For Us

In the beginning of January, I had a good friend of mine move away due to a divorce in his family. We had gone through a lot of rough times together, and I cherish all the memories we had together, but our relationship ended up falling apart back in December to some bad decisions we had made. It's been 3 months, and I still haven't totally gotten over it. But through spending some time trying to catch up with God today, I feel like He's healed me up pretty well. :)

My favorite verse:
Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.

An intern at my church told me something a few weeks ago at our weekly youth group, when she noticed I looked upset that day.

She told me that God often takes away the things that distract us from him.

God doesn't take away things we can't live without. He takes away the things that keep us from being happy, healthy or safe. God takes away the things that slow us down and keep us from reaching our fullest potential.

God puts us through challenges for many reasons-to build perseverance, to teach us, to come out a stronger people, to use our story to impact others, and to bring us closer to Him.

I've noticed lately while reading through my Bible, that I keep thinking that God is very self-centered. "Worship Me! Honor Me! Spend time with Me!"

But today through my Bible study, God told me that everything He does is for us. God doesn't tell us to do things we don't want to do so that God will be happy and we won't. God does this because he wants to see us happy and living life to the fullest. And when God sees us jumping for joy, he does it right along with us.

But sin makes us happy!

Why doesn't God jump for joy when we sin, and when that sin makes us happy?

Because sin leads to brokenness, sadness, regret, guilt, shame, impurity, damaged relationships, and shame.

This can lead to stress, which can lead to depression, which can lead to physical illness, suicidal thoughts and actions, which can lead to death.

Physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

Ultimately, it separates us and God.

And that's why God doesn' jump for joy.

He's already thinking about what's going to happen if you don't stop.

God wants a relationship with us. I've come up with 3 different types of relationships: Romantic relationships, friendship relationships, and family relationships.

Romantic

God wants to be our first love. That's how it was in the Garden of Eden. Man can survive without other men, but we cannot survive without God. This is proven when God creates a single man first, and then his partner.

It is important to know God before romantic relationships blossom. Otherwise we will not be able to live physically, spiritually, or emotionally. God also came in before sin. This is saying that God should be more important than your sin.

Man deserved to die for our sins, but God did it for us because he loved us and wanted the best for us.

Like the cross was of great size and caused great pain, so was our sin.

Make God your knight in shining armor, rescuing you from your tower of pain and sin.

God rescued you from your death.

Friendship

God was also man's first friend. God is a friend in the way that he is always with us, walking by your side. God knows all of our secrets before we tell him, whether we tell him or not.

Now THAT'S a friend!

Now we just have to be friends with him back.

Family

God was also man's first Family. Like a parent and a child, God teaches the children how to live.

Children often grow up to live like their parents. We should group up to live like Jesus.

Children often look up to their parents, like we should look up to God. God tells us to honor our father and mother so that you ma live a long and happy life. Also honor God, who can be a father to the fatherless, sos that you may live a long life living for him.

I think this is why the people in the Bible call him father/teacher, friend, and the groom. We need to love God as all three. As our first love, as our first friend, and as family.

Love God and worship him, physically by your actions, spiritually by loving him above all else, and emotionally/mentally through what you think about.