Sometimes I enjoy going for walks.. Whether I am walking just to process or walking to a friend's house. It is nice. Also, I am cheap so I would rather walk than drive. But that is another blog in itself..
But as I walked a couple of weeks back I saw an absolutely beautiful Texas sunset! (Although I am pretty positive it set in other places too..) I have seen some great sunsets lately and every time I have this weird tug to pull out my phone and snap a picture. Fighting this urge is really strange to me and pretty sad that we can't really enjoy anything, without trying to "capture the moment"... I took a social media break for October and it really helped me step back and see this addiction to posting poor quality photos of nothing. I mean we snap pictures of food, dogs, pumpkins, whatever it may be! I am not saying this is bad, but it just makes pictures meaningless. So what does this do to us? Where is the art? I love looking at old photos. Maybe of towns, or people, or nature. It is beautiful, right? We used to have film and disposable cameras that only gave us a select number of photos. (Yes, middle schoolers this is real.. Google it! Or ask Siri.) So the pictures we did take, took thought and they were special. Now we have gigabytes of pretty much nothing.. I think at times this is how we feel. There are so many people and maybe we are just another poor quality photo. Oh man, if you only knew how special you are!! Keep reading or skip to the bottom and I will tell you:) Like it. Would you have an Instagram if you didn't receive likes? Would you post pictures if you didn't have followers..? I mean really, ask yourself. Honestly I probably wouldn't.. To me this is sad. I mean it is called insta..gram.. So it is literally instant. Snap a picture and post.. No thought. No real meaning. At times I can post a picture and get a good amount of "likes". But if you search Instagram there are pictures of cheese that probably have more likes than a picture of me.. The amount of your "likes" or "followers" you have does not even put a dent in how much our Father loves you! SIDE NOTE: Jesus only had 12 followers... Valencia.. No.. Maybe Lo-Fi.? With every picture we then must choose the perfect filter right? I get it.. It is fun and it makes us feel like we are talented photographers. One of the things that kept me from snapping pictures of the sunset was that my phone can't capture that beauty. Have you ever looked back at pictures. Places, people, and moments and so much better than what the lens captures. You are far greater than an iPhone quality photo. Better than a professional photo actually. "For we are God's Masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:10 You hear that.. You. Yes, you! Are a masterpiece. Do you know what that means? Masterpiece: "an artist's or craftsman's best piece of work." You see a masterpiece takes agonizing hours and delicate work. An artist will literally just work and work, erase and redo, chisel and chisel.. When the work is done the piece of art is usually a reflection of that artist. That is who we are through Jesus! Have you ever noticed that all art is usually a copy? I mean we have paintings and pictures of sunsets, people, and nature. Those are all created things by God. The ultimate artist! And we are his masterpiece?? Wow! My prayer is that today you can feel that. You are God's greatest work. The person that cut you off in your car, God's greatest work. Your boss, God's greatest work.. Love you guys! I pray y'all can go out there and treat people for who they are... God's masterpiece!
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If you knew me a couple of years back you would have probably seen me as one thing. A basketball player. I mean it was pretty much who I was. My time was all focused at that one avenue and I even put my hopes in it. You know at times I truly miss it. But more than the conditioning, and games, and cool socks. I miss my brothers.
It is so interesting to look back to my freshman year of High School. We had 30 guys who attempted to play basketball! From that time to senior year only 2 guys from my class made it! 2! That is just crazy to me. But, regardless by the time Junior and Senior year came around, I was on a team. Junior year it was me and 11 Seniors. The following year it was me, and not 11 Seniors... But if you just look at the two teams we had, they were so vastly different. One was full of experience, and unfortunately my Senior year was a "rebuilding year". Both years were so fun though. I believe that sometimes life changes things get altered but we often have the same strengths and play the same position. As I flipped to Romans 12 this morning I was reminded that we ALL have different gifts and talents that are all for the same purpose, glorifying God. In this book I can just see Paul pumping people up.
