Proverbs 12:3
A man cannot be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted.
Once I establish myself, once I get my feet on the ground and have a solid foundation and a stable career, then I'll really have the resources I need to give to God. Imagine how much God will be able to do once I've established myself.
No one ever says that out loud, but sometimes it's easy to live. To make God a "later god." I'll live for you later. I'll give to you later. I'll worship you later. First let me take care of this thing called my life.
You won't be established that way. God is a God of now, as in "I want right now. Not later, not someday. I want to love you right now, right here." And when He does, when that's our foundation, we cannot be uprooted.
Have you ever tried to make God a later god?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
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21 comments:
Being a night person, it's always my excuse that i can't get up early in the morning and have my quiet time (as a real Christian supposed to). I think that definitely qualifies as making God a later god? :)
But also, i would like to apply this on praying for someone. Most of the time as i get texts and emails from friends for prayer. I'd say sure... I'll pray for you later. But most of the time i don't.
So now, i'm trying to make it a habit to pause and pray after reading the message and answer "I've just prayed for you..."
right there with you Vikki....and sometimes i even type the prayer back to them.....i know it really helps when someone does that for me...
Just catching up Jon, had to read all three days so far this morning. There was this little ice storm thing happening here in Kentucky that seemed to have knocked out our power for a few days. God was a 'right now' God throughout this time, keeping us safe and sane through no power, no water, no heat for several days.
Loving this study so far. Keep it up.
Like when God lays someone on your heart or you'll say to yourself I wonder how so and so is doing. Instead of picking up the phone right then, I say when I get the girls to bed I'll call them. Then when the girls go to bed I've forgotten or moved on. I often wonder what that person could have been going thru at that time.
Donna, I like the idea of typing out the prayer. Great idea! I was encouraged in college to pray as you're walking away from the person and i really like this text form. Thanks!
I think we all totally do that at some point. If we get too far into it, then God will allow all that we have established to be destroyed by Satan. That's how He remind us that nothing works unless we are established in HIM first.
I was just thinking about this the other day and couldn't agree more. All we have is now.
I've been reading your blog for some time now and wanted to thank you for providing both honesty and laughter. You're doing a great work!
Sometimes I think I live my entire life "Later" - I will do whatever - when the kids grow up, when I am thinner, when I am less busy, when I feel more secure in my job, my marriage - whatever. I read a verse this morning that spoke of God's character - and it really smacked me between the eyes. I need to live like I believe what comes out of my mouth.
I love how the author just goes right ahead and calls it wickedness, too. I prefer to call my sin and selfishness nicer things than that.
You mean later in how I didn't read this until almost noon when I had told myself this would be my first read in the morning? Yep guilty.
Later, yes, later is almost always better than now unless now is what I really want. Perhaps more damaging than my desire to put God off until later is my desire to use God like a consultant. Just let me know what services you offer, what they cost and hey, I've got your number. I'll call the second I need you. Of course, I'll probably wait until I've made the situation considerably worse through my own efforts, so expect there to be quite a bit of disaster recovery and restoration involved.
I've been doing it all week...working on a huge writing project, I've been promising myself to get back to my regular prayer/devotions/reading routine "as soon as I'm done this project." Of course, I finished this morning, and here I stand, convicted.
Always. I look at the huge mound of "to-do" in my life and decide that I should tackle that first and hang out with Jesus later. And sometimes I just put God off until later because I don't want Him to tell me anything I need to change.
I know I have tried tot make God a later god. My issue is let me find a husband(As you can see this is full of confusion, because the bible states he that finds a wife) and then God I get a deeper relationship with you. Needless to say my later god thing is not working.
Thanks Jon, indeed, we serve a God of NOW NOW NOW!! I have failed many times, thanks for reminding me ~ yes I must worship Him with the life that I live & breathe :-)
I'm definitely guilty of "later God" syndrome.
Ironically, I do this because of my generation's obsession with instant gratification.
If I offer my time, praise, prayer, etc I expect some kind of response, NOW.
That doesn't often happen, of course. God doesn't always answer immediately when I pray. I don't always see the result of the time I put in reading the bible or serving/loving others.
It's like God's putting me off until later, so I respond in kind.
Shallow, huh? At least, that's my excuse ;)
My pastor warned us about this during our premarital counseling - he called it the 'tyranny of the urgent.' Yeah, that was 7 years ago and I'm still a slave to the tyranny of the urgent.
Thanks for the reminder.
*blush* this hits a little too close to home. when i was busy with a job and a more established life, i said "later God. after i find more time." now that i'm unemployed and have all the time in the world, i say "later God. after i find a job."
thanks for the reminder that life happens now and God wants to be in our nows. later doesn't always exist in this short life...
"I'm not speaking to you right now, God, because my life and I are both a train wreck. Fix my life, make me better, and maybe then I'll speak to you."
-Oh yeah. Been there. Said that. Cringe.
This post's been sticking in my head, thanks.
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