Ponder

[Pat Crockett]

A friend sent me the following in a New Year's greeting - "..the 'WHO' we are following is way more important than the 'WHAT' we are doing for Him". This caused me to think about not only the WHO and the WHAT but also the WHY. What am I motivated by? The answer to that makes all the difference because that will set the HOW. Something to think about, huh?

 

[shipwrecksoul]

Hello Pat,
Welcome to Talk Jesus chat. I pray that u will find friends here and encouragement.
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

 

[RJ]

Welcome to TJ.
If your still searching for answers, especially to things like, Who, What, Why, I'll share something I think God has put in my heart that helped me with this type of wondering:

When I finally realized that "I" couldn't be a Christian, many things came into focus. Does that strike you odd, that I believe in something like that?

I know in my heart that many "Christians' across this world struggle with their faith because they work so hard at "Being A Christian" and turn around feeling empty, that they have, for some reason, failed.

I certainly struggled, until I stopped trying to figure out Who, What, Why, and, especially I stopped trying to be a Christian.
I finally realized that I couldn't be a Christian myself but, what I could do was to, ever increasingly, let Jesus Christ live His life through me. The more that I do that, the more I let God be God, the more I have the peace that he promises. There are many verses that continually remind me of this but, none more than the following:
Ephesians 2
For by grace are ye saved through FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

John 15
5 I am the VINE, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

God wants us to be a vessel, a vine and let His Son do His works through us. If one will just let go and let God, they will see Him working His master plan through them!

 

[Pat Crockett]

Hi, thanks for your response to my thoughts. The questions were more rhetorical than consternation. Over the years I have seen too many folk come apart because they hadn't thought these things through. I say with Paul:
2 Timothy 1:12
For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.