Growth and Meditation

I feel as though this week has been an awakening of sorts for me. God is convicting me of sin in my life and drawing me deeper in love with Him through that conviction. That may seem confusing for some, but the reality is that I'm seeing my weakness and it opens my eyes to His greatness. I'm seeing my deep-rooted selfishness and being reminded of His continuous faithfulness and forgiveness. I'm so excited about the stirring of the Spirt inside of me that I have to share it with you. I wanted to share a few things that I've read this week that have encouraged and/or convicted me in hopes that they might draw you to love God more deeply yourself.

Pastor John Pipers states, "We're forgiven and we're justified to bring us to God. God is our treasure. God is the end. My forgiveness is not the end, my justification is not the end, my going to Heaven and not having a sick body anymore is not the end. All of that is a means. A means to what? Seeing Him, knowing Him, loving Him, being satisfied in Him and Him being more glorified in me because I'm now eternally satisfied in him."

And another statement from pastor John Piper I found convicting was, "The critical question for our generation - and for every generation - is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?"

Wow, what thought provoking statements! How many of us have this watered down perspective of forgiveness, the christian life and of Heaven that ultimately points to our own glory and satisfaction? The point of me coming to know Christ is not just to be forgiven and leaving it at that, it's about a continuous process of bringing me to God and making Him my treasure...not myself, my own desires, nor anything else that I love on this earth. My prayer is that God would keep opening my heart, and yours, to truly love Him above everything this world has to offer.