Trust .

Jesus said "if you love me obey my commands."

There are so many of us that say we are Christians. We believe in Jesus and that we are on our way to heaven for our faith in Christ and I wouldn't doubt that. But if you truly are in a relationship with Christ then there ought to be fruit, meaning things in your life ought to be changing so that you look more like Jesus. By look like I mean through us people ought to experience the love and grace of God. Their experience with you and I should be one that brings them to an encounter with the creator and causes them to make a choice. How can this happen though when we struggle with the fundamental issue of "trust". We say we trust God but then when it comes to His commands we worry and struggle with them.

God calls us to relationship with Him. Personal time, prayer time. Time to listen and meditate. What do we do? Honestly most all of us, myself included struggle with "well I don't have time". REALLY?!?!?! How can I not have time for the God who created time? My existence is because of Him and I don't have time? But then we expect to run to God when we need something and get a hand out. We want God to speak to us but we don't take the time to listen and get know Him. Then when we need to hear from God and we don't we venture off on our own. Then when our plans fail we want to blame God. If you want God to take care of you then you need to get this. God tells us that "those who WAIT upon the Lord shall renew their strength". God isn't the McDonalds drive thru window and He wants a legit relationship.

God commands us to not forget to get with the Church. NO not the building, the people. The people who have a relationship with Jesus are the Church, the body of Christ. How can you expect to survive as part of the body of Christ and not remain connected to it? If you think you can be Christian yet not be a par of a Church family you are mistaken. The body needs to be together and in unity. You don't believe that? Cut off your hand and see how long it lives? (please don't actually do that) You, like your hand need to be connected to be useful and survive. Sometimes the hand helps care for another part and sometimes the other parts care for the hand but they all work in unity. Maybe you'd say, but I don't like "Church" people. Well first off if you call yourself a Christian you are one of them. Second God addressed that too.

1 John 4:20 "If someone says, "I love God," but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?"

1 John 3:15 "Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don't have eternal life within them."

Also once again time plays into this and work also. Well I don't have time, my kids have a game OR I have to work on when the Church is meeting. As if life isn't distracting enough why do we allow more obstacles to keep us from remaining connected. God can and will provide a job for you that will allow you to not miss remaining connected, you just need to stand your ground and trust Him. Your kids can get involved, but we excuse them from Church and wonder why when they grow up feel God is irrelevant and not necessary. Why? Because that is what you modeled for them.

God commands us to give financially in His word, but we say we can't because we cannot afford to. Don't we trust that God will supply all our needs or not? Then when we don't we want God's blessing. Sorry but if you want God's blessing you need to do it God's way. I am not saying give your money and you'll be on the next MTV cribs, that's not God's promise. We see what happens to people who are millionaires overnight. Most of them are crushed by their lottery winnings and that is not what God wants for us. I am saying He will make sure you are provided for, no need to worry about tomorrow. Jesus commands us not to worry, but we do when we cannot simply trust Him with what He gave us.

So who is really the one who is not being trust worthy, us or God? Let's ask God to help us learn to be people He can trust.