More Than A Job

All Christians work

for the same employer.

George Herbert was a gifted 17th century English poet. At one point in his life he wasn't sure he wanted to do what God wanted him to do. Being the pastor of the church didn't appeal to him, even though he sensed that God was directing him to that vocation. He hesitated because he felt that he would have to give up too much.

After a time of rebellious struggle, he came to realize that submitting to Christ's lordship is the way out of self-centered bondage and opens the door to authentic freedom and fulfillment. He also came to realize that serving the Savior does not usually entail heroic martyrdom. Rather, it is the willing and worshipful performance of the most menial tasks for His glory.

Many of God's people are troubled because they can't give themselves to what is called "fulltime ministry." All of us, though, whatever our vocation - accounting, farming, nursing, homemaking, or something else - need to recognize that we are always to work  for the Lord. In Colossians 3:23 we read, "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men."

Any job will take on greater  significance if we consciously do our work for the Lord. -VCG

Everyone Has A Purpose

Mother Nature is God's own hands,
And protecting the "Cycle of Life" is for us to bind.

One time, I was waiting to watch a movie "Surrogates" which starred Bruce Willis when I noticed a peep ad with a trivia saying that eighty percent of the trees in the mountains were unconsciously being planted by the squirrels who hide nuts under the soil and couldn't find them when they needed it.

Then I suddenly remembered that Mother Nature was being taken cared of by God. He always see to it that everything is in optimal balance. And that everything that we can see around us has it's own purpose.

Even the stones we see serves as a boulder against high winds and can be tiered and be made into an edifice that can protect us against our enemies or can give us shelter. God is always good to Mother Earth and that everything on it directly and indirectly lives symbiotically to celebrate the meaning of life so that everything and everybody will live in harmony.

The squirrel in the trivia was been tasked to protect nature by planting nuts so that our Mother Nature can continue it's process of reproducing and expanding plant life.

And God also gave us the purpose to protect them and not harm everything that participates and contributes in the continuity of life's cycle. For if we break the "Cycle of Life" our future will be in chaos and our children's children will not benefit from it. -AAP

Enough For Today

God supplies all our needs .....

one day at a time.

Life can be monotonous. The road that lies before us seems to stretch mile after mile across a flat, barren desert with no oasis in sight. How then are we to handle wearisome responsibilities when there's no forseeable relief from our burdens?

Oliver de Vinck, severely disabled from birth, lay helplessly on his bed for all of his 32 years, unable to care for himself. Day after day and year after year his parents put every spoonful of food into his mouth, changed his diapers, and still maintained a happy home.

One day Oliver's brother Christopher asked his father how they managed. He explained that they didn;'t worry about the long succession of tomorrows that might lie before them. They lived a day at a time, asking, "Can I feed Oliver today?" And the answer always was, "Yes, today I can do it."

Jesus taught us how we can handle life's routine: "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about it's own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." In faith - and with prayer - we can break life and its often wearisome tasks into bite-size pieces, entrusting the unpredictable future to the grace of Him who promises that "as your days, so shall your strengths be." -VCG

Good Fear

The right kind of fear

prompts us to do right.

The prophet Jeremiah wanted the Israelites that those who live wickedly and refuse to repent will one day experience God's wrath. This truth is restated throughout the Bible. God uses fear as a means of bringing people to salvation and encouraging obedience. Fear has certainly been a major factor in my life.

Two current misconceptions have weakened the moral influence of this fear. The first fallacy is that the Bible standards for conduct have no authority today. I know of a public school teacher who expressed no shame for behavior that the Bible calls immoral, and he saw no need to repeat.

The second fallacy is that if there is a God, He is so tolerant toward sin that He automatically forgives everyone (except maybe mass murderers and child molesters.) A woman expressed this view in her letter to the editor of a local newspaper when she wrote of the unrepentant teacher, "God has forgiven him, and so should we."

In sharp contrast to these misconceptions is the truth that comes from God. His standards are absolute, and He punishes those who do not repent of violating them. Therefore, let's take seriuosly the fear of sin's consequences and make it an incentive for repentance and godly living. -HVL

The Choice Is Ours

The only way to see life clearly

is to focus on Christ.

One summer afternoon I climbed a hill near my home. When I reached the top, I stretched out on the grass to relax.

Turning my head to one side, my eyes focused on some blades of grass within inches of my face. This short-range focus not only strained my eyes, but it blurred my view of anything beyond the end of my nose! So I began to adjust my focus, and then the distant city came into view instead.

I found I could shift my sights from near to far at will. The choice was mine.

In today's Bible reading, the apostle Paul emphasized that followers of Christ need to be heavenly-minded, not earthly-minded. We can choose which it will be.

We can succumb to selfish, earthbound thoughts, blurring our view of anything beyond the end of our noses. Or we can gaze through this sinful scene and fix our attention on things above, where Christ is seated at God's right hand - and we with Him! Then, and only then, are we in a position to see what's most important in life.

Only the mind that's set on things above can say no to sin and yes to Christlike holiness. The choices is ours. -JEY

Behind The Scenes

In the drama of Life,

God is the director behind the scenes.

While learning to use a new computer, I was troubled by a faint clicking sound that indicated it was working even though nothing was happening on the screen. The manufacturer's representative from the hotline said, "No problem. The computer is probably running an application you can't see and is working in the background."

As I thought about the phrase "working in the background," I began to realize how visually oriented  I am in my relationship with God. If I can't see something, I assume it's not happening. But that's not the way God operates.

I see a striking example of God's "behind the scenes" work in the conversion of Saul. While Christians were suffering under his ruthless persecution, God was preparing to transform him into a dynamic representative of Christ.

Is there a situation in your life today where you cannot see God working? It may be that your circumstances are resisting every attempt at change. Perhaps someone you love is obstinately refusing to respond to God. Even though it may appear that nothing is happening, God is at work - behind the scenes, in the background, accomplishing His purpose. -DCM

At The Outset

Hello guys! I made this blog site for me to be inspired as I inspect my life to find my own mantra. Life is full of surprises and as I spend my quiet time everyday trying to commune with God I will face some inspiring stories that will lead me to His way.

I will include some of these interesting stories I've seen, heard, and read as I spend my quiet time reading the Bible and some inspirational books. By archiving it here, it will help instill in me the lessons it conveys to my heart and to my soul. I hope this will bring me more closer to Him as I uncover some truths in answering the intricacies of my life's confusions and spirituality.

Our problems can be the opportunity to discover God's solutions and we can be confident about our future if we walk with Him in the present.

Hence, it is titled "Meandering Spirit" because it answers my questions and confusions about the complexities of life itself. -AAP