All that Glitters

I love that God allows us to have an intimate relationship with Him...to learn more and more about Him and to be in awe at every new discovery! I feel like that's the best part of this Christianity thing, don't you?  So why do we find ourselves turning from Him in search of all that glitters in the world?  If God's fellowship and friendship is really that much better in our eyes...why do we find ourselves get so deep into the pull of the world?

It's different every time...sometimes I notice the change immediately, in one simple choice I pick the world for my team over my God.  In these moments, it's not so difficult to say "no" and turn back - not losing too much of my relationship with Him along the way.  Other times it's days, weeks, even months before I realize I have been consistently saying "yes" (or "OK" or "just one more time") to the world and "no" to God and before I know it, I look just like the world.  In these cases the realization that I have turned away comes as a much harder truth, it hurts more, it's harder to say "no" to whatever thing has been luring me into the world, and my relationship with God has now suffered.  I am no longer as close to Him as I once was.  I no longer have the same influence for Him among my friends and family.  And Satan has gotten exactly what he wanted.  This is not good.

Praise God for the power of the cross and the mercy of our maker!  We have already won the victory through Christ!  Yes, turning back into the light hurts our eyes at first after following the darkness for some time, but I believe that Light (The Light that is Jesus Christ) is more welcoming and more warming and more healing every time we choose Him!  He rejoices anew to have us back in His arms every time...because each time, it gets harder.

There is so much glitter and glitz in the world that it can sometimes feel like the light, but God gives us the power to see the world for what it is.  And, through consistently choosing God, we are saved from falling head over heels into the world.

Our God pursues us every day...He is always wooing us to His side...He COMPLETES US!  So, even though it may sometimes be harder to choose Him, the pay off is ALWAYS so much better!  Ask Him in the morning to help you make the choices that bring you closer to Him, and He will!  And your whole day will be better for it!