On my basketball teams we were all different. Some were fast, some were strong, some could shoot, some couldn't.. I mean at times I think we all look at our weaknesses and forget, "Oh yeah, I am pretty dang good at serving." These gifts that Paul throws out there, are pretty often overlooked.. In basketball I was not quick. Im a tall dude, but I could not get those long legs going. I knew that. I learned it pretty early on. But, you know what I am? I am a smart dude. I knew the game of basketball and I knew the positions to go to before other people would. So to beat my lack of quickness I would get to those spots first. Just because you're an awful teacher, or you hate giving.. Does not exclude you for displaying your set gifts! We are so different. And that is good! So often in our world we try to blend or try to fit in with other peoples gifts. No No No! I was a pretty good shooter.. You know I could shoot that orange round thing through the other orange round thing.. But I couldn't do that without someone to pass me the ball, or someone to dribble down the court.. Or without someone making an amazing defensive play on the other end.. My prayer today is that you see your gift.. Or if you don't know, seek God. Ask Him to show you. Maybe ask some trusted people in your life. But, I hope you leave here encouraged. As we all pursue God we need each other. If I am a teacher I need some encouragement, or some kindness. These gifts go together so well.. Want to know why? That is how God designed them.. Get out there! Speak with faith! Serve well! Teach well! Encourage! Give generously! Take your role seriously! Be kind! Don't forget though.. Even teachers need to be taught. Leaders must be lead. Givers can't always pour out. And encouragers need encouragement too.. All our gifts are needed! Love you guys! So yesterday was a really good day! I traveled back home from Denton and then went straight to the high school youth group I help out with. Things were good. I was even wearing one of my favorite pair of pants!! Things were great!
And then came game time. We played dodgeball and I was just running around screaming and dodging. Then came the most athletic move ever, I slid for a ball then jumped up and got someone out. Right after this amazing victory I was then hit straight in the back.... I was out. As I walked off I looked down to brush off my pants.. But my pants had a new hole right across the knee. And I can't even pull it off as a fashionable thing.. These pants are done. So I walked around the remainder of the night in a shameful and regretful state. My mind raced with... "Man, grow up.. Your dodgeball days are over..", "Why did I have to slide.", "I liked these pants." I know this may all sound ridiculous but it was distracting. It just reminded me that we have an enemy. Who will use everything he can to distract us and get our eyes off God.. I also believe that at times our lives are a whole lot like ripped pants. The Rip. You know I slid and that was the moment. As many times as I replayed it in my head I knew that was the moment of the rip. There are times in our lives where we can look back and see the "rips" in our story. Maybe we slipped up with sexual temptation, with alcohol, or we hurt a friend, or just made decisions that hurt us and others. We have all been ripped and also ripped others. It is bound to happen. But, we don't have to sit and focus on these moments. The Shame. I am a 20 year old man. Pride is a constant fight. Whether I want it or not. So my pants ripped and even though it wasn't in an "embarrassing area", it was still not fun. I could just imagine the laughs and the pointing at my ripped pants. I was shameful. In life we make choices some good some bad. At times we turn from God and we let the enemy convince us that we can make this decision. Ya know, pants don't usually last. And in the same way we aren't made for this world. At times we choose worldly things to replace or trust in God. After we go after our "fix" we feel shame. We want to hide. Hide or faces. Cover up with fig leaves and hide amongst the trees. In Genesis, Adam and Eve believe the enemy and turn from their trust in God. I know as I read this I always cringe and hope they don't take the bite. But they do. Every time! It is written and it is how it must be. But after their eyes are opened. They immediately feel shame!! They cover up and run. Can you imagine the fear.. The shame? You know what God does? "But the LORD God called to the man, 'Where are you?'" (Genesis 3). God called to them. It may just be me.. But I think God knew exactly where they were. The call. God calls out. Regardless of the rip that they made. He knows they touched the tree and even ate the fruit. He knows they hide and turn from Him. But our loving God makes up the difference and pursues them. God knows we have fallen. He sees us and it doesn't change His love for us. We all fall. We have, we are falling, and we will again. In a way.. Isn't it nice that we don't have to be perfect. The pressure is gone. Jesus took on all of our rips and healed them. Not only did He repair our falls and sins. He made the ultimate rip, and ripped the veil that separated us from God. He made a way for us to be so close to God and to be in communication with Him always. So if you're walking in shame and guilt right now, I pray that your eyes will be opened to the amazing love and grace that only comes through Jesus. He is calling out to you. He isn't mad. God is not out to get you for your slips. Be open to God and feel the peace wash over you. If anyone here is feeling down or just stuck please don't hesitate to reach out. You can email me ([email protected]) or Facebook message me. Even call me or shoot me a text if you need prayer or just someone to talk to. (512-971-1166) "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." Romans 8: 1-2 You are free. Your debt is paid. Go! There is ALWAYS something going on. We have work, the kids have practices, homework, or just chores around the house. In between that we have conversations and we "must" check Facebook.. Right? As it turns out even our days off of work are filled with errands and things to get done. I have come to realize that as a culture, we are driving ourselves to exhaustion..
