Changes!
October
5, 2008
Michael
Schwartz
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Some of you may have heard that my dad lost his job
back in July. The good news is that we've found another job, and it's overall a
really good one. The bad news is that it means moving to Arkansas.
Naturally, I don't want to move. Over the past
couple of years, I've become fond of some people, places and things associated
with Michigan, and moving would mean giving those things up. But maybe that's a
good thing.
When I gave my life to God last summer, it was the
most exciting feeling in the world. Everything I had, I gave to God. My life was
His with which to do whatever He wanted. However, as time went on, I started
taking parts of my life back. I became overly content with what He'd given me
and really didn't feel I had a need for anything else, much less God. Other
parts of my life started taking precedence over Him.
Most of you should be able to recall the story of
the Israelites when Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments. The
Israelites grew tired of waiting on God, so they commissioned Aaron to build a
golden calf for them to worship instead.
I think that, in many ways, we Christians do the
same thing. As long as God is delivering us from Egypt and parting the Red Sea,
we're ecstatic and we praise and worship God. But then we get bored with
everything He's doing and start finding ways to entertain ourselves. Without
even realizing it sometimes, we build an idol, and our relationship with it
replaces our relationship with God. We're all like that because we want to trust
something concrete--something we can see and touch. It's easier that way.
It was as if I was walking down a path with God,
and I got distracted by a single butterfly. I started straying from God's path
and made my own way through the forest, checking out all the beautiful things
the forest has to offer. One thing lead to another, and pretty soon, I was
hopelessly lost. I then started to wonder where God went.
I was familiar with the joy, peace, and love that
radiates from His presence. When I strayed from Him, I started to realize that
something was missing--I didn't feel any of that anymore. I had looked to
pleasures, hobbies, and friends, but none of those things filled that hole in my
heart like Jesus had. The longer I went without Him, the more miserable my life
became. But now, even though I'm leaving behind everything in Michigan to move
to Arkansas, I feel at peace. Maybe even somewhat happy. I feel this way because
I've decided to give my life back over to God. I realize how foolish it is to
give anything (or anyone) priority over Him. In Christ, I find a peace and joy
that I can't get anywhere else. I can build as many golden calves as I want, but
none of them can compare to the life I find in Him.
Matthew
16:25 NKJV
For
whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My
sake will find it.
Michael
E-mail me:
vektor@xpertstudios.net.
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