that just gives others the false impression that life's a breeze when you're a christian. When those tough times come, we need to know that we will come out the other side, we need to hear that people have gone through what we're going through, it gives us hope, something to hold on to. The tough times are what shape us, and often we need to go through painful times for us to realise how much we need God.
The best way we can praise God is just simply by living our lives for Him, there's no greater testament, through good or bad, just hold on, God has done, is doing, and will do, great things!
I just want to share with you the words of this song, which speak of both reality and hope.
You promised meThat You'd never leaveOr let me goYou promised meThat You'd love me throughThe highs and lowsYou promised meYou won't give me moreThan I can bear You promised meThat when I cry outThat You'd be thereThe shadowlands are what I knowSo I'm hanging on to Your every wordThe shadowlands surround me nowBut You walk with me through the cloud Into the sunInto the sunYou promised meIf I sow in tearsI'll reap in joyYou promised meThat You will breathe lifeInto my soulI know it's trueAll that You sayI believe in You And I am standing onThe promises You've madeYou promised me and I believe
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