I have something to say that you may enjoy.. It is okay to nap. As I travel and live day to day life I have figured out that my biggest temptations always seem to attack when I am indeed tired. Whether we get irritable and angry when we are tired or become full of lust I want you to know there is a way out.
There comes a time where it is okay to turn off and rest. Go towards the only one who can bring you true refreshing.
We run and run and eventually "run out". I urge you to just reflect and see what you spend your time on.. Is it worth it? Does it bring life into your walk? Recharge in God and continue to seek Him through prayer, community, and His word.
God has brought you here today. Right here. We all are walking through different things but God calls us all to the same thing. Lean in to Him and believe. Faith can move mountains and I believe that same faith can take your addiction to porn, your hate in your heart, it can heal those scars, and it can renew you! My prayer today is that you can be refreshed, recharged, and renewed only through God. He is the only one who can truly promise these in our lives. So I pray as we walk through life we won't forget to rest. It's a walk not a sprint. God has big things for you, and He can't fully do it if you are exhausted all the time. "6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4: 6-7 Don't worry. Pray about everything! And the peace of God, which is better than knowing everything. Will what? That is right, guard your heart and your mind! I don't know about you.. But I want that. Let's go get it! "2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:2 I would say just about everyday I get in my car and go for a ride. Most of the time I am heading somewhere whether it be youth group, or a meeting, or simply going to see someone. I drive most days. Okay, so another thing is that when I am driving I am most likely thinking. I think a lot and I believe that is a good thing!
As I drive I think about life and all different types of things. But, today I started to think about my rearview mirrors. I mean we usually glance at these, but we probably never truly acknowledge them. They are so crucial to our driving yet we honestly never consider them. So what does this mean? Well I don't think I am alone when I say that our pasts come up from time to time. Whether it was a victory, a fall, a funny moment, or just a memory. The person we are right now is because of yesterday. At times our past creeps into our present.. And honestly it sucks! So mirrors. Our past. And living for Jesus. How do these connect? Well I am glad you asked!! (Most of you can probably already figure out where I am going.. But stick with me.) What is a mirror for? Mirrors help us see ourselves, or if they are in our cars they warn us for cars behind us. So they help us see things in different views that we normally wouldn't see. In the car we can look back and see cars coming and if used correctly the mirror should help us avoid a wreck. That is our past!! We should be able to glance back and see situations or things we have done and apply them to our choices and avoid crashing into the same mistakes down the road. Don't stare! These awesome tools on our car are a huge help. I drive a 1995 BMW and as awesome as that sounds, this car has... Lets just call it "character". Yeah character. So it has its problems and all that great stuff. About once a year my rear view mirror will decide to jump off my windshield. I will then have to drive with no mirror until I get more super glue. It makes for a different kind of driving experience and it is difficult at times. Without my mirror to look into I can't see certain approaching cars or things behind me. It takes away a view that I need. I think at times there are plenty of choices that we would rather forget. We just choose not to acknowledge them or bring them to the light. This can be dangerous. I understand there are things we would like to forget. But to only forget them and take the mirror down can lead to wrecks. Objects in mirror are closer. If you actually look at your mirrors on your car they have that warning. Even though we use them to see behind us the view is still distorted. The cars passing are closer and at times it is hard to judge. Our past will pop into our heads and usually it is something you wish you didn't remember. But I want to encourage you in the fact that it is behind you. Even if it happened ten minutes ago. At times our past creeps up and our enemy tries to bring us down with our past. My prayer is that if you are here today you can experience the renewing grace that God has in store for you through Jesus. Your past may be dark or it may be awesome! I have no clue where you're coming from today but I want