Clarity

[Jullianna]

Proverbs 29:18 - Where there is no vision, the people perish...

Being seriously ill for an extended period of time has forced me to slow down and take a good look at things I was either ignoring or didn't have time for in my day to day rush. Not good. It affects clarity. It makes me look at things mostly from my own little corner of the world. It makes me impatient. Impatience leads to frustration. Frustration leads to lack of understanding and concern for others. And it all leads to sin and pain to some degree.

Maybe THIS is why I've been sick. He needed me to be still for a bit. Take a look around. SEE people I'm passing by. Let me actually HEAR their hearts beyond their words/actions. Give me time to see if there is some way I can make a difference rather than wanting people to talk/live/behave/think the way I think they should and allow this to control my own behaviors and thoughtlife. Again...not good... This is not MY planet, it's HIS...and He made us all different because He needs us to serve different purposes while we are here..and likely beyond here.

I'm on the mend now, but I don't want to forget this. Not something I want to have to learn again...

When did God last give you clarity about something?

 

[4evrfree]

I'm on the mend now, but I don't want to forget this. Not something I want to have to learn again...

When did God last give you clarity about something?

So glad you are on the mend!

The last time I felt God was really trying to show me something was several months ago when I decided to take a vacation... I was super excited about my first solo road trip and felt I really needed a break from all the everyday drama.. Turns out the friends and family I visited on my vacation were going through more serious things in their lives.. I found myself in the middle of two different "family feud's" where I was torn between two sides (which is very hard for me because I HATE conflict, and dearly love all four people involved).. while I was on vacation I was also told my sisters baby will not live.. to make a long story short I found in praying for others and focusing on others needs my personal little dramas were not so big after all! I had clarity on what was really important in life and how focusing solely on myself I will only become vain and miserable.

 

[AsifinPassing]

(Super sad face!! Sometimes your <-- Backspace makes the page go back, and then you lose everything you typed!! Y_Y)

Hey Jules! I'm glad to hear the feeling of your awesomeness returning!!

God's actually given me clarity in several things over the course of my life, but the most recent is probably a better (and possibly more profound) understanding of His nature and relationship to our nature and relationship. We are broken. I believe we are sinful and selfish by nature, but I relish the thought of those who believe humans are intrinsically good. Nonetheless, God, who is always (literally ALWAYS) Good, Loving, True, ext, loves, wants, chooses, and uses us!

Seriously! Not a...oh, He'll work on me so He can use me. Or a...Well, I need to get it together to be who He's call me to be. No!! He does work on us, and help us get things together sometimes, but God SERIOUSLY loves and uses you even when you're broken, sinful, at your worst, or whatever the case!! Right NOW!

If you just give yourself to God, try your best to live WITH and IN Him, and leave the plans, future, and present in His hands (not passively, but actively), then He really does "Got it!". No joke!

I've been in ministry for a while, and am currently a youth pastor. I'm sort of a bad one, but nevertheless...God uses me. I want Him to! He called me into ministry around 3 years ago. My father is a minister, and I knew that life. It was the last thing I ever wanted, but God is good and called me to it. Once He did, I realized I was wired for it! It's part of why I was made, and found a similar calling and love of Music.

We struggle in life. We don't know a lot of things. We are confused. We mess things up. We hurt people. We fail. We do a great list of things which shame, become regrets for, and slander us. Despite all of that...no matter who or how or where you are....God still LOVES, WANTS, CHOOSES, and USES YOU!!

It's crazy! Why does God love me?! Why does He want me? How could I be used??

You want answers for those questions. I'll give 'em to you.

...ready?

I don't know...but HE DOES!!!! God IS THE AWESOMEST!!

All you have to do? Just try to love God back. Try to love people the way He does. Try to love yourself the way He does. If you can do this...or at least work toward it...there's no end to the amazing things God will do to, bring from, and bless/build with your life.

 

[Searching4Truth]

It makes me impatient. Impatience leads to frustration. Frustration leads to lack of understanding and concern for others. And it all leads to sin and pain to some degree.

That kinda reminded me of this:

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

 

[Jullianna]

So many dark things begin with a very slow fade, don't they?

Thank you, Lord, for holding onto us

 

[kayem77]

I feel like God's been opening my eyes to certain things lately. I can't really say that some of the things I see now make me happy, but I guess the process of being humbled is not a pleasant one . I'm not the center of the universe and I can't fix everything I don't like. I have discovered that I can disguise some of my attitudes as something good when in reality they are just pride.

P.S. I'm glad you are feeling better!

 

[Jullianna]

Thank you, kayem. I have to admit it has been a very humbling experience indeed. But it has been awesome as well.

Being able to see the good and bad in myself more clearly, HIS direction for my life more clearly, and seeing others more clearly, both the good I couldn't see and the bad I didn't want to see. It has called me to pray far more often. Being brought to one's knees is very cool. God does great work while we're there. I plan to be there a lot more often.