"In God We Trust"

Someone recently asked me about this topic and I have decided to revise this because the way it was written before gave the reader the idea that we are "capable" of earning our way to salvation. This is not the case. Romans 9:32 states this:

^31-32It also means that the people of Israel were not acceptable to God. And why not? It was because they were trying to be acceptable by obeying the Law instead of by having faith in God. The people of Israel fell over the stone that makes people stumble.

Here it is again in the NIV translation:

Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."

I'm sure most people are familiar with the "In God We Trust" writing on a US dollar bill, but have you seen this:

"This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private." I noticed this writing on a dollar bill this past Sunday as I waited for the collection plate to come around. If this bill is legal tender for all debts public and private of men, what is our tender to God? What do we use to repay Him? The answer is our actions. However keep in mind that salvation comes through faith, not through works! With that said part of being a Christian means we try to be like Christ, in every way. What do we owe to God, not in the monetary sense but in other forms. The first thing that comes to mind is that we owe Him our lives for sacrificing His only son to save us. I thought about the other things we owe Him for: His grace, guidance, love, compassion and understanding. The list kept growing in my head until I realized I was trying to answer the wrong question. The right question is what don't we owe to God. Without Him we would have nothing; we would not exist. We owe him everything we have for everything He has done for us.

I have had a rough time lately and started speaking with a family friend about the issues I was having. Her advice helped to push me to the next step in Christianity and my relationship with God. I was always thankful to have God in my life but I was still taking Him for granted. I had always prayed to God about the things going on in my life but I didn't feel truly connected to Him. This family friend told me about her methods of talking to God through prayer. Since then prayer feels much different to me, I feel connected and confident that He hears me. I see His answers much more clearly than before. I have started to question my life purpose--the choices I am making, and God has answered me a day at a time. It is reassuring to have Him at my side in a new way. His insight is just what I need in my life right now. I didn't understand what I was missing; I could never go back to the way things were before. I never really knew how lost I was until I was found. Going back to what we owe God and the question of what our tender to Him is, its hard to know what to do. How do I even start to repay my debts to Him? What could I possibly do to please Him? I have started to get a mental list together of these things and do them. No matter how much we do, we will never be able to earn our way to salvation but that isn't going to stop me from trying to be like Him in my actions.

Out on the Line.

I think there comes a time in everyone's lives where God tells them to put it all on the line for something they want. No matter how bleak a situation may be or how far gone a cause, THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE IN CHRIST! Its refreshing to know that when we place our life in Him, we cant go wrong. God will always show us the right path after we get used to listening.

As humans our vision is not right, we are blinded by our thoughts, feelings, and desires. Gods vision for our lives is perfect. He knows what is right and where we belong but he gives us free will to teach us lessons. If we were just handed all the answers to life, we would learn nothing and therefore screw up everything. Its rough at first like a kid learning to walk but if you give it patience it starts to come naturally. Listening to God becomes fluid and intuitive. Ask. Receive. Follow.

James

No, not the book of James, but a person I met. James approached me on the Plaza in Kansas city recently asking for change. He is homeless. James is an older African American man, gray hair and wrinkles around the eyes. His worn military jacket spoke of his past. I sat for a while and talked with him, gave him my spare change and asked him if he had a place to stay because it was pretty cold out. He told me that he knew of a warm place to rest and that he would be fine for the night. He thanked me for the change, said "God bless you", and we parted ways. A few weeks went by and I saw James again this time I found him sleeping behind a fast food restaurant because the vent on the building was blowing warm air out. It broke my heart to see him like this, I called his name out softly to see if he was awake, he responded and stood up. I reminded him of our first meeting and he remembered. I offered to buy him some food but he declined. He said he had ate, I left James and again he said "God bless you", I turned to him and said the same.

To see someone less fortunate than yourself set aside their problems to bless you is a humbling experience. I couldn't help but to sit down and cry for James, I wish there was more I could do for him, that people in general could have more compassion in life. Please keep people like James in your prayers.