WE ARE NOT ALONE

There are always going to be times in our lives when we don't admit that we are wrong. I know that there have been times when we leave problems unresolved and don't bother to fix them. There is always a suffering that overwhelms us. We always want to avoid the overwhelming suffering that we can't handle, but then when we finally get free of it, there is this lack of something where even though we have everything it robs us of what we really can do and what we know and we begin to get bored because we have everything. If we don't start to do something about the problems in our lives and fix them, things are just going to get more frustrating and won't work out even if we do have the earthly things. Earthly things do nothing, God says in Matthew 6:19-21 to not store up treasures for yourself on earth but treasures in the Kingdom of God and that where you treasure lies, your heart will also be. See, the suffering that we go through somehow brings us to a point of being honest. Even though we go through so much pain, it has a way of working in us and allowing us to be honest. That's when that empty place inside of us begins to open up where we can tap into the life, energy, and the happiness that God gave to us even though at times it's painful. See, with God we go through struggles but that's how we grow in God!

Lately, i was really having a hard time really trying to get into my own personal devotions and prayer times. I committed to God on January 29th at Penndel Winter Retreat that i would give it all up to get it all back. This committment means so much to me and i felt that God wanted me to give up tv. I'll tell you, it's the hardest thing i've ever done becasue i enjoy watching my favorite tv shows, but at the same time, it is the BEST thing that i've ever done. I find myself being able to give God more time and just soaking in his presence and seeking after him with all that i have.

So, even though we go through struggles and sometimes let problems unfixed, we are not alone! There are other people that go through the same things that we do. As Rob Bell stated, "Know what needs to be taken away to get at the pure essence of what you are trying to create or design." Seriously, how awesome is that statement?! Really think about it. I mean if you know what you need to take out of your life in order to grown cloer God, THEN DO IT! Suffering allows you eliminate the things in your life that need to be eliminated. A lot of us suffer from the same things, people close to us that may have cancer, people close to us who may have an addiction, take realization to the fact that WE ARE NOT ALONE! So many people are going through the same things and what helps us to heal is that exact fact that we are not alone.

So, my challenge is what are you going to give up in order to get closer to God? What struggles are you going to go through in order to get closer to God?