Another Me

I've realized lately how often I say the word "I". Check it out. Three times in a sentence that has only 10 words. For quite a while I've been more aware of my self-absorbedness and wanted to do something about it but really lacked the knowledge of what to do. Or maybe I just got lazy when it came to implementing action for change. Bottom line, I'm on a quest to become less focused on me, on my desires, my dreams, my thoughts, my feelings, my situation.....whatever the case may be. I have been incredibly blessed in this life and it is time to start giving God the praise He deserves. So often I look to him for help in guidance and in doing so, I look straight past who he is and focus solely on my problem and what benefit I can gain from Him. And honestly, that's crap. We're called to seek FIRST His kingdom....not His guidance, His help, His favor, etc. To simply seek HIM is all we're called to do.

SO.... that being said, I'm on a quest to give Him the proper praise He is due. Yes...the Lord desires us to come to Him with our requests and desires, but first and foremost, we must KNOW Him. Imagine a friend always coming to you saying, "I want this. I think you should do this differently. Would you please do this for me? I want you to make sure this never happens again. This is your fault. Would you please fix this?" And perhaps I made that quote too cordial for the way we approach God. To truly HAVE a friend is to truly BE a friend. And I'm not saying that God's love is conditional because it most certainly is not. What I am saying is that I have been entirely too selfish and self-centered in my relationship with the Lord that I have completely forsaken my first love. And that is something I intend to change by simply giving Him praise. Finding out new ways to love and bless Him. And for the times I simply feel like complaining for whatever reason, I will just turn to Psalm 100, specifically verse 5. That alone is reason to Praise God.

So all that just to say what I want. I want to hear cool things God has done / is doing in your life. A way we can be reminded of God's LOVE and FAITHFULNESS is to hear of His works in the lives of others. My challenge to you is to come up with 5 simple reasons why the Lord is worthy of your praise. And then I want to hear it. Either leave a comment or e-mail me. The Lord is good; let us give Him the praise He deserves.

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:14-21