My Journey on His Path ...

I was asked to share at church this morning a bit about my story, in actuality His story, over the past few years of my journey with Him. When I began to reflect back, a lot indeed has changed. However most significantly has been the journey from the God of my head, to the God of my heart. Taking what I know about Him intellectually, and letting Him penetrate my heart.

For me, this transformation began with my acceptance of His Word, The Bible, for what it is; Truth. It was then that Romans 12:2, that transformation by the renewal of my mind, began. While that journey to accept His Word as Truth is a multi-hour conversation over coffee just to get started, what I can easily say is that you don't have to drop your intellect at the foot of the door before grabbing on to His word as truth. In fact, it's His Word that completes knowledge. But that's for an other entry ...

Once I began to accept Him at His Word, one thing that has, and continues to resonate strongly with me is how Holy He is. While I will never know the full extent of His holiness until meet Christ face to face, what I do know is that He is indeed Holy. He is worthy of my complete devotion and all my worship.

I remember reading R.C. Sproul one time about how God says in Scripture that He is Love, Mercy, and Justice. Yet He doesn't refer to Himself in Scripture as Love Love Love, or Mercy Mercy Mercy, or Justice Justice Justice (that repetitive pattern we sometimes see for emphasis). However He does say He is Holy, Holy, Holy.

I draw breath because He lets me.

Immediately then it's not about me anymore, it's about Him. I see that I can enjoy my blessings, but now I'm a steward of those things; because they're not mine, they're His.

It's these two things; accepting the Bible as Truth, and recognizing His holiness; that pushed me into my journey that I am at now, and that is learning a life of obedience. (note 'learning', not mastered!)

About a year ago I began to pray about ways to serve my church aside from just financial support through tithing. He opened that door as I was asked to serve on the core team to the Men's Ministry at my church. He knew that I was lacking in one fundamental area of my faith, and that was discipleship. You see while the Men's Ministry does indeed have 'events', it's not an event driven ministry. It's about creating relationships with the men at Grace Community Church. We all should have a Paul pouring into us, and we should all have a Timothy to pour into. As men we want to be tough, and want to do life on our own, but that's not how we were created. Proverbs 27:17 says that as iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another; that's how we were created; to do this life together.

I began to grow even more as he pushed me into other areas outside my comfort zone with more 'everyday' acts of obedience. Praying over someone for the first time. Engaging in a conversation with a man at the church that I didn't know. Seeing an opportunity to share Christ with someone at work for the first time. Looking at my kids in the eyes and telling them I'm sorry when I misrepresent Jesus Christ in my role as a father. Pulling myself away to pray when I think I'm too busy. Not being embarrassed to pray in public. The list could go on, and these things are not natural for me. However they do get easier, the blessings continue to pour out, and they allow me to be used for His Kingdom.

Another way I began to journey was when I began to journal. I quickly realized that pen and paper weren't for me and I started this blog here on Blogspot. I love writing, and it's a great way for me to journal and share at the same time. I don't blog to preach, I blog to share. Much of what I write about are my own struggles. Let me say that there is not a greater feeling on earth than being used by Him. When I get an email, or someone talks to me and says how something I wrote touched them, it's quite powerful. Perhaps they struggled with something similar, or perhaps they were praying and something God put on my heart related to their journey and spoke to them as well, but whatever the case I give Him all the honor and glory. It's an incredible thing to be used personally by the God who spoke the universe into existence! If that isn't humbling I don't know what is!

So where do I go from here? I don't know, but I know He does. I just pray that I have the courage to obey when I hear Him calling next. I sometimes think about my qualifications and strengths when imagining where He wants me to go next on my journey. However I often remember a quote that stops all that pondering and anticipation:

"God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called."

May we all be open to His call for our lives. We serve an amazing, and Holy Holy Holy, God.

God loves you, and so do I
~Matthew