Random Thoughts......

       I look at myself sometimes and i wonder the things I'd be found doing today if i had not become a christian. I find it is easier to follow the passions of my heart, to put off praying till after that movie is over, to glance with longing at the beautiful lady across the street and wish she were mine, and just as I'm wishing that, the next girl that crosses the road in front of me attracts the same wishes in my mind - i also wish she was mine. Crazy huh? It just shows that the human heart is really just an extension of the human eyes.

        Why do we dwell more on the things that we see rather than what we hear or taste? we see sad people and automatically we get dejected, on our way to being sad ourselves, we see a happy gathering and the next thing we know, we are hyped and feeling really good. The things we see really have a way of clouding the way we perceive.

        I once told a friend this words "Two men will look at the sky and one will say, the clouds are beautiful, but the other will say compared to the stars, those clouds you see are nothing!"
The difference between the two men is perception. One sees with his eyes and accepts the limitation his eyes makes obvious to him,(The Clouds). He accepts his visual limitation and even rationalizes it to be the best thing possible. But the other man sees the limit just as the other man sees, accepts that the clouds are there but at the same time, he looks within to the knowledge he has about the universe, this knowledge helps him to perceive, understand and accept that truly there are things beyond the clouds and it also helps him visualize those perceptions. Even if he cant really see the stars with his physical eyes, he is able to see it with his mind, his inner eyes.

        For Christians, this inner eyes really is the Holy Spirit and that knowledge that He uses to help us perceive is yes, you got it, the Bible! Our spirits without the guidance of the Holy Spirit is quickly shutdown by our minds based on what information our eyes downloads into our minds. So you see, our spirit man needs to be led by the Holy Spirit to be able to see and perceive the things that are beyond the realm of our physical eyes, things in the spiritual realm, where everything that happens in the physical is decided.

        Remember, the spiritual is the framework for the physical and without it, the physical simply wouldn't exist! To walk in the spiritual realm, we need to subject our spirits to the leading of the Holy Spirit by obeying his words. Obedience is the key.

Obedience

         I can't remember how or when it all started, i don't even remember how life was before it, all i could think of with every waking minute, was this: "How on earth am i supposed to fulfill God's purpose for my life?".
Usually, if i think hard enough, and am objective enough, i find answers to the whatever questions are troubling me. Not so with this question.

         I tossed and turned, and stared so hard at so many ceilings, i was begining to think i was losing my mind. First i had to understand purpose, then vision, then i needed to understand the difference between purpose and vision, then i realized that the purpose really wasn't mine to decide and that the bar has been raised so high by the apostles it seemed no one could surpass them.

         Then it dawned on me.My part is just a small part of the whole. A little image in a big picture. I saw that i didn't have to measure up to anyone at all. I realised that all i had to do was to grow into the image and stature that God had planed for me. To grow into the man i was destined to be. To follow in the path outlined for me. To be just the man i was designed to be. NO MORE, NO LESS!

         Then i found my answer. To be all that God has called me to, I simply had to obey! I have to listen and let his voice guide me along the path He has prepared for me. Let His soothing words rid me of all fear and doubts. The answer i had been searching for was contained in just one word.

         OBEDIENCE.  

Why is Obedience so Important?

          I understand now that the foundation for a spirit filled life in Christ Jesus is Obedience to His word. The very first sin was disobedience and that is really the starting point of every act that leads to sin.
         In every sin there is disobedience! It always happens at the point when the decision is made to give in to sin. That point signifies the turning of your back on the word of God, His precepts and ordinations concerning that particular situation.
         Likewise, for every achievement in the kingdom, it's starting point is obedience.The first step towards any spiritual accomplishment is obedience, the first step towards overcoming any challenge or temptation is obedience.
Obedience is that point where u submit and accept the wisdom of God, and choose consciously to subject yourself to God's will, and to allow his counsel stand.