What if?

I recently had lunch with a friend who was sharing about how the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy and how that is the opposite to the giver of life, Jesus Christ.  I was thinking about how I am a thief.  

John 10:10  

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

During a leadership meeting my boss was sharing that there are over a million words in the English language.  http://www.languagemonitor.com/no-of-words/    She went on to share the top 10 most used words in the English language.  Different polls have the words ranked differently but pretty much all of them has the word “I” in the top 10… if not the top 5.

It got me thinking about my conversation with my friend Don about the thief… and the giver of life.  It got me thinking about how much I say “I” when talking about good things and use God as an afterthought.    

Such as, I was a missionary in the Philippines for 2 years,… and God called me.   I was able to help start an orphanage in the Philippines… and God blessed it.  I am a Vice President at a nonprofit and God opened up that door. 

What if God is not opening and shutting doors?

What if God has the doors wide open offering an abundant life?
  

What if the thief causes me to question and doubt so that my faith is small and I rely only on what I can do?

What if I rob God of His glory on a daily basis talking about myself and not pointing to Him?
   

What if I am going about this the entire wrong way?

And… while I am on this… why am I almost ashamed to talk about God as if He is present and active in my everyday life.  I notice myself saying “not to be all Christian”, or... “not to be all preachy/Biblical”… as if there is something wrong with making a Christian statement, or to act on faith, or to share my convictions and understanding of Who God is and what HE has done and what He is capable of doing. 

Like, living a life of faith is taboo; and talking about Jesus Christ too much or too often, makes you socially awkward or weird... or unaccepted… and if I want to be able to; speak at a church, get a donor, have a friend…. I shouldn’t be too preachy or talk about Jesus too often….. wouldn’t want Him to be a part of the present, everyday life… cause that is just weird and awkward.  He is just someone you pray to about future stuff.  Like healing someone, or helping someone have a good day, or…. You know… like your Wal-mart… just go get what you want when you want it.

 

I am hoping and planning on embracing a life of faith everyday.  A different way of not making decisions or choices based on what I can do and my own power, but on what God through faith can and will do.  To realize that my doubt is a lack of faith and I am being a thief from the One who wants me to have an Abundant Life.  

I need to take the word “I” out of my vocabulary.  Because “I” cannot do anything good apart from God.

Peace, Dustin