you to know that Jesus is in the business of redeeming. I know at times our past haunts us and I want you to know that objects in the past may seem closer than they appear. But Jesus has already forgiven you and is waiting for you to come to Him. If you are down. Get up. We aren't tied to sin any longer. Jesus has forgiven us and wants us to experience the true freedom and joy that comes through Him. "We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin." Romans 6:6 We are no longer slaves to sin! Get up and go! A couple of years back I was talking to a man who has had great influence in my life. At the time he was in youth ministry and I think he was just pouring some wisdom into me at the time. But he shared a nugget of advice that was hard for me to take at the time. He was explaining that when he and his wife found themselves in youth ministry they had to stop being sarcastic.. At first I was honestly almost offended.. How can one be funny without sarcasm, I thought!? See if you have known me for any amount of years you will know that I have changed a whole lot.. Or rather, Jesus has transformed my life! (And He is far from being done) See at the time I was offended by this advice because, well I was a very sarcastic person. In a definition of the word "sarcasm" from dictionary.com it has words like "sneering" or even "cutting". From the Greek roots it literally goes back to being "to strip off the flesh". I don't know about you, but to me that sucks.. This was honestly probably one of the toughest things for me to walk through, so far. You may be reading this thinking I am crazy, because it seems harmless. But I would like to walk through this with you and maybe evaluate it from a different scope. Lets go! 1. Build! Don't cut. Encouragement is such a HUGE deal in my life. I love dishing it out and just truly making people smile. Call me crazy, I know. But a couple of months back I worked retail with my good friend Ford! Me and this dude have roots dating back to kindergarten, I could go all day how great he is.. But that is beside the point. You see Ford and I share a heart for building, so we attempted to go around and encourage people at work and love on 'em. You know what we received? Laughs and weird looks. That is terrifying. Ford and I realized that our world has become so cynical and cutting that we do not know how to receive encouragement. As Christians we should look at our brothers and sisters and be devastated by this. We need to encourage and build each other up. I know it doesn't seem like much. But it could change your work, your school, YOUR FAMILY. Oh man.. I get teary eyed just imaging this. 2. Image bearers. "How you treat the creation reflects how you feel about the creator." I read this recently and it hit me hard. We are all made in the image of our loving God, whether that person acknowledges that or not. It is true for every single human. So saying that we are all image bearers, and yet we continue to "cut" and "mock". Who does God say we are? God is love and we can never fully comprehend how much He does love us. But man, every single person around you was made in His image!! See that and act like it. 3. Widen the scope. We honestly have no idea what each other is currently walking through. I mean we may have an idea but we never fully know. People have insecurities, past hurts, new wounds and when we sarcastically say something you have no clue how they will take it. Even innocent and harmless jokes could really rock someone. I would like us to just take the "funny" thoughts captive and pause for a second longer to analyze. Now saying all of this, I know that reducing these cutting comments isn't the key to all things. But as I travel from church to church and meet countless new people. I have witnessed the scars from these "jokes" and have seen church leaders buying into these comments. It breaks my heart.. "So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11 It says to encourage! And to build each other up.. Let that soak for a bit. How can we do these things right now? There are so many possibilities to love and to show Christ through our words! I know this won't be an immediate switch, or if you even agree with this. But my prayer is that is sticks somewhere. As I have distanced myself from sarcasm I look at it with a sadness. I don't know if we say it as a way to escape from our own insecurities or what, but I pray that we can truly build others up. It truly does seem harmless, but it's not. We live in a visual culture, to say the least . I mean, "seeing is believing" and we are simply obsessed with image. With this idea we have then brought sex to the forefront of images and have tried our hardest to twist it and distort the original intent of sex.
