there are a lot of people who talk a lot about what they want to do or who they are and what they stand for. i am one of those people.

i suppose i have a desire for people to think well of me. the problem with this is that i am often an idealist, what i say isn’t really what is actual. its not that i am lying, but if i am saying one thing and i know inside me that i’m not really living and being what i say than i am self deceived. i’m sure that i have also led many to believe that i am a good person and that i have it together.

i was reminded of something the other day after reading James 1:22-24:

“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in the mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.”

if there is anything that is admirable or good in me it is Jesus Christ. so there are a few things that i must remember in order that i might truly live.

1. God is in control…always…which means he does what he wants.

2. Jesus is the driving force behind everything, his life, death and resurrection completely changed history and has the power to change any life.

3. apart from Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit in me, i am powerless to live life the way God intended.

4. i need the community and encouragement of the local church in order to stay on the path to God. (this is a tangible way of seeing Christ on earth)

5. the mission that Jesus began and is still accomplishing is meant to be carried on through those who he has redeemed. (this is not because he needs us but because he has   chosen us, it is our privelage.)

because i am now aware of these things, my life will never be the same. every day God is killing the parts of me which live for anything other than these things. he does this because he loves me and he desires my greatest joy. i don’t always cooperate with this process which makes it harder, however, he continues to remind me that he knows what is best and that he has been the only faithful and consistent thing from the beginning.

i will fail and people will fail me, often. the important thing is that i keep my hope in Jesus and throughout a lifetime trust and obey him, this is the key to real joy (some may call it happiness).