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survey sez! Reader's responses to The Big Question. May 26, 2008 The Question:
The hardest part about living for God is... The Answer:
“Finding His direction.” The Answer:
“Finding time in a world that demands 180 hours a week.” The Answer:
“Learning to trust God's word. It's easy to hold to the promises
that are found in the Bible, but what about the ones God gives
to the individual believer?” The Answer:
“When your fellow believers break your trust, and you have
to learn to lean on God on your own while keeping a right spirit.
Once I had given a large percentage of our income per the sermon,
only to be looked down on later when my family cannot afford a
new car and the current one doesn't meet their standard for the
image of their church. Pass up on a career move to support someone's
ministry per their direction, only to be left behind and without
a great job. Asked to build or develop a project only to have
it thrown away, and accused of trying to stir trouble or take
over an area of the church. I have only learned recently that
there is a proper way to say no to your pastor and protect your
family without stirring trouble, but that is not what I learned
growing up in Pentecost. The pastor is not part of the 'trinity.'
I believe in my pastor, respect and support him, but I must be
accountable to God first and He will work all things out.” The Answer:
“Trusting Him with your future. I mean, look what happens
to people of God. They get killed and persecuted, imprisoned,
shipwrecked, beat, laughed at, impoverished, and marginalized.” The Answer:
“Shouldn't this say 'The hardest part about not living
for God is...'” The Answer:
“Having faith in God and me that I could be a full time minister
with Him. I am so used to working and living the working life
that living the ministry life is scary.” The Answer:
“Learning to let go of expectations and letting God have
the freedom to work in my life.” The Answer:
“Realizing at all times that, as Steven Curtis Chapman wrote,
'God is God and I am not.' I cannot rationalize what He does/does
not do with my finite mind.” The Answer:
“Having to endure an extremely loud sound system
at church every week. Do we really need all that volume?” The Answer:
“Not living for me...” The Answer:
“Self discipline. Keeping the Bible reading and a prayer
life what it should be, can be hard at first. It must be maintained
constantly. When we begin to understand that it is how we survive
spiritually like eating and sleeping for the body. The soul must
be maintained and also not neglected. Then, at some point, when
you continue doing this and as you draw closer to God you begin
to want to do it, just to be with Him. That's the pay off. It
now is not a chore but a refuge.” The Answer:
“Keeping a consistent prayer life.” The Answer:
“Having to say no to things that you might really want, like
a certain person for a spouse, or a certain college where there's
no church, maybe a job. But once you realize what you have in
Christ, He sure does make it a lot easier! His love is worth it
all. And if He gave the ultimate price, His life, what's a spouse/job/college
anyway? They don't really mean much when you look at the big picture.” The Answer:
“Trusting Him.” © 2008, ninetyandnine.com ---------- |
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