25% of internet searches are for pornography. That is 1 in 4!! This is our world.. The sad thing is you don't even have to search for it to be exposed to it. Men, women, children, divorced, single, or even married are all stuck in this addiction. I was about 10 years old when friends introduced me to these images. It took hold of me and slipped lies and false ideas into my everyday life. After struggling with this addiction for years I hope that I can shed light into this darkness and expose it for the disease it is. Lets expose some of the lies that are tied to pornography. "It isn't real, so I am okay.." As you look at pornography and give into this industry you are only feeding it. The lies slip in and it messes with your head. This is a real woman, or a real human being on the other side of the screen. Somehow they found themselves in this "business" (if you can even call it that). Just because pornography is through a screen doesn't mean your mind doesn't connect to it. You are literally training your body for fake sex and a fake relationship that only takes and never gives back. "No one will ever know.." For many years I lived a double life. I went to church but was also drowning in this addiction. When I was struggling with pornography it made me a different person. I was distant, angry, and I had a very low self confidence. It stole my true joy.. It ruined my relationships and friendships with people I loved and it turned me into a VERY selfish and sick person.. Lies filled my head and I had very distorted and false view on sex. "I can stop whenever I want." For years I actually believed this, until I tried to stop. The truth is I am very weak and this addiction had flooded my mind. The enemy literally convinces you that your addiction is not an addiction.. Whatever you call it, it is stealing away a true life of happiness and joy. (Side note): It is stealing your creativity! You waste countless hours on these sites. It slowly ticks away the days and like a thief takes precious moments that could be spent on better paths. If you struggle with lust or pornography then I hope you are to the point that I was at. I was fed up and angry at the way I was living and truly just tired in my sin. And if you are reading this but don't struggle with it then that is truly amazing! I pray that you never experience it. These are some steps that helped me wake up and get away from this lifestyle. 1. Speak! This is a very dark and usually isolated sin. By that I mean we isolate and this struggle is usually a hidden one. I found true freedom in this fight when I started to speak out. I reached out to men who I love so I could be real with them. You know what I learned? It is such a common struggle! (But there is no justifying the sin) It just shocked me that so many good men have fallen into this, but have also been VICTORIOUS! So reach out and find someone to speak to about it. I encourage men to speak to men, and ladies go find some awesome women! 2. RUN for your life!! 2 Timothy 2:22 spoke into my life. "Flee from the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." The first word in this verse is FLEE. I don't know about you but when I hear flee I hear action taking place. I don't hear "sit there for 5 more minutes and see where your searching ends up." NO! Get up and run for your life. 3. Pray. You know, God could have easily taken this struggle away. Because He is able. But He is also our loving Father who doesn't want to just hand us everything. He wants us to fight and to work through things together. For me it took me getting down on my knees and literally saying, "God, I can't stop. I can't, but you can." You know it is hard to fight alone but if we seek God through everything it gets better! He is there with you, just reach out! 4. Captivate the mind. Take every single thought captive. Don't let your mind wander down dark paths. When the sin comes tugging at you wanting you to give in, DON'T! Take that thought captive and know that is not of God. For me it took me physically speaking out loud saying "get behind me satan." It may sound crazy but it helped! It is not an easy battle at all. But I hope it becomes an easy decision.. Someone once asked me "you know what is better than porn?" He then told me in the most serious tone "righteousness." And he is right! Pornography attempts to divorce sex from marriage. Our culture is taking sex out of commitment. Pornography tries to pull you in and rip you away. Do you truly want this screen, or do you want to love your family, your spouse, your friends, and those around you the way they deserve. I am praying for your battle and your walk. If you have any questions please do no hesitate at all to reach out. The link to my Facebook page is at the top and my email is [email protected] I love you guys! And I believe in you and I know you can quit because I know the God in you! Get up! "Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God." Romans 8:12-14 I want to let you in on a secret about me! Well if you know me it is pretty well known and actually not as exciting.. But regardless here it is. I love sweets! All kinds! Cookies, brownies, cakes, cookies, chocolates, and cookies! No matter how much I eat or what I have done throughout the day I always have room for dessert.
As I was thinking about this I realized something about myself. I could be eating the most wonderful meal, and yet I am thinking about dessert.. Okay so maybe that's not you but I guarantee a good amount of us always look forward to Friday or Saturday.. Why is that?! No matter how good things are we always look for what is coming next. It isn't bad to have an idea of our future or to have goals but I think it is dangerous if we are always looking for the next step when you're walking through something else. As I have stated before I travel with a worship minister and I just love it! Tyler Murphy is just an awesome dude and I am truly blessed to be partnering with him in ministry! But even with these experiences sometimes I find myself worrying about the future or what is next..I understand that I might not travel with Tyler for the rest of my life, but what if I did? Why is it that when God is using me and opening doors and really guiding me I still fear and look for the future.. "Be here." I constantly have to remind myself of this truth.. I always have to bring myself to the Lord and just rejoice in all the blessings I have now. Too often I look forward for things that I don't need to know about. I need to live for Wednesday and I shall enjoy the entree. I once heard a speaker say "God's word is a lamp to our feet, not a flashlight to our future." How true is that?! God has us in the perfect spot. He has placed us here with our gifts and abilities exactly for today. "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." "Everything is awesome. Everything is cool when you're part of a team." For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, the quote is from one of the best movies ever! I mean this movie is full of action, creativity, missing pants, Batman, and teamwork! It is from The Lego movie and no matter what age you are I recommend seeing this classic!
For those of you who have seen this movie, you might be sitting there thinking I am being sarcastic. Well let me tell you.. I am not. So there. But, for real, that song is super catchy and I am almost 83% sure no one truly knows any lyrics besides that part. But who cares that is all you need to truly know about it. Within these past couple of years I lost my community. It wasn't anything I did on purpose or intended to do. I mean, I got busy and traveled and lost my friends. And I don't blame them for giving up on our friendship. But you know what I learned? Living out of community is exhausting and extremely lonely.. Community is extremely awesome... and biblical. First off God is a God of community. The Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) has lived in perfect unity since.. forever! In Genesis 1, God created Adam and in verse 18 says, "It is not good for the man to be alone.." Jesus, in His ministry always traveled with His bros and they had an awesome community! Well you might be saying , "Andrew, that is good stuff, but I am divorced and no one gets it." Or "I am just too busy to go out of my way and spend time with other... people." Or "I am plugged into a community but it is more work than any reward." Well let me just state maybe some steps to take, and what that might take. 1. Pray. It seems extremely cliche.. Well yeah. That's because I know in my life I often have things that I feel I need to pray about and I don't wholeheartedly do it.. If you feel alone, or stuck, or just like you don't have a place I would like to encourage you to spend some time at the Lord's feet. Pour out to Him, but don't run off too quick. Sit and listen. 2. Seek. This goes right along with prayer. ACTUALLY LOOK. And when you get tired of looking, keep looking. Reach out. Talk to people. (I know such a crazy idea, right?) If you are plugged into a church look and see if they have a home group or some kind of community that fits what you're looking for. 3. Persevere. It will be hard. You are going to have to be out there and open. Yes, you might even have to go to a group where no one knows you and meet new people. But I cannot stress enough how awesome this could be! I would also like to challenge you to keep going back to a community if you have no real reasons to leave. It may not be the group that is off it may be a root issue in your heart and it might take a great group to help you through it. You know, I really hope I am not just speaking at you.. Because if anything I need this too. Community is a very crucial part of our walk where you can get new insight and even hear completely new ideas. If you are in a community but you're in a leadership roll I would really like to make sure that you're being poured into just as much from a different avenue. My prayer is that you find a good team. There is a team out there who needs your specific gifts and ideas. I pray for the strength in your life to be open and get out there. About a year ago I had this crazy thought and I think it ties in with this.. So we are created in God's image right? So that should make you extremely excited to get out there and meet new people. Because it is like every time you meet someone you are seeing and experiencing new characteristics of God. "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20 I think it is safe to say that our culture is VERY distracted. We live in a fast pace place with things constantly going on and or phones continuously buzzing. There are kids to take to practice, dishes to clean, Netflix shows to watch, and most importantly Facebook profiles to scroll through. It is a struggle to have a quite time without the endless tug of something else to do. In my life these distractions have become very dangerous.. It has put a choke hold around my prayer life and tried to severe my connection with God. It is extremely frustrating and I think there are steps that need to be taken. 1. Step back. Seems simple enough.. until you try it. When was the last time you sat still for 5 minutes and did nothing and you weren't haunted by all the things that "need" to be done? IT'S HARD! I just tried and maybe made it 38 seconds. That is scary to me. Okay, so breathe, and step back and evaluate what your distractions are. If your distractions include social media, your phone buzzing, and binge watching I think you'll enjoy the next step. 2. Turn off. At times this is impossible and I get that but maybe just 10 minutes? Put your phone on silent or do not disturb mode. Turn off the TV. Close the laptop. And be with God. Read His word or just pray to Him. Or just sit in His presence. 3. Plug in. I recently was at a restaurant where I saw a family of 4 not even looking at each other. They sat there on their phones. It broke my heart. Instead of plugging into Facebook and scrolling through your newsfeed plug in to those around you. Maybe even give up social media for a while.. (It won't miss you, I promise.) Our world has lost a sense of true community and the internet is not going to give you that.. Put down the phone or whatever new tablet is out there and see the faces in front of you. Reach out and go towards real conversation. See people where they are and love them! My prayer is that we can limit our distractions and be with God. I know in my life if I look at the distractions around me, I will then see what my heart's desires are.. Is it to honor God, or to scroll through countless news feeds and figure out what Beyonce named her new puppy.. It is time to push aside these things that truly do not matter and live a present life where I am, and constantly be in prayer. |
AuthorMy name is Andrew Berry! I am just living my life chasing after Jesus and trying to point others to Him. Archives
January 2017
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